Raw milk asks more of a farm
There is no step at the end that fixes a mistake made earlier. No pasteurizing to cover for a dirty parlor or a sick animal. So the whole job is to not make them: clean equipment, rapid chilling, testing, and cold storage, every step, every day.
If you are thinking about raw milk you should be asking hard questions. Here is everything we do, in order, and you are welcome to come watch any of it.
Four steps, every single day
Pasture
Outside year round on grass and hay. No grain. No chemicals on this ground since 1997. A closed herd, so we are not bringing problems in from somewhere else.
Milking
Every morning, in a parlor that gets cleaned before and after each milking. Clean udders, clean equipment, clean hands, every time.
Chilling and bottling
Strained and chilled within minutes of leaving the cow, then bottled and capped by hand the same day. Speed and cold are most of the job.
Testing
We test our cows for disease, and we are putting in equipment here on the farm to test every batch of milk ourselves.
It starts in the soil
This ground has not had a chemical on it since 1997. That is not a marketing decision, it is the whole thing.
Healthy soil grows better grass. Better grass makes healthier cows. Healthier cows give better milk that needs less done to it. It runs the other way too: what you put on the ground ends up in the water, in the air, and eventually in the food.
That is why we farm in grass, why we do not spray, and why the cows are outside instead of standing in a barn eating corn. Everything affects everything.
Different animals graze differently. The mix is on purpose.
Why we tested every cow
Cow's milk carries a protein called beta-casein, and it comes in two main forms: A1 and A2. It is a genetic difference in the animal itself, nothing to do with how the milk is handled afterward.
We had our whole herd genetically tested, and we keep only cows carrying A2 on both sides. That is what A2/A2 means.
We are not going to tell you what that means for your body. That is not our place, and plenty of people never think about it and enjoy the milk just fine. But a good number of the families who find us came looking for A2/A2 on purpose, and they know why they are looking. We tested because we would rather know exactly what we are producing than guess, and because if it matters to you, you should get a straight answer from us instead of a maybe.
Provable, and open to anyone
A tested herd
We test our cows for disease on a regular schedule. It is a closed herd, so we are not bringing another farm's problems onto this one.
Batch testing, in progress
We are putting in the equipment to run the common raw milk tests here on the farm, on every batch. We feel strongly about this: milk like this should be provable.
Come look
The most honest answer we can give you is an open door. Come out and see the parlor for yourself.
Still have questions?
Good. Ask them. Call the farm, or come out on a pickup day and ask in person while you are looking at the animals.