Chris and I have been interested in raw milk for a while now. We were introduced to low temp pasteurized milk when we used to go to the farmer’s market in Coppell. We loved it, but weren’t good about getting to the farmer’s market to pick some up. This was also several years ago when we were less serious about eating healthy. We then started drinking organic milk purchased at the grocery store because of the convenience. Then I did some research (fancy that) and found out that most organic milk is ultra high temp pasteurized. This type of pasteurization kills all of the enzymes and bacteria in the milk… so much so that the shelf life is 6-9 months and it doesn’t even need to be refrigerated. It’s basically a dead white liquid at this point. So while the milk does come from cows that are not given growth hormones or antibiotics and are fed organic feed that is free from pesticides and GMOs, all of the benefits are pretty much destroyed in the pasteurization process. The enzymes present in milk that are needed to digest the protein casein are destroyed, and the casein is altered to the point of being indigestible. This can cause all sorts of issues with allergies and milk intolerance. Needless to say, we are done drinking organic milk.
All of this research lead us to find out about raw milk. Raw milk is just that… raw. Not pasteurized. Not homogenized. Just taken out of the cow, put through a filter, and then refrigerated. There are a great deal of benefits of drinking raw milk (see links at the end of this post), but you have to be careful. You wouldn’t want to drink any old cow’s milk. For example, cows on factory farms that are given growth hormones to increase their milk production are at an increased risk of developing mastitis… or an infection in their udders. This milk has to be pasteurized to kill off bacteria. These cows are also given antibiotics for their infections… but that’s a whole ‘nother story. The point is, you have to do your research, which is luckily something I love doing. In this case, we felt like it was important to actually visit a farm to meet the farmers and talk with them about how they raise their cattle. Megan and Oliver are also interested in raw milk, so we made the trip together:
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The farm is about 45 minutes from our house right outside of Gainsville.
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I have a thing for old rusted vehicles…
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Here are the cows! They are munching on some homegrown silage and hay. These sweet babies are free to come and go as they please. They have access to pasture to graze or are able to hang out in a freestall barn. In some of the following pictures you can see the fans with misters and rubber filled mattresses for them to lay on. This particular day it was warm so most of the cows were in the barn.
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All of the cows are tagged and kept track of from the moment they are born. They are also frequently tested for illnesses to ensure that they are in good health and producing quality milk.
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Sweet Oliver looking around at all the new sights.
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These cows are enjoying the outside.
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.The calves spend their first few weeks in their own little huts before they are able to be moved to a barn. They reminded me of giant dogs.
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They spend their first few days with their Momma’s, but are then bottle fed. This little calf was hungry!
The silo where they keep the homegrown silage they use to supplement the cow’s diet.
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This is where you go to buy the milk. It’s nothing fancy… just a room with refrigerators.
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Logan has a secret… he loves raw milk. But his doesn’t come from a cow!
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Our sweet friends, Megan and Ollie. We love them!
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The trip to the farm was a success. We got some milk and are in the process of setting up our own driveshare program with a few other families. We will take turns driving out to the farm and picking up the milk so we aren’t having to drive to the farm every week or so. They also sell cream, so I am thinking about getting some and making my own butter. Also looking into making yogurt. I need Hima to come help me!
Here are some links for some additional reading:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/just-say-no-to-uht-milk/
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Mmmmmm savor that fresh cream on top!!! I’ll try to get some recipes over to you as soon as I have 2 seconds to do so. Making a garlic and herb raw butter this week if I can make time!!!! Enjoy your yummy milk and kiss that baby for me!!