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Monsanto has announced it will get out of the artificial growth hormone business. Its product, also known as rBST, rBGH or the brand name, Posilac, was banned in the EU and in Canada because of concerns for the health of cows – concerns that led Oakhurst Dairy to reject its use in the production of Oakhurst milk.

The family-owned dairy fought to keep its Farmers' Pledge, 'No Artificial Growth Hormone Used', on the Oakhurst milk label.

When the announcement came last week that agribusiness giant Monsanto was getting out of the dairy hormone business, it was a victory of sorts for Maine-based Oakhurst Dairy.

Oakhurst was the first major dairy in the country to reject the use of artificial growth hormone (also known as rBST, rBGH, bovine growth hormone, or Posilac) in the production of its milk – and to put this information on its label in the form of a Farmers' Pledge 'No Artificial Growth Hormone Used'.

Five years ago, Monsanto sued Oakhurst, alleging that its label misled consumers into thinking there was something wrong with milk from cows treated with artificial growth hormone. In a David and Goliath contest that had nationwide implications, the independent, family-owned dairy fought Monsanto to preserve the right to inform customers that Oakhurst milk is produced without the use of artificial growth hormone (rBST, rBGH, bovine growth hormone or Posilac).

Oakhurst president Stan Bennett is proud of his company's long-held position: "From the beginning, we made the decision not to use artificial growth hormone in our milk production because we felt it was the right thing to do. Questions and concerns from consumers over the use of artificial growth hormone, decisions in Europe and Canada to ban the substance and our concerns for the health of cows that willingly give us their milk every day, all contributed to our decision to keep artificial growth hormone out of the production of our milk – one of nature's most perfect foods."

Oakhurst retained the right to put its Farmers' Pledge regarding artificial growth hormone on its milk label but added a disclaimer: 'FDA states: No significant difference in milk from cows treated with artificial growth hormone'.

In recent years, many other milk producers, retailers and now cheese producers have added similar "no artificial growth hormone used" or "no bovine growth hormone used" language to their labelling and marketing communications. In response to consumer demand for more natural foods, all of New England's major milk producers have followed Oakhurst's lead, rejecting the use of rBST, rBGH or Posilac.

"We fought a good fight and this most recent decision by Monsanto makes us as a company feel somewhat vindicated," said Stan Bennett. "I'd like to think that, in some small part, we played a role in that decision."