OUR FARM STORE HOURS: THURS-SAT, 10 AM - 5 PM.
How we're different
Our Guernsey Cows
Our Guernsey cows are a heritage breed of dairy cow with origins on the small island of Guernsey on the English Channel between England and France. They're typically fawn-coloured with beautiful white markings, and are known for their gentle, easygoing nature.
And their milk? It has been called "liquid gold". It's famous for its rich, golden-yellow colour due to the high amounts of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. In addition, it has a high butterfat & protein content and has an exceptional flavour. (Made even better due to our Guernsey cows being grass-fed and organic!)
Come try some for yourself from our milk dispenser at our Promise Valley Farm store in the beautiful Cowichan Valley.
The A2 beta-casein protein
Did you know that our heritage Guernsey cows only carry the A2 beta-casein protein?
The primary protein in cows' milk is known as beta-casein. Those are known as the A1 or A2 form, with the majority of cows producing both forms. Our cows only produce the A2 protein.
A2 milk has several benefits: the most well-researched one is that it causes fewer digestive issues. A2 milk is easier to digest in humans, leading to less discomfort than after drinking A1 milk. Some people who think that they're lactose intolerant are actually reacting to the A1 protein, and find that their symptoms disappear after drinking A2 milk.
Besides these two different types of protein, A1 and A2 milk is nutritionally identical.
We Are Certified Organic
Organic dairy products have been available on Vancouver Island for many years; however, up until now, those dairy products had to be produced & processed on the Mainland of BC and shipped to the Island. Promise Valley Farm & Creamery has made it possible to access certified organic dairy products that are both produced & processed right here on the Island.
What does it mean to be certified organic? There are two main components involved: land in use and the cows.
The transition of land to certified organic is a three-year process, whereby the land used for pasture & to produce feed for the cows must not have any synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides or herbicides used on it for a minimum of those three years. For the cows, they must be managed under organic principles for a twelve-month period: this means that the space requirements must be met, pasture access granted between April and October (weather permitting), as well as no synthetic reproductive hormone use and certified organic forage & grains fed.
Overall, the organic standard is complex and comprehensive, but certified organic means that a third party has verified our compliance to that organic standard. For Promise Valley Farm, that third party governing body is Ecocert Canada. Each year, an audit is performed to make sure that we are following that organic standard.