PastureLand - Organic Grass-Fed Dairy Butter and Cheese by Mail Order

“Our job is to manage solar energy. We harvest it in the form of grass, using animals. The healthier the system is, the healthier our product is going to be.”
— Dan French, PastureLand founding member and board chair

Most of us at PastureLand grew up farming, but each of us has a different story about the moment when we committed to finding a different way to farm, a new way that would nourish us and the land we work; a new way that would re-build the soil and allow us to find a natural rhythm and live long, healthy lives here.

Our farms lie on age old homesteads, some have been in our families for generations. Each farm has adapted technology and methods to its unique terrain and character. Some of the traditions we hold onto are memories from our grandparents. Some of the new practices we figure out the hard way, moving cows under a hot sun, or on our backs under balky machinery. We never fail to be amazed, though, that no matter how we apply the latest dairy innovations to care for our herds, the cows instinctively know what to eat and how to take care of themselves!

PastureLand Cooperative was formed by a small group of dairy farmers around Dan’s kitchen table in 1998. All of these farmers were committed to perennial pasture farming and realized that as a result, their herds’ milk offered a distinctive nutritional profile than that of the milk from conventionally raised herds. The members believed if they could create a brand of products highlighting their wonderful milk, their family farms would remain viable, and provide a healthy, high quality, and reliable food source to their community. Everything living downstream from our farms on the Mississippi River watershed benefits from enhanced water quality, wildlife habitat, and decreased agricultural run-off.

The foundation of the PastureLand system is the grass-based farms that are managed using a whole farm approach, resulting in better working conditions for both people and animals. The families of PastureLand are proud to produce delicious dairy products that are free of hormones and antibiotics in a way that regenerates the earth. All of our farms are organically and Food Alliance certified. Each farm has been certified in accordance to the USDA’s National Organic Program. They also have been certified for their sustainable farming practices by Food Alliance.

Our producers actively mentor other farmers who are converting an existing dairy farm to pasture based farming or starting a new organic, grass-fed dairy operation. Our farmers are well connected with regional conservation programs and participate in local and regional studies on wildlife species and water quality, in addition to studies on pasture quality and nutrition.