Dominic George: Organic milk: Is there any difference

Farmers have to milk every avenue to make dairying profitable.

"So what is the difference between organic milk and non-organic milk then?" he asked. "Ooooowww ... you've got me there mate," I replied in a manner that lacked professionalism on so many levels it was scary.

I was waxing lyrical about the heating up of the organic milk market to Larry Williams on his drive show on Newstalk ZB. I'd come across the story earlier that day and thought it would be of general interest, given the involvement of Lewis Rd Creamery. You remember them - the producers of the chocolate milk so popular they needed security guards to keep a watchful eye over the supermarket fridges so people couldn't take more than their fair share?

Yeah, well now they're consolidating their organic milk supply to ensure a steady supply at the same time as Fonterra launches its Anchor organic milk range.

Farming Show host Jamie Mackay often bemoans his wife's insistence on buying free-range eggs as opposed to the normal ones, arguing there's bugger-all difference.

Again, I've got about as much insight into this as the Blues board do into running a rugby team. Now, there's a beast spreading its tentacles far and wide. People are fighting on the sidelines now, frustrated at the debacle unfolding in the nation's most populous city. A report on an under-8 match said it had to be called off after adults stormed the field and one poor kiddie was manhandled by a parent from the other team. What the hell is going on up there?

The situation has been tempered somewhat by all being confident the investigation into the incident has been the result of good processes.

Mind you, it's not easy watching kids sport.

I've been doing it for years and some parents need a decent smack in the chops. As I've previously said, I don't so much watch sport as yell at it, and I'm no different with the juniors. But there's a huge difference between vocal support and downright abuse. There is still a natural inclination to live vicariously through your children, as abhorrent as that is, and I see it on a weekly basis.

I've come across another issue with junior sport that's surprised me a little bit. It's the issue of physicality. Over the past couple of years, there have been comments from opposition coaches regarding the robust way in which my twin lads and their mates play football.

Now let's be clear, we're talking physical, not dirty, and some of the comments have been in praise of the way they go hell-for-leather. But, increasingly, there's an element who want contact sports such as basketball and football to effectively become non-contact.

Dear God, help us. Take your kids to the local netball or petanque club if you don't want the odd knock or bruise on wee Johnny.

Ever since we set foot on this magnificent piece of dirt, we've had to deploy varying degrees of physicality to survive.

Heck, we've become known for it, it's a source of pride. And we take that physicality on to the sports field. "Hard but fair" is a catch cry that many in this country can relate to, it's like an unwritten rule.

But then again, this is probably the same mob who insist on keeping kids' match results "secret". That is patently absurd. Sure, the aim is to have fun but you have far more fun when you're winning.

Besides, kids have a natural inclination to keep score anyway, so these do-gooders are really only placating their own sense of worthlessness at their sporting inadequacies.

In fact, you'll probably find wee Johnny doesn't mind a bit of physical contact and respite from his relentless vegan-diet, limited-internet, text-book-pampering, organic-milk-drinking nonsense. Just give him normal milk, no one knows the bloody difference.