Beyond Organic?

We've been doing organic whole milk for G (and did the same for R) since he turned 1. Then my cousin C turned me on to the idea of buying local, family-owned farm, natural milk. It is pasteurized to get rid of any germs, but it is non-homogenized (the cream separates, so a good shake is necessary before you pour the milk). It isn't "certified organic," but the farm uses no chemicals, no pesticides, no hormones and the cows are all free roaming. The idea is that it is beyond organic, as even our beloved organic dairies have become huge production facilities.

So we picked up some yesterday at our local Whole Foods:

Hartzler Family Dairy is an Ohio dairy farm not too far from here near Amish Country. They sell at some local stores, in, get this, glass bottles (I love it). You pay more upfront for the milk, but then you return the empty bottles to the store and get a refund or credit if you are buying more milk. In the long run, it is cheaper than organic, and with nothing to throw away or recycle other than the lid.

But what about the taste? I was skeptical, thinking there was no way I would be able to taste a difference, even though C had told me it was markedly better tasting.

Oh-my-goodness. The milk was incredible. I am not someone who usually drinks milk for the taste of it, rather, I do it for my bones. But now I'm a believer.

See ya later, Horizon Organic Milk, we had a good run. I'm a Hartzler girl now.

SPC