These days, milk can be made from almost anything — soy, rice, almonds, hemp, oats, coconut, the list goes on and on — and with so many healthy and delicious nondairy milks available for purchase in mainstream supermarkets, more and more Americans are making these cruelty-free choices. Now through September 30, Oregon-based natural foods company Turtle Mountain, a pioneer in the creation and production of natural dairy-free products, has teamed up with Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, to ensure that every creamy, delicious sip will go even further toward ending the abuse of farm animals by donating $1.00 (up to $5,000) to the nonprofit organization for every UPC that is cut out and sent to them from any flavor of So Delicious™ Dairy Free Coconut Milk.
“Here at Turtle Mountain, we believe no one should have to sacrifice delicious, creamy foods to eat compassionately, said John Tucker, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Technology at Turtle Foods. “We are honored to support the life-saving work of Farm Sanctuary and their mission to make the world a more compassionate place for all beings by creating the most decadent dairy-free indulgences on the market today and donating a portion of the proceeds to support their vital rescue, education and advocacy efforts on behalf of the victims of the food animal industry.”
Dairy Industry Facts
Recent data indicates that at least 40 million Americans are lactose intolerant, and many others have reduced or eliminated their dairy intake for religious, philosophical, health or ethical reasons.
To produce milk, dairy cows are forced into a continual cycle of impregnation, birth and lactation. As a result, their bodies are under constant strain, and they are at risk for numerous health problems. Plagued by disease and stress, these gentle animals — including many of those on “organic” farms — live in high-density confinement, not on green pastures, as the dairy industry’s multi-million dollar ad campaigns would have consumers believe. Immediately after giving birth, their frightened calves are taken away from their mothers, and if female, raised to replace older dairy cows in the milking herd. The male calves are killed immediately or sent into the veal industry to be slaughtered at 16-18 weeks of age. Dairy cows mourn the loss of their calves, and it is not uncommon for them to bellow in desperation for days and weeks afterwards.
An increased focus on intensive milk production per cow has led to a mass decline in the welfare of cattle used in dairy operations. With selective breeding and intensive production practices, it is common for modern dairy cows to produce 100 pounds of milk a day — 10 times more than they would produce naturally. The abuse wreaked upon the bodies of dairy cows is so intense that the dairy industry is also a huge source of “downed animals” — animals who are so sick or injured that they are unable to walk or even stand. Investigators have documented downed animals routinely being beaten, dragged or pushed with bulldozers in attempts to move them to slaughter. Farm Sanctuary’s No Downers Campaign seeks to prevent the suffering, marketing and slaughter of downed animals through legislation and policy change.
“The dairy industry supports an egregious cycle of cruelty that treats cows like unfeeling machinery, exploits their reproductive systems until their bodies eventually give out from the constant strain and destroys the natural bond between the mother and her baby,” stated Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. “Fortunately, due to growing awareness about the abuses of the dairy industry, more and more people are rejecting dairy products in favor of healthy, cruelty-free milk alternatives. We applaud Turtle Mountain for making delicious products that make it easier than ever before for people to choose cruelty-free foods.”
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