Citrus-Loving Cows: A Food-Waste Solution

Oranges and grapefruit have many benefits; they are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, they have gut-healthy properties and can boost your energy. But these benefits aren’t exclusive to humans — they also apply to cows. Wait, how do we know that much-beloved oranges and grapefruit are also good for bovines? The answer lies in Organic Valley farmers' feeding routines.

Several Organic Valley farmers in Ohio have fed citrus rinds and pulp to their cows, helping reduce food waste while giving their herds a nutritious boost.

Don’t worry — orange peels don’t change milk’s taste, and the milk is not orange (though that might make a good selling point).

Peels and leftovers from a juicing company used to end up in the landfill but now end up in cows’ bellies. Farmers say feeding the organic citrus makes sense for the cows, juice company and the earth — people drink the juice, the pulp and rinds go to the cows, cows make milk, people drink milk, the waste from the cows goes back to the earth to create nutrient-dense soil and tons of citrus leftovers are kept out of the landfill. It’s a unique circle of sustainability!

Do Cows Like Oranges?

When presented in the trough, farmers say that cows dive right in to eat peels and pulp from oranges, grapefruits and lemons. Cows’ fondness for citrus is apparent in how readily they munch away.

Cows get good roughage, vitamins and an antimicrobial boost from the peels’ essential oils, according to the USDA. “It appears they love the oranges,” said Joe Schlabach, Organic Valley farmer.

Citrus is also quite hydrating, with the water content of an orange being more than 80%. Peels and pulp also have an antimicrobial effect in the cow's guts, and the cows are getting diversified sugars, Schlabach said. He has noticed the benefits in the cows’ stomach health and even sees an increase in milk production after they started eating the fruits.

There is a lot of science to feeding cows. Cows need the right mix of forage to ensure they are getting the right vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and producing nourishing milk.

Organic Valley cows are grassfed, and cows that produce milk that goes into our Grassmilk® products are 100% grassfed. This means they do not consume grains, as required by the Organic Trust Plus Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program™.

Cows that are fed grain get needed starch from sugars. Grass-fed cows sometimes get a ration of molasses which provides simple carbs for quick energy, healthy digestion and helps maintain milk production.

Citrus-fed cows get some of their energy source from the fruits. They still get plenty of greens, but the organic citrus rinds are a colorful, added treat. Like humans, each cow craves certain citrus and farmers agree, “It’s different tastes for different cows.”

Cows need balance in their diets, and so do we. Many juices are fortified, but citrus fruits do not naturally contain vitamin D.

Be sure to have that glass of milk with breakfast, too! Along with being a natural source of protein, carbohydrates and sometimes fat, milk also provides 12 essential nutrients — something few other foods can offer on their own.

Food Waste to the Farm

It costs money for organic juice producers in Cleveland to haul and dispose of the citrus leftovers in a landfill. The company cuts the citrus in half and squeezes the juice out of them, leaving pulp and rinds.

The partnership between the dairy farm and the juice company has worked tremendously, said Mike Kline, an Organic Valley team member who works with farmers feeding citrus. “It’s a zero-waste product because we feed it to our cows. For the cows, it’s helped milk production, it gives them body condition and the farm smells great.”

Interestingly, citrus by-products are safe for human consumption. However, the Food and Drug Administration also regulates and approves citrus — and cow food in general — to ensure they meet animal nutrition and safety standards.

Sometimes a full orange or grapefruit slips through the juicing company’s process, making a tasty treat for farmers too. Why not?

Is Orange Peel Harmful to Ingest?

Citrus peels are an underused part of the fruit that are edible and delicious for citrus-lovers.

What to do with the peels? Check out five uses for citrus peels here so you can help reduce food waste.

The organic juicing company is located about an hour and a half from the farmers, who pay to have it delivered. A load or two of organic rinds and pulp may be delivered to farms each week, but it varies.

“It costs us money, but it’s worth it for the health of the cows,” Schlabach said. He dumps totes of oranges in a trough for the cows to eat when they come to the barn to get milked. They are not forced to eat them as they have plenty of grass to choose from ... but they always gobble them down.

“It’s free choice when they come in and eat it,” he said, adding that the citrus scent also acts as a fly deterrent.

Farmers agree that cows and citrus fruit are a surprisingly good match.

David Weaver, Organic Valley farmer and owner of Bluebird Organic Feeds, helps with logistics of getting large totes of rind and pulp to the farms. He said they started picking up the rinds in 2024, and approximately 10 farmers fed it to their cows. Some farmers also feed pelletized citrus leftovers. It’s a beneficial system that helps farmers and the environment, he said.

By drinking Organic Valley® milk, you are part of the food-waste solution. Every little sip helps.