Cows First Standards

Dairy farmers who employ our one-of-a-kind Cows First™ program make sure their cows always have access to shelter, pasture, and fresh water. When cows are treated right, their milk is of the highest standard, enabling us to produce the highest quality cheese in a sustainable manner.

Participating dairy farmers are regularly audited to ensure compliance with our unique Cows First™ standards. For their efforts, we reward them by paying a premium for their milk.

Here’s what we believe and what our partners agree to:

• Cows are treated humanely

  All our cows have a clean, spacious environment to call home.

• Cow’s milk is natural

  We don’t use artificial hormones to increase milk production and we feed all of our cows a vegetarian diet.

• Cows need good food

  Our feed is free of animal-based byproducts and fresh water is always available.

• Cows deserve comfort

  Our cows graze in pastures every day. When indoors, our cows are kept comfortable and healthy with appropriate bedding in clean stalls.