The organic milk industry, which began as a counterculture movement in the 1970's, is now large enough to attract the interest of major food companies. Gone are the days when you had to wait until the Saturday farmer's market in order to get organic milk. However, now that Walmart, General Mills, and even Dean Foods have placed their hat into the race over the organic milk market, large suppliers, such as Horizon Organic dairy farm, are battling to keep prices down –– and being charged with cutting corners.

Recent claims by organic groups have charged some large–scale organic dairies with violating organic requirements, in particular by not allowing cows enough time outside munching grass. In order for foods to be considered organic, they must meet certain criteria set in place by the USDA, including access to pasture. Additionally, the Organic Standards Board has recommended that dairy cows get about one-third of their diet from pasture for close to 4 months a year in order to be considered organic, although that has not been implemented by the USDA yet.

One of the ways that dairies can cut corners is by keeping cows in a barn for most of the day so that they can be fed energy–rich food, which ups milk production. Yet keeping cows indoors is contrary to the public’s notion –– and the requirements –– of organic food. The Cornucopia Institute is accusing Horizon Organic’s company–owned dairy on Maryland’s Eastern Shore of breaking the rules by denying cows sufficient access to pasture. A former employee of Horizon, Jacob Tice, notes in a Chicago Tribune article by Andrew Martin that his managers were less interested in the more humane system of rotational grazing and rather more concerned about boosting profits by ensuring that “the highest–producing milk cows mostly remained in the barn.” The question remains open as to how the organic dairy industry will grow to meet demand, and whether it will be able to maintain customer confidence in its methods.