This past weekend I traveled across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine with Stonyfield and 12 other bloggers.
The inspiring women I met on the trip: Amelia, Christine, Kate, Katie, Lindsey, Liz, Maria, Marla, Meghan, Monique, Sarah, and Scarlett.
We did lots of fun things like eat incredible food, shop, meet Stonyfield’s founder, tour the yogurt plant, and kayak in the ocean. But the heart of why we were there was to see what it means to be organic, right from the source. So we visited three different dairy farms that produce organic milk for Stonyfield, including:
Wolfe’s Neck Farm, a nonprofit farm in Maine that is dedicated to educating people about agricultural practices and where their food comes from.
Greg Beaudoin Farm, a farm in Maine run by a dad and his daughter.
Winsome Farm Organics, a New Hampshire farm run by a young couple with an adorable little family. This is where I tried raw milk for the first time. (Spoiler alert: I loved it!)
We got to speak to the farmers first hand, were given tours around their property, and were invited to ask them any and all questions. And oh boy did we ask questions. I haven’t been exposed to a lot of farms or livestock, so I had a lot to learn. I really appreciated Greg (pictured above) keeping a straight face when I asked if both male and female cows could produce milk. Looking back, the answer should have been pretty obvious. 😉 (It’s no.)
We were able to get up close and personal with the animals, which I absolutely loved. It was an amazing experience getting to pet a cow. I even got licked by one! I always knew they were very smart animals, but I had no idea they had a complex language system. Farmers mimic some of their calls when they need to communicate with them!
We got to walk out to pasture and see where the cows graze for food. Organic cows must graze on pasture at least 120 days a year. While this would seem like a normal thing, less than 10% of cows in the U.S. ever graze a day in their lives. That’s pretty sad to think about considering the fact that they jump for joy at the sight of grass.
We got to see the cows be milked, and I even got to test the machine out on my finger! I learned that cows love to be milked as it provides them relief, much like a nursing mothers feel after breastfeeding a baby.
We talked about all the additives that are not allowed in organic products. No growth hormones, no GMOs, and no antibiotics ever. Organic farms are tested rigorously for this and if any of these additives are found they are not allowed to re-test their milk for a minimum of six months. A good breakdown of what all these additives are and why their absence from the products we consume is important can be found here.
We talked a lot about the health and happiness of cows, and how organic farming works with nature and not against it. Glen from Winsome Farm Organics said that in the last three years, his vet bill was $200 for his farm, and that was to tag and inspect the cows for a 4H fair. When I asked if that was a lot less than normal, he said the conventional farmers down the street from him have a standing vet appointment each week and that sometimes there’s multiple visits a week.
Because organic cows can’t get things like antibiotics when they’re sick or hormones when they’re not producing enough milk, farmers have to find other ways to treat and manage their cows. This alternative treatment is a big reason why organic cows can live up to twice as long as conventional cows.
Something that we talked about that I had never really given much thought to before was the financial benefits of being an organic farmer. What a conventional dairy farmer can charge $16 for, an organic dairy farmer can charge $35 for. There can be more stability and profit for farmers that produce organic products.
As I toured the farms, talked with the farmers, and petted more and more cute cows over the weekend, I felt this sense of peace build inside of me. At the grocery store each week when I pick up an organic product, it usually costs twice as much as the conventional product beside it. And that can be hard to justify, because spending more money at the grocery store means I’m spending less somewhere else.
I always rationalized the extra expense because I knew organic was better for me, and I’d rather pay more for good food now than doctor’s bills later. What I learned this weekend is that not only is organic better for me, it’s better for the animals, the environment, and business. That’s a decision I can feel good about.
This weekend reaffirmed a lot of things for me, and it definitely reaffirmed my love for Stonyfield. It says a lot about a company that they can make delicious products, make a profit, and make such a difference in customers’, farmers’, and animals’ lives.
Happy people, happy businesses, and happy cows. What a concept. 😀
Questions of the Day: What are your thoughts on organic vs. conventional? Do you typically buy organic? Have you toured a farm? Are you a Stonyfield fan?
Thanks to Stonyfield for covering my expenses on this trip and making this farm tour possible. And a big thanks to Kristina and Mairead for being awesome and the best tour guides ever!
as much as my bank account can 🙂 I DO DO DO.
Same girl!!
I love stoneyfield milk! it was great to read your post to get an inside look at where it comes from. My husband is getting ready for work right now and i kept telling him all about it!
I learned so much on this trip! It was amazing!
I love hearing more about organic farmers! I actually got my husband to watch a food documentary with me last night and he’s slowly starting to see why I’m such a health freak about eating organic, real food as much as possible (when not pregnant at least lol.)
It’s funny because I started buying organic for the health reasons and Josh was upset about the costs until I told him how much it benefits animals. Now he’s totally on board!
How fun! I love this! And I love their yogurt!
Stonyfield is the best!!
Oh Erin…… I wish I could have been there when you asked if bulls could produce milk, haha!
Stonyfield has my heart – what a great company!
I’m so glad no one laughed at me!! haha I feel like sometimes I don’t know basic things everyone else does? Not sure why. haha
Those cows are so cute! That sounds like a really fun, informative trip.
It was an amazing trip! I learned so much!!
Looks like such a Great event!! How fun!
It was an amazing trip!! I learned so much!!
What a cool opportunity! And I love that the cows are happy + well cared for. 🙂
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Yes! Seeing the animals so well cared for made my heart happy. <3
What a cool experience! I definitley see the benefits to buying organic.
Yes! It definitely solidified a lot of my food choices!
How sweet! Those calfs are adorable. Organic is the way to go! I actually want to get a beef for our deep freeze a soon as possible, possibly a lamb as well!
The animals were so beautiful! I loved that I got to pet them!
I’ve been following Ambitious Kitchen for awhile now so I follow Monique on different social media platforms and had fun watching her Snaps from the trip on Snapchat. So cool to hear about the trip from someone else too!
It was so great getting to meet Monique! She’s the sweetest!
This warms my soul seeing all those animals happy in their natural environment. I’m a huge advocate for organic everything for a multitude of reasons – humane treatment of animals, quality food that isn’t riddled with GMO (cancer inducing) ingredients. Also, we can’t forget about the bees, who are experiencing colony collapses at a staggering rate around the world- from the use of pesticides!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful piece, and the images are stunning. <3
Ali
dapperfoxdesign.com
Oh man I’m ridiculously into promoting bee education ever since I attended a bee seminar. They are amazing animals that are so important to our ecosystem!
This was such an incredible trip that I felt so lucky to be able to go on to ask questions and learn.
Sounds like a fun trip. I live in New England, so I have been through all of those states many times. I love it up there.
It was an amazing trip! New England is so pretty this time of year!
I buy organic for animal and animal products because of how the animals are treated. It sounds like this was a great ‘field trip’ for you to take with Stonyfield!!
Yes! It was an amazing trip that I learned so much while on!! Stonyfield is an incredible company!
What a cool and informative experience. My grandpa is a cattle farmer so my family was lucky enough to know exactly where our meat was coming from and how the cows were treated. Great post!
Oh that is awesome!! What great peace of mind!
What a fun tour! I agree that buying Organic is all around the best choice
Yes! It’s definitely a choice I can feel good about!
Looks like a great trip! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely Janelle! It was an incredible time!
This is so great! I grew up near Wolfe’s Neck Farm! I buy organic (and local!) whenever I can.
Wolfe’s Neck is such a beautiful farm!! I went crazy over their sheep and goats! haha
Wow this is eye opening!! The fact that less than 10% of cows graze a day in their life breaks my heart! I am from New Zealand so we don’t have as much intensive farming but that doesn’t make it organic. I like to think of every purchase of organic or free range food as a vote yes to organic/free range, even if that is only one item per shop it is still one positive vote! Thank you for sharing! Xx
Yes! We’re voting with our dollars!
This is so interesting me! So much of this I had no idea. Love the vet bill evidence!
I know, I felt like I knew a ton about organic before this trip but I learned so so much!!
So great to hear about a company like this. I love buying their yogurt for my boys because it is one of the few that uses whole milk, and they need that good fat for brain development. Great pictures!
Thanks Shann! Yes, I have so much love for Stonyfield!!
That looks like such a fun time. Those photos are wonderful
Thanks Harriet! It was an incredible trip!
I want more organic foods in my diet but they are so expensive. I love when I get to review organic products.
There are some great organic products out there!
Awwww those baby cows! 🙂 I hope you had a great time in New England! I am headed to NH in a few weeks to visit my extended family. It’s my favorite place!
Ohh have a wonderful time! I love New England, especially during this time of year!
I love organic vs. non organic. We buy it as much as we can too. It’s sad that the non-organic industry is so promoted by our government. We should be building up businesses that are local, US grown, and don’t contribute to the health problems in this country.
I know! Hopefully as more people vote for organic with their dollars organic will become more mainstream and more supported by those who can create change!
We volunteer at an organic farm and love it!!
That is amazing! Good for you for doing that!
I visited a working dairy farm recently too and I learned many of the same things (although I knew only females produce milk). 😉 It’s so interesting how the price varies between regular and organic too.
Oh how fun! Yes, isn’t the milk market crazy? I had no idea!!
I love this!
XO JNESS
jenessasheffield
Yay for happy cows! 😀
We always buy organic and we like Stoney Field products.
Stonyfield is the best!!
I don’t think it’s possible for me to love this post more than I already do. I totally agree that organic always does cost more and that it can sometimes be difficult to justify but I think happy cows=happy humans and it’s so much healthier to eat the food as is meant be to enjoyed.
Thanks so much for these great photos and telling us about your experience!
Absolutely Charlotte! Thanks so much for stopping by! Yay for happy cows! 😀
I love this post. What an awesome experience!
Thanks Denise! It was an incredible experience!
Erin, I love this recap! It’s so wonderful to hear why you are passionate about organic and how this trip solidified what you already felt to be true. And I loved meeting you 🙂
It was so great meeting you!! I hope we run into each other again soon! 🙂
What a wonderful opportunity! I love that everything is done with lots of love and attention to details. It’s so wonderful to see happy animals.
xoxo
Ramona
http://ramona-strikeapose.blogspot.ie
Yes! Getting to see and touch and interact with the animals was the best part for me!
This was such a neat post to read! I should buy organic on more things then I do. Thank you for sharing this:)
Absolutely Joanna! I thought I knew a lot about organic but I learned so many new things on this trip! It was very eye opening!
What an interesting trip in the company of like-minded people! Awesome!
It was such an amazing trip!! I wish I could do it all over again!
Wow! What a cool experience to go to the Stonyfield farm, that’s awesome! I have to say, it looks like they have the cutest cows. We typically buy mostly organic, especially when it comes to dairy products, fruits and veggies!
This trip definitely reaffirmed a lot of things for me. It mad me happy to see the animals so happy.
Those cows sure do look healthy! I usually buy organic dairy products and then depending on if I’m cooking vegetables or eating them raw, I’ll buy conventional or organic. Don’t really enjoy eating raw veggies that have been dipped in chlorine or blasted in acid to get the skins off. 🙁
I’m the same. If a vegetable has a thick skin then I’m more okay with conventional.
What an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing everything you learned. I do prefer buying organic/healthy when I can – it’s definitely a decision we can all feel good about.
Yes! I loved getting to see all the animals and just how happy they were. That goes a long way in my buying decision.
I use to go to farms all the time when I was younger, living in Canada, and went to horse camp. I miss those days 🙂 I buy organic often, mostly for produce that doesn’t have thick skin i.e. blueberries, spinach, herbs, etc. Looks like you had fun!
I’m the exact same! The meat and dairy that comes into my house is organic but fruits and vegetables with thick skins I tend to be okay buying conventional.
that’s seriously amazing!
It was an incredibly informative trip!
What a wonderful time you had at the farm. My family used to visit the farm a lot when I was younger. I miss those times.
I hope to visit more farms! I had a blast!
As much as I can, I buy organic food. Not only is it better for you, I also find that it tastes better as well!
I so agree with this! Especially with organic milk and eggs!
I prefer organic because it’s more natural. And you know how the plants and the animals were treated.
Yes! It removes so many questions from my mind!
Because I love myself, my family, my friends and the world around me, I buy organic products and support organic farmers!
Yes to all of this! <3
Looks like a fun trip!
It was a blast!! So so so much fun!
I buy organic everyday and most of the time. we’re so lucky because we live in southern california where organic produces aren’t expensive and often cheaper than conventional ones
Ohh I am very jealous of that!! California has so much good food!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST! When my hubby and I started a round of Whole30, that’s when I REALLY started to pay attention to the ingredients we were eating. It was hard at first to spend the extra dollars on the food, but then I realized that, the item we bought we may not like in a few years or it wont last, but our bodies and our health are with us for life. What good is a new dress if we are sick and cant wear it, ya know?! Its all about self care!
Amen to this!!!
This looks like so much fun! Love all the pictures! Great information about buying organic. Thanks!
It was such a fun trip! I’m glad you enjoyed the post Jonathan!
What a delightful outing and confirmation that organic is best… Those cows looked relaxed and content… Their milk taste better and the farmers can maintain a living wage… What’s not to love?
Exactly! Goodness all around!
I love fresh and organic stuff. As far with the field or farm tour, no I haven’t experience it. :L)(
I hope you get to experience a farm tour someday soon! It’s a lot of fun!
These animals look HAPPY. I know that sounds strange. But they are being taken care of and I’m sure this good care is trickled down into the food chain once it hits my table.
Yes! It gives me a lot of reassurance and peace in my purchasing decisions.
What a fun trip! thanks for sharing…
It was an amazing trip! Thanks for reading about it Rocky!
Wow! What a fantastic trip. I am a big Stony Field fan. Their yogurt is always in my fridge. I live in Maine, close to one of their organic farmers. I’ve bookmarked this entry so that I can come back tonight after supper and follow your links to other blogs. It’s always nice to find bloggers with whom I share deep common interests.
Oh yay! I hope you find some great bloggers from this! <3
Wow. Sounds like a great time and a great learning experience. I am still surprised the organic cows only have to graze outside for 120 days. I thought it would be much more than that. Is it because of the weather? I used to work on a dairy farm in Australia (non organic) and the cows were out in the paddock year-round. Their food was supplemented with hay and dry food when there wasn’t enough in the paddock but they always had something to graze on and were only ever kept inside if they were sick or for some other rare reason.