Podcast: Do you buy organic milk because you believe organic farms treat their cows better? Here’s a reality check

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Credit: Arla Foods

Lots of cows are sold at auction. Some are perfectly healthy, some are not.

It’s important to note that according to guidelines from the group that certifies regenerative organic farms, cows culled from a herd are not supposed to be sold at a standard auction.

But their cow, 13039, was anyway.

All the veterinarians Annie spoke to said it sounded like the cow had something known as cancer eye, what wed call ocular cancer.

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12 hours after Annie saw her, cal 13039 was euthanized with a rifle shot, cow 13039 came to auction from Alexander Family Farm, one of the best-known organic farms in the country.

A farm that’s certified humane, non-GMO, grass-fed, USDA organic, pretty much any label that might indicate a farm is best practices.

But what Annie found and what whistleblowers told her is that despite all that, cows were still being grievously harmed.

If I wandered into the Whole Foods near me and bought 59oz of Alexander Milk for $7.69, I’d be doing that, thinking I was making the most ethical purchase possible.

One that was expensive, sure, but good for my family and for the cows on the farm. But that’s not necessarily true.

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