Can a Factory Farm Dairy Really Be “Organic” Wisconsin State Journal How now organic cow?
1/23/05 A horse is a horse, of course, of course. But a cow is a horse of a different color, at least when it’s an organic cow. A dispute over what is, and what is not, an organic cow is the latest disagreement to divide American farmers over the question: How should we define “organic food?” A solution will require organic agriculture supporters to stop thinking of organic farming as a weapon in a war between small farms and big farms and start thinking of organic farming as a business that can change agriculture for the benefit of all. The fuss over organic cows came to a head this month when the Cornucopia Institute, an organic farming and family farm advocacy organization based in Wisconsin, filed a complaint with the U.S. Agriculture Department over how a Colorado dairy farm is raising “organic” cows. The Agriculture Department has agreed to investigate and to clarify federal standards governing organic dairy farms. Wisconsin has a big stake in the outcome. The state is home to mo
