Be careful with organic; the definition is so loose that who knows what you are getting. There have been several investigations into what organic really means and none of them are too supportive of the organic food industry.
Yes, I know. They are working on reforms for organic and hopefully some will be instituted soon.
SJS – why not go to the extra expense for the mitzvah of maintaining Cholov Yisroel? It would be a great zchus.
Joseph, its not the extra expense – organic milk is the same (or more expensive) than chalav yisrael. However, the health benefits of organic milk outweigh chalav yisrael (organic milk has been shown to have better sources of vitamins, they keep cows w/antibiotics in their systems out of the herd for 1 year…there are many benefits to organic). So, for my son who just switched to milk, we are doing organic. Does that mean he will never have regular milk? No. But I prefer to give him organic as long as possible.
Organic milk also lasts much longer than convetional milk because of a different processing system that they use (higher heat, shorter duration). Milk can last 1 month!
Also, some chalav yisrael products are inferior to their chalav stam counterparts – I assume you have never tasted stoneyfield farm yogurt, but that yogurt tastes like food, rather than garbage like other yogurts (chalav yisrael or not). I cant stomach the stuff. Friendship and Breakstone cottage cheese are vastly superior to non name brand counterparts. And don’t get me started on chocolate or ice cream!
Seriously though, when I lived in Brooklyn we ate mostly chalav yisrael because it was so easily available and virtually the same price (expensive, as everything else is there). I can find chalav yisrael where I live, but its a little out of the way. Given the option for the same quality product, I generally choose chalav yisrael, but I am not married to it.
I don’t have trouble taking on more stringencies, but this is one that I will hold off on.