Looks of interesting information floating around here. As a dairy producer I hate misconceptions in dairy products. Do not assume that organic milk is the only antibiotic free milk there is. First and foremost--all milk and milk products are anti biotic free. In non organic herds, antibiotics are used to treat disease, just like they are used in humans. Interesting enough we were recently on an organic farm in Europe earlier this month. They could use antibiotics on their cows, but had to hold the milk three times longer than the recommended label instructions. If it meant keeping an animal alive because she had pneumonia I think it would be a wise course to treat her with antibiotics.
Milk must be thoroughly tested for antibiotic residue before it can leave the farm. If a cow has been treated, we run a test to see if the milk is "clear" of antibiotics before it is put in the bulk tank. The whole bulk tank of milk is tested when in leaves the farm. If antibiotics are found, the farmer is responsible for the cost to dispose of the whole tanker of milk, not just his/her share of the load. Personally my profit margin is so close, I don't want to risk the cost of such a mistake.
Fine filtered milk is an additional process some suppliers are using to strain out natural occurring particles in milk. It has been test marketed in the US. Personally I see it a gimmick to up the price of milk.
See more here on fine filtered milk.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Sup...in-test-market
You know some bacteria is good for your gut! Many studies have been done on ulcerated colitis and other digestion related conditions and "sterile" environments are often the cause of those conditions. The body builds immunity when subjected to outside forces.
If the shelf life is longer on organic milk, the reason is the use of Ultra High Temperature pasteurization not because the milk is of better quality.
http://greenliving.about.com/od/gree...ganic-Milk.htm
FYI-I’m not impressed with the cow’s udder in this picture. It is low to the ground and lacks proper ligament supports. With this type of udder she is a ripe candidate for mastitis (udder infection).
Native texan--kudos to you for buying local. Is your milk non homogenized? (Do you get a layer of cream on the top?) One of the reasons DH likes the local milk is that it is very fresh from the cow! Is it bottled in glass bottles? Glass keeps off flavors out of milk. Also milk is not the only source of calcium. Yogurt, cottage cheese, and regular cheeses are excellent sources of the mineral that will aid in your deficiency.
Here's a link to a calcium rich food list from Harvard University.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.eWU&cad=rja
This information is from the Mayo Clinic
Recommended daily allowances for calcium
[TABLE="class: content"]
[TR]
[TD]Women
[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19-50 years[/TD]
[TD]1,000 mg[/TD]
[TD]2,500 mg[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]51 and older [/TD]
[TD]1,200 mg[/TD]
[TD]2,000 mg
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cal...ements/MY01540
[TABLE="class: content"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Sorry this is long winded but hope this answers some questions.