The dairy farmers at Maple View Farm outside of Carrboro, the Triangle’s only local dairy, bottle milk with a unique flavor. And they get it in a way that’s unusual in the 21st century: They know every cow by name, and everything their cows eat.
They also know for sure that their cows have not been injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Unlike Maple View Farm, most North Carolina milk bottlers can’t say whether their milk comes from cows that have been given genetically engineered hormones that make them produce more milk–milk that some say can cause harm in humans. That’s because their milk has been collected from hundreds of producers across the state. The folks at Maple View Farm know their cows, and know their milk. They say they don’t use hormones because it has been shown harmful to the cow that produces the milk, as well as the human who drinks it.
“Yes, more milk is good, but is it good for the cow?” asked Muffin Brosig, an office manager at the dairy. “We’re pretty particular about how we treat our cows.”
Maple View Farm milk is sold in its signature glass bottles at supermarkets across the Triangle. Other brands that are free of rBGH include certified organic milks such as 365 brand, sold at Whole Foods, and Horizon Organic milk.
