Harmony Organic started as two farm families with a dream to provide delicious organic milk to the public without compromising their beliefs or principles.

Lawrence and Mathilde Andres, co-founders and now sole owners of Harmony Organic Dairy Products, moved to Canada from Switzerland in 1979 and became Canada's first organic dairy farmers. Then in 1992 Lawrence initiated the first organic dairy producers' group in Ontario. In 1994 the segregation of organic milk became a reality and on September 24, 2001, Harmony Organic was officially launched.

The Andres farm, located in the picturesque, rural community of Kincardine, has been exclusively organic from the start. Everything is grown naturally without the use of chemicals on organically certified land.

This Milk Comes to You From Cows Treated With Love and Respect - OUR ANIMALS

Imagine a peaceful hillside. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the cows are grazing contently on lush pasture. This scene is a reality on our farms. Our cattle have access to fresh air, clean water and sunshine on a daily basis year round. On cold winter days the cattle are found resting comfortably in the barn on a luxurious bed of fresh straw. Our cows are treated with love and respect just as one would a family member.

In fact, the emphasis on our animals’ well-being is the main objective of Harmony Organic. We go above and beyond to provide comfort and joy to our animals, allowing them to live out their lives as nature intended. As a result our cows are happy and healthy and produce the best quality milk for you to serve your family.

Working in Harmony with Nature - OUR PHILOSOPHY

We feel the name Harmony Organic describes our philosophies and management styles as each of our 14 family farm producers are committed to working in harmony with nature.

All Harmony Organic farms are certified organic and exceed the required organic standards set forth by the Canadian Government. For a farm to obtain organic certification no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals are to be used on the farm for at least three years prior to certification. After this time the cows must only be fed organic feed for another twelve months before their milk can be marketed as organic .

You may notice that the taste of our products change slightly throughout the year. This is caused by changes to the “menu” offered to the cows. The most noticeable change is likely to occur in spring when the cows are first out on fresh grass.

We care about you and the environment - OUR PRODUCTS

At Harmony Organic we insist on high quality products and environmentally friendly practices on our farms and in the marketplace. As society has become more convenience-minded, a “throw away” mentality has developed and garbage disposal has become an ever increasing and significant issue. In an effort to encourage a more sustainable use of resources and deal with our rapidly filling landfills we offer many of our products in returnable, recyclable glass bottles. We estimate and expect each bottle to make 15 to 20 trips, greatly reducing unnecessary waste. Our concern for the environment has also resulted in our use of hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine as a sanitizing agent in our cleaning processes, further emphasizing our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.

An added bonus to packaging milk in glass bottles is the crisp “fresh from the farm” taste that is incomparable to milk packaged in plastic or cartons. Our preference is to package all of our milk in glass and currently over half of our entire milk volume is sold in returnable glass bottles. By choosing Harmony Organic Dairy Products you are indicating your support for sustainable agriculture and helping to prevent the further pollution of our land, water and air.

Harmony Organic Nurse Cows

Take a look at our Nurse Cows taking care of their little ones. This is the way we raise our calves at the Harmony Organic Home Farm!

https://harmonyorganic.ca/harmony-organic-nurse-cows/news/32/20

About Our Producers

Harmony Organic consists of 14 certified organic grass roots family farms located across Southern Ontario. Each farm was carefully selected to ensure the families and their farming operations are an ideal match for Harmony’s philosophies and principles. This includes the highest standards of animal welfare and adhering to sustainable farming practices including comprehensive composting, wind, solar power and renewable energy sources. Although each farm is unique unto themselves, we all share common values and goals and are committed to preserving an organic way of life

Each of the/our 14 farms that produce Harmony Organic milk has been certified organic and meets the organic standards set forth by the Canadian Government. To obtain organic certification no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals are used on the farm for at least three years. After this time period, the cows must be fed solely organic feed for another twelve months before their milk is eligible for processing under the certified organic label. Each farm must keep accurate records and a subjected to a yearly farm audit. To learn more about Canadian Organic Dairy Certification please visit http://www.cog.ca/about_organics/organic-standards-and-regulations

In addition to our organic certification, Harmony Organic also has its own unique set of standards for its producers to ensure the best quality products are being produced.

These standards include:

• Appearance of premises

• Certification

• Milk records

• Animal husbandry

• Freedom from thirst and hunger

• Freedom from discomfort

• Freedom from pain, injury and disease

• Freedom to express normal behaviour

• Freedom from fear and distress

Each family farm’s commitment to this way of life enables us to produce the highest quality organic milk in the industry. When you are enjoying one of our products you are actively supporting local family farms and sustainable farming practices.

Click here to view a series of profile videos showing you exactly where our milk comes from, produced by videographer Karen Andres. You can Email Karen or check out her other work on YouTube.