Grass-fed beef has been a favourite choice for chefs and discerning foodies for over a decade. But it’s only recently that Canadian consumers have begun to recognize the flavourful benefits of eating and cooking with grass-fed dairy products.
Rolling Meadow Dairy is the first grass-fed dairy producer in Ontario. It works exclusively with small, local farms in southwestern Ontario that raise their cows outdoors on pastures.
“Instead of having them in a barn, the prerequisite for us is that the cows are getting most of their nutrition from grass outside,” says Rolling Meadow Dairy CEO Matthew von Teichman. During the winter, cows continue to enjoy fresh grass thanks to an exclusive sprouting facility that produces live grass when pastures have frozen over. In colder seasons, 6,000 pounds of grass are delivered to Rolling Meadow’s partner farms every day.
Rolling Meadow Dairy works frequently with Mennonite and Amish farmers who retain their age-old farming traditions, unlike many dairy farmers who have adopted industrial farming practices, such as using corn-based feed or raising cows indoors. “We wanted to find farmers who still focus on raising their animals outside,” von Teichman says.
“Instead of having them in a barn, the cows are getting most of their nutrition from grass outside,”
The result is a product that tastes richer than conventional milk. “We get a lot of comments from older people who say it’s the way milk used to taste 80 years ago, when they were children,” he says. “We often hear that our two percent Rolling Meadow milk tastes much richer, like a full-fat milk.” Chefs and home cooks have also recognized the richer flavours achieved by using grass-fed dairy products. As a result, Rolling Meadow Dairy has been struggling to keep its grass-fed butter in stock and on shelves. “Everyone’s cooking with butter, and the biggest trend in butter right now is grass-fed,” he says. “The demand is insatiable for grass-fed butter.”
While New Zealand and Ireland were traditionally the go-to sources for grassfed dairy products, Ontarians can now enjoy local grass-fed dairy thanks to Rolling Meadow Dairy. This not only helps support local farmers, it also helps reduce carbon emissions due to the shorter distance required for the milk to travel. Ultimately, for anyone that enjoys eating or cooking with dairy, it’s all about the appreciation of a great, rich and flavourful product. “If you’re a foodie and you really value taste, quality and local, we believe it doesn’t get any better than Rolling Meadow Dairy.”
THREE PLACES TO GET A GRASS-FED DAIRY LATTE IN TORONTO:
The Coffee Lab
Owner Joshua Campos exclusively uses dairy that is grass-fed, alongside lactose-free options and house-made nut milks. “It is far superior to all the other milks,” says Campos. “It keeps the cows on a natural diet year-round, making it a cleaner and sweeter milk.” Try the Drop, a short, condensed shot of espresso over milk served in a frosted beaker. @the.coffee.lab
Why Baristas Love Grass-Fed Dairy
Toronto barista Brian Leonard transforms simple lattes into works of art. In order to obtain the precision and detail he requires to create a beautiful latte, Leonard uses Rolling Meadow Dairy grass-fed milk.
“As a latte artist, I am particular about the milk I work with,” Leonard explains. “Grass-fed milk definitely froths better than other types of milk and provides the perfect silky microfoam that I need for my latte art.”
Leonard has just a small window of time to work before the milk bubbles and the foam melt. “Without the right milk, my art falls flat,” he says. “Grass-fed milk has the perfect consistency to hold together while I work.”
Boxcar Social
Boxcar Social recently transitioned to exclusively using grass-fed dairy in its beverages. “We use it for the outstanding flavour,” says Boxcar’s Spence Taylor. ”Our pursuit is to offer the highest quality and best-tasting coffee and milk-based drinks possible.” He suggests ordering Boxcar Social's hot chocolate, which is made with cocoa and grass-fed milk and is topped with a toasted-to-order marshmallow made by Toronto's Bake Shoppe. boxcarsocial.ca
Tokyo Smoke
Barista Brian Leonard is a regular fixture at Tokyo Smoke, where he creates sophisticated, beautiful beverages using grass-fed dairy. “I get the chance to talk to people about health and environmental impact through conversations about the milk I use,” says Leonard. He tours around town on his Tokyo Smoke pedal-powered espresso trike, so you might just catch him pouring some environmentally-friendly lattes at a pop-up near you. tokyosmoke.com
Click here to learn more about Rolling Meadow Dairy and the grass-fed movement.
