Straight answers
If yours is not here, call the farm at (223) 221-0040 and ask. We would rather talk to you.
Ordering
How do I order?
Everything goes through the farm store on this site. Add what you want, choose whether you are collecting from the farm or having it shipped, and check out.
When do I need to order by?
Order by midnight Friday. Everything ships or is ready the following Monday.
If you are having it shipped: one-day zone arrives Tuesday, two-day zone arrives Wednesday. If you are collecting at the farm, that is Monday between noon and nine in the evening. Miss the Friday cutoff and your order simply moves to the next week.
Is there a minimum order?
There is a $50 minimum on shipped orders, so there is enough in the box to hold temperature properly. Shipping is charged on top of that. There is no minimum at all if you collect at the farm, which is one of the good reasons to come out.
Can I set up a standing order?
Yes. You can set up a standing order and pause or change it whenever you like. It means a steady supply and the best price we offer.
Can I change or cancel an order?
Before the Friday cutoff, yes. Call the farm and we will sort it out.
Pickup and delivery
What does shipping cost?
UPS 1 Day is $15 and UPS 2 Day is $25. Both are free on orders over $150. Collecting at the farm is always free.
Where do you ship?
Enter your zip code in the store and it will show you exactly what we can send to your address. Availability depends on the product and where you are.
When can I collect from the farm?
Farm pickup is Mondays, noon to nine in the evening. We are at 7445 White Oak Road, Christiana, PA 17509.
How is it packed so it stays cold?
In a cardboard box with an insulated liner and gel ice packs. It is packed to stay cold until around five in the evening on the day it lands. The box and the liner are both compostable, and the gel packs can be refrozen and used again, or cut open and emptied down the drain.
What if I am not home when it arrives?
No signature is needed and you do not have to be home. It is packed to stay cold until about five in the evening, so get it into the fridge that evening. Meat may be partly thawed on arrival and is fine as long as you refreeze it right away. If anything is not right, call us and we will make it right.
The milk
How do you make sure the milk is safe?
We test our cows for disease on a regular schedule, and we are putting in the equipment to test every batch of milk here on the farm. We feel strongly about this. Milk like this should be provable, and we would rather show you than ask you to take our word for it.
What are the risks of raw milk?
Raw milk is not pasteurized, and public health agencies advise that it can carry harmful bacteria. They consider the risk highest for pregnant women, young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system. We are not going to tell you the risk is zero, because it is not.
What we can tell you is what we do about it: a closed herd that we test for disease, a parlor cleaned before and after every milking, chilling within minutes, equipment going in so we can test every batch ourselves, and an open door if you want to watch any of it. Read both sides, and decide for your own family.
What does A2/A2 mean?
It is a genetic difference in the cow, not something done to the milk. Cow's milk carries a protein called beta-casein in two main forms, A1 and A2. We had the whole herd tested and keep only cows carrying A2 on both sides.
We are not going to tell you what that means for your body. Plenty of people never think about it and enjoy the milk just fine. But some families come looking for A2/A2 on purpose, and if that is you, you should get a straight answer instead of a maybe.
What do the cows eat?
Grass and hay, outside, year round. No grain. Nothing has been sprayed on this ground since 1997.
Is the milk homogenized?
No. Nothing is done to it beyond straining, chilling, and bottling. The cream rises. Shake the jar.
How long does it keep?
Get it into the fridge as soon as you are home and keep it below 40 degrees. An unopened bottle at the back of the fridge keeps about two weeks. Once it is opened, use it inside a week. Cheese holds longer but will mold at the edges around two weeks, just trim it and carry on. Our eggs are unwashed, so they keep six to eight weeks. Bread lasts about a week on the counter, longer in the fridge, and freezes well when fresh.
Do you buy in cows from other herds?
No. It is a closed herd, which means we are not bringing another farm's problems onto this one.
The farm
Can I come and see it?
Yes, and we would rather you did. Come out when you collect an order, look at the animals, ask whatever you want to ask.
Who runs the farm?
Two families: Allen and Amanda, and Michael and Linda Mae. No hired manager. It is us.
Does everything come from your farm?
The raw cow dairy, the meat chickens, the eggs and the sourdough are ours. The rest comes from farms we know by name: Shepherds Hollow Farm for raw sheep dairy, Lykens Valley Creamery for cheese, Silver Hills for fermented foods, Misty Creek Goat Dairy for goat soap, Welsh Mountain Apiaries for honey, and Virkler Farm and Forest for maple syrup.
Call the farm
A real person answers, and if we cannot get to it we will call you back.