About Tree Island Greek Yogurt

What is Whole Milk?

Whole milk is milk in its true form – complete as it comes from a cow and unaltered by industrial processing. In large industrial dairies, milk is typically homogenized meaning that it goes through high pressure to breaks down the fat globules. At Tree Island, we treat the milk very gently and keep it whole and non-homogenized, which is true to our whole food philosophy.

What is the benefit of whole milk from Grass Fed Cows?

Cows raised on grassy pasture spend more time exercising outside and eating grass as nature intended. Widespread research shows that whole milk from pasture raised cows contains more omega-3, fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), beta-carotene and vitamins A and D, which are important nutrients for human health.

How do cows eat grass in winter?

At Birkdale farm, cows are out on pasture from April to October. In the winter they eat dried grass (hay) and silage (fermented grass). Fifteen percent of their diet come from off-farm alfalfa and ground barley (a grass in grain form).

Is Tree Island Yogurt certified organic?

No, our product is not certified organic. Unfortunately, at this time, there are no certified organic cow dairy farms on Vancouver Island. We are proud to source our milk from a local farm where the cows are grass-fed and the fields are free from chemical pesticides and herbicides. There are no antibiotics or growth hormones in the milk, and you can drive by and see the cows out on the pasture from April to October.

What cultures do you use?

We use two traditional cultures- Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

What is Greek Yogurt?

Greek yogut is 6.5% milk fat- we take our whole milk yogurt and strain it in an old world process similar to the way Greek yogurt is made in Greece. Unlike other brands, which use skim milk powder to thicken their greek yogurt, ours has a very creamy, smooth texture.

Why is Tree Island yogurt golden yellow?

The golden yellow colour of Tree Island yogurt is the true colour of whole milk.  Because we do not homogenize our milk, a thin layer of golden cream rises to the top of our Cream Top yogurt. The fat can be scooped off, stirred in or eaten off the top depending on your preference. Grass-fed milk has more beta carotene which turns the milk golden.

Is your yogurt gluten free?

Yes, our yogurt is gluten free. We ensure to choose only the best, most natural, and necessary ingredients for our yogurt. This means we do not add any thickeners, cornstarch, or skim milk powders that could possibly contain gluten.

Is your yogurt pasteurized?

Yes, our yogurt is pasteurized. This is in adherence to the BC Dairy Act section 6 that states no dairy products can be sold unless pasteurized.