cruelty free milk and eggs?

I would love to buy milk and eggs from local farms that I know treat their livestock kindly....but I live in an area where that's pretty difficult. Most of my area is urbanites and suburbanites, with big chicken farms in the southern part of the state. I don't think there are any small farms that treat their chickens the way I think they should be treated. Dairy might be a little easier...but also more expensive than I can handle right now. Does anyone know of a good online source for humanely raised milk and eggs? I've checked out free-range eggs at my local stores, but I've heard that free range doesn't necessarily mean the animals were treated well.

Have a look at Local Harvest.  It is an amazing cooperative organization with farmers in every state.

http://www.localharvest.org/

Be a locavore!

Thanks that was pretty helpful. Unfortunately, the only place near me is only offering these products during the summer...

I'll just have to keep looking. One day I'll own my own chickens : )

I don't think there is any way you can find out 100% how the animals are being treated. But free range is the closest indication that the farm cares about the chickens. Cage-free isn't good because all the animals are in close confinement and are stressed.

Some of the farmers do describe themselves as humane in the following:

http://www.eatwellguide.org/

Many of the seasonal farmer's markets have farmers who sell their produce all year-round at other stores or directly from their farms. Talk to them and find out what their practices are and where their products can be purchased year-round.

The best way to eat cruelty free is to not eat it at all!  Soy Milk is REALLY good for you and can be vitamin fortified.  When you are talking about getting regular milk, it is techinically cruel either way.  They force the female cows into lactating (if you will) by hormone because they only give milk after they birth a calf - the farms force the cows body into producing it.  As far as eggs- local farms are the best no matter what because they cannot afford to lose chickens because of mistreatment- so they typically don't treat them badly.  Egg Beaters are also a great way to eat eggs and they usually taste pretty good.  Good luck, I am a vegan myself and it has changed the way I feel physically, it's great!

Perhaps this is off-topic, but doesn't Egg Beaters use eggs from factory farm chickens?

Egg beaters may not be the right word- I have a vegan/vegetarian store out near me and I buy artificial eggs there (they come in a carton). Maybe it is not the same thing?

This is one I struggle with too.  I've only just become veggie and am actually really enjoying it (coming from a life-long meat eater).  I live in London - needless to say there isn't a plethora of happy organic farms within easy reach!  My mum keeps her own chickens though - they're about as free range as you can get (short of being wild!) and they pop out eggs like there's no tomorrow so everytime I go to see her she gives me about 20.  Because they are so fresh they keep for ages.

Milk is a difficult one for me though - I have soya milk on my cereal but from time to time you just need/want plain old fashioned MILK.  The best I can do is to buy organic milk - there are some brands here that are quite well known for looking after their livestock (although, yes I do realise they artificially induce lactation) so I just try to stick to them.  It can get a bit pricey though