{"id":2619,"date":"2023-02-23T20:56:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.horizon.com\/?page_id=2619"},"modified":"2025-06-06T15:19:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T15:19:32","slug":"usda-cow-care-standards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/horizon.com\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/usda-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"USDA Cow Care Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=hero><div class=gy-cloud1 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=gy-cloud2 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600 data-aos-delay=400><\/div><div class=\"gy-cloud3 hidden-xs\"data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600 data-aos-delay=600><\/div><div class=content><div class=copy><h1>Raising the <br class=visible-xs>bar on <br>cow care and <br class=visible-xs>comfort.<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=tabs-wrapper><ul class=tabs><li><a href=\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/ >Cow<br class=visible-xs> Care<\/a><li class=active><a href=javascript:void(0);>Raising Standards<\/a><li><a href=\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/cow-care-support-programs\/ >Support Team<\/a><\/ul><\/section><section class=section1><div><div class=content><div class=\"copy margin-60\"><h2>Pioneering cow care then and now.<\/h2><p>Way back in 1991, we helped establish what would become the USDA organic standards, including how organic cows should be treated. Today, with a focus on compassion and cows\u2019 quality of life, we\u2019re going further. Here\u2019s a very brief history of modern animal welfare in the U.S.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=standards><div class=gy-cloud1 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=\"gy-cloud2 hidden-xs\"data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=gy-cloud3 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=gy-cloud4 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=gy-cloud5 data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div class=aeroplane data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600 data-aos-delay=400><\/div><div class=balloon data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600 data-aos-delay=400><\/div><div class=kite data-aos=fade-up data-aos-anchor-placement=center-bottom data-aos-duration=600><\/div><div><div class=scroll-to><a href=#timeline class=scroll-to-btn aria-label=\"Scroll to learn\"><\/a> <span>Scroll to learn<\/span><\/div><ul class=timeline id=timeline><div class=arrowhead><\/div><li><div class=timeline-badge>1964<\/div><div class=timeline-panel><h2>The \u201cFive Freedoms\u201d<\/h2><p>In the 1960s, animal welfare standards were based on the Five Freedoms. For some modern dairy farmers, these standards still influence how cows are treated.<ul><li>Freedom from hunger and thirst.<li>Freedom from discomfort.<li>Freedom from pain, injury, or disease.<li>Freedom to express normal behavior.<li>Freedom from fear and distress.<\/ul><\/div><li class=timeline-inverted><div class=timeline-badge>1990<\/div><div class=timeline-panel><h2>The Organic Food<br>Production Act<\/h2><p>When this act passed in 1990\u2014with help from our founders\u2013it paved the way for the National Organic Program to finalize organic regulations in 2002. Of course, we were already following those rules. Here are highlights:<ul class=small-font><li>Cows must eat an all-organic diet.<li>Cows may not be treated with growth hormones or routine antibiotics.<li>No use of prohibited pesticides on organic farms.<\/ul><a href=\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/usda-standards\/ class=\"btn primary\">USDA Organic Standards<\/a><\/div><li><div class=timeline-badge>2010<\/div><div class=timeline-panel><h2>The Pasture Rule<\/h2><p>We helped push for the USDA National Organic Program rule that requires organic cows to graze outside on organic pasture 120 days or more a year. Under the American Grassfed Association standard, grassfed organic cows must graze outside 150 days or more a year.<\/div><\/li><div style=clear:both><\/div><li class=timeline-inverted><div class=timeline-badge>Now<\/div><div class=timeline-panel><h2>We keep on keepin\u2019 on for the good of our cows.<\/h2><ul class=small-font><li>We employ <a href=\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/cow-care-support-programs\/#champions class=link-white>Horizon Organic Cow Champions<\/a> who serve as our traveling staff of field experts and veterinarians.<li>We focus on partnering with farmers to help them achieve better milk quality through best practices and innovative techniques.<li>We interact with farmers regularly to enhance <a href=\"\/organic-dairy-brand\/organic-cow-care\/cow-care-support-programs\/#audit\" class=link-white>animal welfare<\/a> by providing guidance, support, and education.<\/ul><\/div><\/ul><\/div><\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Raising the bar on cow care and comfort.Cow CareRaising StandardsSupport TeamPioneering cow care then and now.Way back in 1991, we helped establish what would become the USDA organic standards, including how organic cows should be treated. Today, with a focus on compassion and cows\u2019 quality of life, we\u2019re going further. Here\u2019s a very brief history [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":838,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-usda-cow-standards.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2619","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USDA Organic Animal Welfare Standards | Horizon Organic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Way back in 1991, we helped establish what would become the USDA organic standards, including how organic cows should be treated. Today, with a focus on compassion and cows\u2019 quality of life, we\u2019re going further. 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