Alberta Milk and the Organic Specialist at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development helped ease the organic learning process by bringing the producers together for workshops and networking, and providing access to experts from other regions. Finally all this teamwork and commitment paid off, with a certified organic product.

But the challenges weren’t over. Milk must be processed before it is sold, and it wasn’t easy to find a processor.  Saxby coming onboard was an exciting development. “We’re thrilled to be able to provide Albertans with organic milk from herds across our province” says Saxby’s Jonathon Avis.

Why is organic milk important? In part, it’s the way the animals are treated. Like us, cows benefit from fresh air and exercise. Organic cows have access to pasture when the weather permits. And they are fed a high proportion of forage in their all organic diet. Forage is a natural food for cattle, and results in a healthier animal.

Part of the benefit of organic milk is in the milk itself. A recent study showed that organic milk has different proportions of fatty acids including much higher levels of beneficial polyunsaturated fats such as conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) and some types of omega 3 fatty acids[1].

Organic milk produced in Alberta is produced by neighbours, hard working, dedicated neighbours bringing us the best possible product they can.

Growing organic in our regions also benefits us through the environment we share. Organic production doesn’t add herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides to the land and therefore it doesn’t contribute these chemicals to the pollution of air and water either.  Local organic production also doesn’t contribute genetically modified organisms, synthetic hormones or antibiotics. Supporting local organic is also about keeping our environment clean.

Given the multiple benefits of organic and local production, and the increasing consumer demand for organic milk, the new availability of local organic milk is a win-win situation for everyone.

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Organic Alberta is a membership driven non-profit association. We represent organics in Alberta and strengthen the organic community through leadership, networking, education, communication and advocacy. We are a collaboration of all stakeholders - from consumers to producers and all those in between.

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[1] Journal of Dairy Science 94:24-36