According to Leslie Beck, Registered Dietitian, “Best before” dates refer to the quality and shelf life of an unopened food product, not safety. They tell you how long a product will retain its optimum flavour, texture and nutritional value when stored under normal conditions. Once you open a food, the best before date is no longer valid. We recommend consuming within 7 days of opening container

These brushes help increase a cow’s comfort and happiness—it is like a “cow massage!” The researchers at UBC did a study to see how much effort (to move a weighted gate) the cows were willing to put in to get access to a brush. They determined that the brush is almost as important as food to the cows! They sure like their massages.

Canadian dairy farmers do not use growth hormones such as BST or rBGH and ensure their milk is free of antibiotics. While the administration of growth hormones known as BST or rBGH to dairy cows is allowed in the US, it is illegal in Canada and therefore not permitted for use with any dairy cows. Every truckload of milk is tested before being unloaded at the processing plant. If antibiotics are found, the entire load is discarded and the farmer who contaminated the load is heavily penalized.

The average number of milking cows on a dairy farm in BC is 130. Blackwell Dairy operates with 70 milking cows.

Our cows eat a TMR (total mix ration) to provide a balanced diet. The ration includes silage which consists of fermented forage made from high quality alfalfa as well as barely or corn all grown on our farm. A high quality concentrate is added, designed by our dairy nutritionist and purchased from a local feed mill. The concentrate includes carbohydrates from barely, corn, oats, wheat, molasses, beet pulp or soyhulls; Protein from canola meal, distillers' grains, soybean meal and corn gluten meal; Fat from vegetable oil, tallow and protected fatty acids; vitamins and minerals; prebiotics and probiotics. Additional minerals and cobalt salt blocks can be accessed 24/7 by the cows. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is offered free choice to ensure their digestive system is running smoothly. 24/7 access to water in an automatic water trough. Great care is taken on selecting ingredients that meet the dairy cow's requirements and needs. All ingredients are adjusted and chosen based of feed quality and cow health. We do not feed the Bovaer additive to our dairy or beef cows. The Bovaer additive is used to neutralize methane in the rumen of cattle in hopes of reducing greenhouse gases.

A2/A2 is cow's milk that is made with the A2 beta-casein protein variant not the A1 beta-casein protein variant. Cow's milk contains a specific type of protein known as beta-casein, however, there are 2 variants: A1 and A2. A1 is the most common in regular cow's milk. A2/A2 only carries the A2 variant. Through genetics we can achieve this. We can breed our cows with the A2/A2 variant to a bull also with the A2/A2 variant to ensure the calf produced will carry the A2/A2 gene. Some individuals find that A1 beta-casein protein causes digestive distress; similar symptoms to lactose intolerance. A2 beta-casein does not seem to cause this. Benefits of A2/A2: - Receive all the nutrient benefits of cow's milk like protein, calcium and vitamin D - Easier to digest (less bloating, gas or discomfort) - Alternative option for those unable to digest A1 beta-casein protein - The structure of the protein is more comparable to human breast milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk or buffalo milk Currently Blackwell Dairy is working on our cows genetics to reach a full herd of A2/A2 cows. Products coming soon!

What is the difference? "Product of Canada": When all major ingredients, processing and labor used to make the food product are Canadian. This means all ingredients in a food product are Canadian in origin and that non-Canadian material is negligible. "Made in Canada": Is a qualifying statement used on a food product when the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada, even if some ingredients are from other countries. If "Made in Canada" claim is used, it must also include a qualifying statement to show the food product is made in Canada from imported ingredients or a combination of imported and domestic ingredients. What do Blackwell products fall under? Blackwell Dairy products fall under "Product of Canada". All ingredients, processing and labor used to make our products are Canadian. This includes the ingredients (dairy products), caps, bottles and even the labels are made and sourced right here in Canada!

Blackwell Dairy Farms milk jugs are made from HDPE a type 2 plastic. HDPE = High Density Polyethylene A little about HDPA: - Considered eco-friendly as it is the most environmentally stable of all plastics, giving off no harmful fumes into the environment - Does not contain BPA, phthalates, heavy metals or allergens - Low energy required to manufacture What is type 2 plastic? - 100% recyclable - Used for most packaging like milk bottles, laundry detergent, hair care products, etc. - Harder and more resistant to physical and chemical damage than other plastics - Can withstand extreme temperatures