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Amid growing concerns about the use of artificial hormones in milk production, one Arizona dairy has found itself a new marketing tack.

Milk containers from Stanfield dairy Shamrock Farms bear a label that says "No rBST," referring to recombinant bovine somatotropin, also known as bovine growth hormone. The company's cartoon "spokescow" Roxie can also be seen in billboard and other ads promoting the dairy as rBST-free.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993, rBST is a synthetic version of a hormone cows make naturally, and is used to boost milk production.

Shamrock Farms has never used the synthetic hormone, said marketing director Sandy Kelly. However, the dairy began promoting itself as rBST-free only within the past year in response to consumer interest, she said.

"We really just started seeing this growing concern about the use of synthetic hormones in dairy among moms," Kelly said. "We needed to get out there and tell people that was not a concern with our herd."

Both the FDA and rBST producer Monsanto maintain that milk from cows injected with artificially hormones is safe. Shamrock Farms' "No rBST" labels also come with the disclaimer that "no significant difference" exists between milk from rBST and non-rBST-treated cows.

But organic-food advocates have long associated rBST with the onset of early puberty in children and other health issues. Advocates also charge that the artificial hormone is bad for cows.

Now fears about rBST are becoming more "mainstream," said Torey Ligon, outreach consumer for organic food seller Food Conspiracy Co-op, at 412 N. Fourth Ave. The co-op sells only organic milk, which is produced without antibiotics or rBST, she said.

"The market for organic milk has grown dramatically, and that's a huge part of it," Ligon said, referring to rBST concerns. "You can see that in conventional grocery stores and dairy producers. That's not something you saw five years ago."

In January, the nation's second-largest dairy cooperative, California Dairies Inc., told its members they would have to go rBST-free by Aug. 1, or else be forced to pay a surcharge.

California Dairies CEO Richard Cotta told the San Francisco Chronicle that the co-op was bowing to pressure from major customers, including supermarket company Safeway Inc., based in Pleasanton, Calif..

Safeway plans to phase out rBST use in all of its Lucerne and Dairy Glen-branded milk by the end of the year, said spokeswoman Teena Massingill.

United Dairymen of Arizona, an Arizona milk cooperative, is not requiring members to forgo rBST, but most already do voluntarily, said CEO Keith Murfield. United Dairymen says its members account for 90 percent of the state's milk production.

Murfield said dairy farmers simply view the artificial hormone as "a tool to get increased milk production."

"They don't necessarily like to see rBST not being used," he said. "But at the same time, you've got to give the consumers what they want."

St. Louis-based Monsanto, which sells rBST under the brand name Posilac, has argued that the forgoing the use of rBST would create hardship for farmers and lead to higher milk prices for consumers.

"It's a concern when U.S. farmers are denied access to approved technologies that are going to help them make money," Monsanto spokesman Andrew Burchett said. "It's also a concern that milk that is no different is being disparaged by deceptive marketing."

RBST-treated cows produce about 80 pounds of milk per day, compared with about 70 pounds per day by non-treated cows, according to United Dairymen's Murfield.

Kelly said family-owned Shamrock Farms has never had a need to use rBST because "we believe that the care we provide our cows is what keeps them producing milk."

The dairy operates a "state of the art" facility where cows are kept comfortable with special shades and misting machines, Kelly said.

"We like to refer to it as a cow spa," she said.