Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)

This week we received messages from two organizations urging folks to take steps to keep milk for schoolchildren hormone-free. “Studies found that in the 2005-2006 school year, about one in every five pints of milk offered in cafeterias came from cows injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH),” according to Care2, a nonprofit, consumer watchdog organization.

The message from our friend Liana of Care2 tells us:

RBGH causes increased risk for birth defects, potentially dangerous pus to form in milk and clinical lameness in cows. Cows treated with rBGH have an increased rate of mastitis, a bacterial infection on the udder, by 25 percent. Often given antibiotics to counter mastitis, rBGH-treated cows grow antibiotic-resistant bacteria that put humans at risk.

Canada, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the use of rBGH in milk production, and U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for milk produced without it. Now, companies may be looking to school lunch programs as an outlet for milk consumers don't want.

The second message we received was from Sarah Alexander of Food & Water Watch, another nonprofit concerned with keeping milk in schools hormone-free. The organization’s message:

Over the last month we've gotten more than 10,000 petition signatures and over 100 groups supporting our campaign for better milk in schools. This is great news, but now it's time to turn up the heat on Congress. That's why we're having the first annual National "Know Your Milk" Day next Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

We're having a call-in day to Congress to ask our Representatives to support artificial hormone-free milk in schools. We need your help to make it a success. Can you host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day to get at least 10 people to make a call to Congress? This could be as simple as organizing a call-in coffee break at work or an rBGH-free milk and cookies party.

We'll give you everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day, sign up now. The more calls we can get in to Congress, the better chance we'll have to get healthy milk for schools.

If you’d like to sign the petition from Care2 destined for the U.S. Congress go to: Expel the Hormones from School Milk!

To get everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day go to: Food & Water Watch