The 2018 Non-GMO Sourcebook

Dairies east and west see opportunities with non-GMO milk A small but growing number of U.S. dairy produc- ers are getting their milk products non-GMO veri- fied to meet consumer demand and differentiate themselves in a challenging dairy market. B Y K E N R O S E B O R O A t Trickling Springs Creamery switching to non-GMO milk production has been a long-time company goal, according to Joe Miller, director of marketing and spe- cialty sales. “We thought it was the right

California-based Clover offers a line of Non-GMO Project Verified milk products

cided to pursue Non-GMO Project Verification. They began the verification process in August 2014 and started GMO testing of feed crops grown on both organic and conventional dairy farms. The Non-GMO Project standard requires the use of tested non-GMO feed, which must meet a GMO threshold of less than 5 per- cent. Trickling Springs’ organic products received Non-GMO Project Verification by Octo- ber 2014. Non-GMO verifi- cation of the main FarmFriend farm was com-

pleted in October 2015, and the rest of the farms were ver- ified by March 2016. Today, all Trickling Springs Cream- ery Products, organic and conventional, are Non-GMO Project Verified. Non-GMO Project Verifi- cation offers dairy companies a way to differentiate their prod- ucts in a challenging over-sup- plied market for milk. “You have to differentiate yourself,” says Warren Tay- lor, owner of Ohio-based Snowville Creamery, which also sells non-GMO milk. “Non-GMO provides a third option between organic and con- ventional. It’s the next obvious

duction is organic; the other 40 is “natural,” non-GMO, sold under the FarmFriend brand. Products include fresh and chocolate milk, cream, butter, raw cheese, ice cream, and goat milk. These are sold in supermar- kets and natural food stores and cooperatives from Con- necticut to Florida and as far west as Ohio. According to Miller, Trickling Springs became concerned about GMO con- tamination of crops used for feed such as corn, soybeans, and alfalfa hay, and they de-

thing to do,” he says. “From the beginning, we set requirements for not allowing rBST (geneti- cally engineered bovine growth hormone). Being non-GMO makes a difference in the quality of dairy products and the well- being of cows.” Based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Trickling Springs buys milk from 44 dairy farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The farms have an average of 60 cows, which are mostly grass-fed. About 60 percent of Trickling Springs’ pro-

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