It is pasteurized at the lowest possible temperature and for the shortest amount of time allowable by Federal standards. This is what gives our milk its fresh taste and allows it to retain as much of the nutrients as possible. The trade off is shelf life. It doesn’t last as long as other milk. And, be sure you never drink out of the jug. If you do, it will spoil in just a day or two.
Rocking W Cheese & Milk is located just outside of Olathe on the Western Slope of Colorado.
Our products must meet our desire to provide quality, healthy products at a good value. We strive to carry as much Colorado product as possible. Whenever possible, we offer organic or natural products.
Unlike traditional grocery stores, we don’t have a brick and mortar store. We bring the store to you!
You can place your order on-line, by phone or email. 
We request a small minimum order. Please see the Delivery page for the minimum order for your area. 
No. You can order just one or as many as you need.
If you know a specific product that what you want we would be happy to order case lots or bulk for you. 
Visit the How does it work page and the Delivery/Pickup page for more information.
Visit the How does it work page for more information.
Organic refers to how products are produced, not to a specific agriculture product. Organic production is based on a system of sustainable farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility. Organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic or petrochemical based pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or fertilizers; artificial growth promoters; or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The list of organic & natural products available today are innumerable including produce, dairy, meat, grains, canned goods, bakery, herbs, spices, snacks and almost anything else you might want. You don’t have to sacrifice variety to "go all organic".
One of the main benefits of eating organic is that there are no pesticide residues on your food. In 1995, U.S. farmers applied 566 million pounds of pesticides to food crops and growing fields. Although much of it runs off farms and into your drinking water, a fair portion of it finds its way to your table. A 1996 study by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation found detectable pesticide residues on 34 percent of more than 5,500 samples of fresh produce, and California has some of the toughest pesticide regulations in the Americas. Many restaurant chefs across the country are using organic produce because they think it tastes better. Organic growers often select varieties to grow for their flavor, not only their appearance.
It doesn't really. Prices for organic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional foods in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must meet stricter regulations governing all these steps so the process is often more labor and management intensive, and farming tends to be on a smaller scale. There is also mounting evidence that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production (cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care for farmers and their workers) were factored in to the price of food, organic foods would cost the same, or, more likely, be cheaper.
On December 20, 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its ruling on what is the U.S. standard on organic produce. It made a decision on what would be defined as "organic." The ruling replaces any definition that individual states previously had in defining organic produce and set a national standard. Foods that meet the new federal standards can bear the seal "USDA Organic." The Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman called the rules "the strictest, most comprehensive organic standards in the world." The ruling can be seen on the USDA Web site at: www.ams.usda.gov/nop. No prohibited substances are allowed to be used on the land within three years of harvesting organic produce. Farmers must keep detailed records on the methods and materials that are used in their organic farming. Organic farms must be inspected each year by a third-party certifier. It is best that organic seeds are used, but non-organic seeds can be used under certain conditions. Crop pests, insects, diseases and weeds should be stopped as much as possible by pulling weeds or by biological methods (e.g., lady-bugs). Crop rotation must be done. Organic farming uses crop rotation, so insects have a problem finding the crops. If a crop is planted in the same soil, it gives insects a chance to find them and destroy them. Natural pesticides are allowed, as well as a list of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. On occasion, certain synthetic substances can be used if natural methods don't work. Genetic engineering (man-made alterations of natural food), sewage sludge and irradiation cannot be used. To be listed as an organic dairy farmer, there are requirements for housing, grazing and veterinary practices. Manure handling is regulated so runoff does not pollute waterways. There are also rules on how the dairy products should be processed and packaged.
The federal government set standards for the production, processing and certification of organic food in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990. A National Organic Standards Board was established at that time and now is developing the guidelines and procedures which will regulate all crops from produce, grains, meat, dairy and eggs to processed foods. The Act was implemented in 1996 requiring that all organic foods sold are required to be certified. The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the program.
USDA National Organic Program (NOP) USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has put in place a set of national standards that food labeled ‘organic’ must meet, whether it is grown in the United States or imported from other countries. After October 21, 2002, when you buy food labeled ‘organic,’ you can be sure that it was produced using the highest organic production and handling standards in the world.”
[Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts. NOP,
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/]
Yes. However, only natural pesticides are permitted with restrictions as a last resort when growers are threatened with crop failure. Organic farmers' primary strategy is "prevention." By building healthy soils, healthy plants are better able to resist disease and insects. When pest populations get out of balance, growers will try various options like insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers. If these fail, permission may be granted by the certifier to apply botanical pesticides under restricted conditions. "Botanicals" are derived from plants and are broken down quickly by oxygen and sunlight.
Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfest, sterilize, or preserve food. It is often called cold pasteurization or electronic pasteurization .). It is a food preservation technique used to kill organisms and insects and to pro-long shelf life.
Although there is differing opinion within the scientific community, some studies and common sense! suggests that the prolific use of chemicals, additives, preservatives, and genetically engineered organisms in and on our food has caused the significant increase in childhood diseases such as asthma, allergies, eczema, diabetes and even cancer; they also suggest a direct relationship to the increase in adult diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and most specifically cancer.
The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides likely cause cancer. The Consumer Union's Toxicity Index, a measure of the levels of chemical residues in produce and the potential health risks of those chemicals, raises concerns about the health and safety of non-organic produce. For instance, a TI score above 100 is considered alarming. Non-organic apples have a TI score of 550 while non-organic peaches have a TI score above 5,000!
A study conducted by researchers in Chicago indicates that organic food can have a nutrient content as much as 90% higher than non-organic produce. The reason is that greater soil fertility produces healthier plants that absorb the nutrients from the organic matter in the soil.