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Organic, grass-fed dairy producer expands operations
2008 goals for Grass Point Farms, Wisconsin Organics underway

by Sustainable Food News
November 12, 2007



Chad Pawlak remembers as a kid bounding up the steps of the Blue Moon Cheese Factory in Thorp, Wis., to visit his dad, who, like his father before, made a living at the plant handling wheels of cheese.

It was backbreaking work, and Chad’s father impressed on him at early age the difference between earning a paycheck using brawn versus brains.

Chad chose the latter. Today, he is president of Organic Farm Marketing, Inc. (OFM), manufacturer of Grass Point Farms line of grass based dairy products and Wisconsin Organics certified organic dairy products.
» full story

Science Says Organic and Raw Milk No Better

April 25, 2007
By Ron Johnson, Dairy Editor

Science is something some consumers refuse to trust, especially when it comes to milk.

Rusty Bishop, director of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, injected the scientific viewpoint into a discussion titled "Niche Markets - Myths and Reality" during last week's Wisconsin Cheese Industry Conference at La Crosse.

Bishop spoke after a representative of Whole Foods, a large, retail marketer of organic foods, and before a representative of Organic Valley, a Wisconsin-based co-op that specializes in organic milk and other organic foods. He tackled six of what he termed "organic claims" and followed them with "scientific facts."
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Grass Point Farms Pepper Jack Cheese
This is a Hit
Supermarket Guru
October 25, 2006

This cheese comes from cows that are fed grasses not treated with pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. Why should you be interested in cheese that comes from grass-fed cows? Here's why ...
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GRASS POINT FARMS RAW CHEDDAR CHEESE WINS RECOGNITION AT WORLD DAIRY EXPO, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006, MADISON , WISCONSIN
Pastured Raised Raw Cheddar Places Second in Debut Year

THORP, WI (September, 2006) - Parent company Organic Farm Marketing, Inc., is proud to announce that Grass Point Farms, manufacturer of the first nationally distributed line of pasture raised dairy products, placed second in the cheddar division of the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. The World Dairy Expo, with its comprehensive format, is the only national judging contest of its kind in the United States.
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MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

A growing market for natural foods

Demand for organic goods creates room for some alternatives

By Ann Meyer
Special to the Tribune
Published July 17, 2006

The absence of an organic label probably won't deter consumers who understand that grass-fed generally translates to a more natural offering than conventional products, said Robert Scaman, president of a Chicago distributor of organic food.

The promise of new supply at a lower price point will appeal to consumers and retailers alike, he said. "They're all hungering for more items and more quantity," he said. While organics were considered on the fringe when Scaman started in the business 16 years ago, they've become mainstream as more people understand the health benefits. "It's a grass-roots movement based on consumers' desire for safe, nutritious food," he said. "Now we're waiting for the supply side to catch up with demand."
full story to be posted soon...

July 14, 2006

Rotational grazing ranks at top for soil conservation
Ray Mueller
MEDFORD
Among cropping practices, managed grazing ranks at or near the top for controlling soil erosion, reducing fertilizer runoff, enhancing wildlife habitat, balancing manure and nutrient applications with crop use, cutting the use of pesticides, and keeping carbon in the soil rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere, the Natural Resource Conservative Service’s grazing lands specialist for Wisconsin Brian Pillsbury reminded his audience at a workshop and field day for Grass Point Farms.
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July 14, 2006

Tomandl families focus on art of grazing with an eye on economic, environmental, social benefits
Ray Mueller
MEDFORD
For the Joe Tomandl II and III families and their colleagues in Grass Point Farms (a new dairy marketing organization), not everything is attractive in the agricultural changes that are large
scale, emphasize high production and depend on intensive management.
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July 14, 2006

Lack of research limiting promotion of health benefits for grass-fed milk, beef
Ray Mueller
MEDFORD
Although a segment of the consumer public perceives health benefits from grass-fed dairy foods and meats and is willing to pay a premium for them, and despite the research that backs those beliefs, existing research isn’t sufficient yet to allow any claims about health in the advertising and labeling of those products.
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EDITORIAL COMMENT

D I C K G R O V E S
Publisher / Editor
Cheese Reporter
dgroves@cheesereporter.com

Grazing' Into The Crystal Ball

It's still in its infancy, without a government-mandated definition and generally flying "under the radar" compared to the organic industry (to mention just one related market), but the future of pasture-based or grass-fed milk and dairy products looks very bright indeed.
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