FAQ

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 break 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.

Cows raised on grassy pastures 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.

At the farms we source our milk from, 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 comes from off-farm alfalfa and ground barley (grass in grain form).

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.

Our Cream Top Yogurt is 3.5% milk fat- like old-fashioned milk – resulting in cream on top. This yogurt is made with only live culture and fresh, whole milk from Birkdale and Shannon Farms on Vancouver Island.

Cream Top is 3.5% and Greek is 6.5% milk fat. The Cream Top recipe is especially good for breakfast, smoothies, or topped with granola, chia or hemp seeds. Greek Yogurt is a rich and thick decadent yogurt made by taking out the moisture/whey. Customers report eating this yogurt right from the container, or simply all by itself, as an afternoon power snack or after-dinner dessert.

Our Cream Top Yogurt is made with fresh, whole milk and live cultures in true old-world fashion. It has a softer and creamier consistency than yogurt which is different from the typical North American style yogurt that is made with skim milk powder, gelatin or thickeners. We are proud to use only fresh milk that is 100% Canadian and from local, grass-fed cows. This is our guarantee that there are no antibiotics or growth hormones in our yogurt, which may occur in other products that source dried milk powder from outside of Canada.

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.

Our Vanilla Bean Yogurt has a very fresh and light flavour because we only use real vanilla bean which is cooked into the milk – there is no refined sugar or artificial flavour like other brands. We are also proud to sweeten our recipe with just the right amount of BC honey. The result is a Vanilla Bean Yogurt with only 13g of carbohydrates. This is a big difference compared to other leading brands that have 21+ grams of sugar.

We only use BC honey in our recipes and there is absolutely no refined sugar added. The benefit is that there is only contains 13g of carbohydrates. We recognize that the product name “Honey” may sound sweet but our recipe is really quite light and fragrant. We are careful to add just the right amount of honey to balance the tartness of the yogurt.

Greek Yogurt 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.

We do not package a low-fat yogurt, but by skimming off the thin layer of fat from the top of our Cream Top Yogurt, you will have a container of yogurt with approximately 2% milk fat.

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.

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. For more information visit: www.dairyinfo.gc.ca

The sugar in our Plain and Natural Yogurts is from lactose, a natural sugar found in milk. We sweeten our Honey exclusively with BC Honey. We choose Organic cane sugar for our fruit and flavoured recipes.

Tree Island Yogurt products are made fresh and require refrigeration. They are available to be delivered right to your door through select grocers’ home delivery services.

Our products can be found at over 300 grocery retailers and natural health food stores across Canada. Please visit the Store Locator on our website to find one near you. Simply enter your city or postal code to see a list of stores that carry Tree Island products.

You can find our best-before date on the foil of the yogurt container.

Tree Island Yogurt is made at our production facility in Cumberland, B.C.

Tree Island Yogurt was started by Scott DiGuistini, Ph.D., and his wife Merissa Myles and is a family-owned and operated company.

Absolutely! Our package is 100% recyclable. In fact, it is 50% less plastic than other containers. Please separate the paper outer layer from the plastic cup and recycle both with the lid in your municipal recycling system.

We conducted periodic tours of our facility in the past, but at this time are unable to offer any scheduled events. If you would like to learn more about yogurt making, please visit our blog. And if you are looking for a farm and dairy experience, please see our friends at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks in Parksville, who operate a farm gate operation.

Tree Island grass-fed dairy yogurt is cultured using S. Thermophilus and L. Bulgaricus. Tree Island plant-based yogurt is cultured using L. Acidophilus and L. Paracasei.