Catch up with the rest of the Feeding the Family series here.
It’s field trip day! Hope you packed a lunch. Everyone please go use the restroom before we leave as we will not be able to stop along the way…and I’m serious so go now…I mean it. (Ehem, oh yeah, you guys are grown-ups…sorry.)
Okay, ready to go to Anne’s Farm to meet her cow…the cow that provides our family with yummy milk? Everybody get into my van and buckle up. Wow, who knew my van could hold so many people at once? Oh sorry, you in the back. Just throw that hot wheel car you sat on under the seat with the pretend cell phone.
Here we go! Here’s the entrance to Anne’s farm. It’s just a couple miles out of town. Oh yes, and you might notice that some parts of this field trip occur when the grass is green and there’s corn ready to be cut across the street…and some of this field trip occurs when everything is brown and icy. Um, well…time flies. :)
As we drive up the lane toward Anne’s house, we see her huge garden area surrounded by a white fence. Have I ever told you that my friend Anne is one of the most hard working women I know? She has a huge garden, cans and freezes food, has ducks and chickens, milks a cow twice a day, has a husband, and has two daughters that she homeschools. And she still has time to be my friend. I am so blessed.
And now what you’ve all been waiting for. May I introduce you to Turbo? This is the beautiful cow that I’ve told you so much about. She is mostly and almost always sweet, although she loves Anne the best, just ask the other few people who have tried to milk her. She stands in her spot most of the day…grazing in the spring and summer…chewing on hay in the winter. She’s quite healthy and happy…even though she appears to be looking at all of us with disgust right now. How dare we disturb her lunch?
I believe Turbo is trying to tell us something. Maybe she thinks if she can’t see us, we can’t see her.
As we head back into the garage to get my milk jars, let’s just take a peek at the chickens and the ducks. They are free to roam around all day. Anne just raised this new batch of chickens from chicks this spring. They are just now starting to lay eggs. I was given six little pullet eggs for Christmas (one little precious egg for each of us). Oh were they yummy!
Would one of you please find the milk jars in the fridge with my name on them and put them into my box? Be sure to put the towels around my jars so that they won’t break on the way home. Yes, one got broken one time. And it was summer. And do you know what milk smells like on the carpet of a van in the summer? Mmhm.
Thanks for going to Annes’ Farm with me! We’ll be going on more field trips soon!
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When we began our journey to eat healthier a few years ago, finding a source for raw, organic, grass fed milk was one of the first things we looked for. Anne didn’t have Turbo at that time…but she got her within a few months since our family and her family and another one of our friends were all wanting raw milk. Isn’t she nice? During the summers as Turbo prepares to calf…Anne dries her up (and has a blessed break from being tied to a cow for nine months out of the year) (And I know you are now picturing my friend literally tied to a cow, but really, it’s not like that, I promise). During those three months we go a little farther down the road to another farm to get our raw milk.
Here are a few things we have learned about milk that have convinced us that we want to stick with raw organic milk:
- It’s the yummiest milk on the planet. (Yes, that’s just my opinion…but the fact that this creamy milk tastes so good sure does help me appreciate it’s benefits.)
- Raw milk is…raw. Milk that has been pasteurized loses all of it’s healthy bacteria, beneficial enzymes and many of it’s nutrients. Raw milk maintains all of the good stuff it started out with.
- Raw organic milk comes from cows who have not been given hormones to increase their milk production…nor have they been given antibiotics to counter the effects from it’s living conditions. Generally cows on a monster dairy farm live in such unnatural conditions that they must be given antibiotics constantly. If you can’t find or don’t want raw milk…I at least urge you to work toward at least finding organic milk for this reason.
- Read this article!!!! It is a wonderful explanation of why raw, organic milk from grass fed cows is so good.
I’m thankful that I have such an easy source (easy for me, not as easy for Anne, although she never complains) for good raw milk. Look at this site if you want to see how to find raw milk in your area.
I’m including this post as a Frugal Friday post, even though really…it is cheaper to buy milk at the store. But well…I believe being frugal includes more than just saving money and buying what is cheaper. It’s about being a smart spender. We feel it’s worth it to spend more on raw, organic milk.
What kind of milk do you like to drink? Do you find that finding a source for organic milk is difficult? Anybody want to come over for some milk and cookies? :)
Love the pictures! There is just something about farm pictures that warms my heart. Thank you for sharing.
GREAT post and fun field trip. :-)
When we were in the States we bought organic milk at the commissary as often as possible. However, our commissary here doesn’t have it – and I’m not willing to drive all the way to another base that has a commissary I *really* dislike using in order to buy a half gallon of milk. (We don’t use much milk, obviously.)
My compromise has been to buy the brand that at least doesn’t use rBGH. I know it’s not as good as the organic I used to buy, but it’s safer (in my mind) than the status quo. I can even get it in CHOCOLATE milk, which gets a lot more of it into us. Okay – me. I’m using it to wean myself off caffiene; I’m sure my bones can use the boost too. :-P
We too prefer organic milk, but it is very difficult to find a source for raw milk, even near the milk capital of northern California. We moved here more than four months ago, and I completely expected it to be easy-peasy to locate a local dairy farm that offered raw milk to the public. Was I wrong! If you hear of anything…
I would LOVE a source of fresh milk! Actually I would LOVE a goat or two of my own in my backyard, but so far dh isn’t going for it. It’s that being tied to the animal thing, makes family trips a little more difficult. My mom has two goats that are giving her tons of great milk right now… too bad she is a little too far away to be my supplier!
Would you please stop posting about your milk! We miss our VA cow! It is very hard to get raw milk in MD, and expensive. I am going to try again this summer when people start leaving their houses… everyone around here holes up in the winter…
Toni
I really appreciate this series…I’ve considered the switch to raw milk for our family, but I have not been able to find any sources for our family here in N.Maryland – however, we did used to get fresh milk (but not raw) delivered from a local creamery – maybe we’ll return to that…
I grew up on a dairy farm so reaching in the bulk tank to get milk for the house was second nature. But now married and off the farm it has been missed. Dh was talking about getting a cow for milk just for us. I am not sure if he was kidding but it would be nice.
Wonderful post today! Our family loves the raw milk as well. We set up a coop. A different family drives 2 hours (one way) every 3 weeks to pick up the milk from the farm. It’s worth every bit of it for the health benefits. There is no alternative in our home. We would just do without. As an aside, every lactose-intolerant person that comes in my house has absolutely no problem with the raw milk or raw cheese that we offer them. They are thankful. Thank you for bringing this important topic to the attention of many.
The milk co-op I’m in uses heavy plastic jugs for transport of our fresh milk. That cuts down on weight and breakage. As soon as I get home I pour the milk into glass jars, preferably dark. I have old Ovaltine jars with metal lids that I line with wax paper and antique Mason jars that are blue. Amazing that all jars were once made of glass :)
as much milk as my three girls drink, we would need five cows. I know we need to switch to organic but it would eat up so much of my grocery budget. But this sounds like a great goal for the future…and the cow just darling. :)
loved the field trip! thanks.
Thanks for giving me a tour was lots of fun brought back memories of my grandparents farm She always made friends with the bull and never lie she would tell him from the beginning he would be the supper
oh, I really wish I could get raw milk for my family! The only source I have been able to locate here locally sells goats milk for $9.50 per gallon. I just cannot afford it:( But, I would LOVE to come over and have some milk and cookies;) I think I will wait till the weather warms up a bit, though…or better yet, y’all should take a vacation and head down here to sunny Florida! I have some delicious homegrown citrus we could enjoy:)
Very interesting post! Too bad, here in MD it is not legal to sell raw milk in this fashion. You can’t even do a “cow share”. At least there are good sources of organic non-homogenized…
We are lucky enough to live in dairy-land, where there is a dairy every mile or so! We buy raw milk from one of them. It’s so fun to go into the milk house and walk over to the big tanks and get our own milk. I’d be interested to know what you store your milk in. I’ve been using one of those glass sun tea containers but I’m wondering if there’s a better container. Any ideas?? This is a really fun series! I’m enjoying it!!
Turbo is a beautiful girl! My sister used to have cows on her farm (she lives 300 miles away, alas), and to me they were just like big puppy dogs. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a cow slobber all over the front of your coat, IMHO.
I like Silk soymilk, but it’s pretty expensive (around $7.30/gallon) so I bought a soymilk maker. But it tastes kind of beany and has a weird residue by the time you get to the bottom of the pitcher. So, I’m experimenting to find a better recipe. Maybe not all soybeans, maybe some millet or almond or something.
What an interesting post. I used to buy goat milk like this and we loved it.
Happy Friday to you!
Roberta Anne
Mmmmmmm…sure do miss our raw milk. We lost our source when we moved 6 months ago and have yet to find someone in the big city of Knoxville that has raw milk to spare. We’re moving back home in 2 weeks so I hope to resume our weekly trip down to the valley to get milk. Thanks for a great post! Nothing like homemade raw milk ice cream…check out my blog for easy, no-ice-cream-maker needed strawberry ice cream YUMMY! :)
Loved the field trip! We also purchase raw milk. My friend and I take turns every week going and getting it. We drive about one hour round trip and pay $6 a gallon. That is the cheapest I’ve seen around here. We also get our eggs there. I love taking the cream off the top of the milk and using it in my tea and my husband loves it in coffee every once in awhile. I have also made butter from it on occasion. The other day, I made the best cocoa (your recipe) and put whipping cream on the top. Guess where I got the cream?! Tremendous! I love how my family can enjoy all the benefits of eating healthy and still have fun doing it!
Fresh milk AND cookies?!?!?!?!?
I’m there with bibs on!
I’ve had lots of trouble finding milk here… lots of ‘dead ends’. But, I’m still searching! Years ago, where I used to live, we were able to get goat milk!
I love your Turbo! and boy was it exciting to see all of your milk in the box! Yummy!
Last summer after asking everyone I could think of my aunt told me her neighbor sometimes got milk at a local farm somewhere. She knew the road but not the exact location. So I went for a drive and found it. We buy all our milk from this local farm now. per gallon, it costs us half of what we would pay in the grocery store plus a 20 mile round trip once a week. We also now use about double the amount of milk that we used to when buying it at the store. (I’m so thankful for the old frige in the basement that holds it all.) I make yogurt and kefir but mostly we just really enjoy the milk. I had to buy some at the store about a month ago and my little one said it just didn’t taste as good.
This is my first visit to your website, and I laughed my way through this post. Oh, thank you; I needed that. I can’t wait to find time to come back and read some more.
We drink grass fed raw milk ourselves and love it. My husband brings them home in regular milk jugs then I pour them into gallon glass (formerly apple juice) jars to make it last longer.
I loved visiting the farm with you!
Oh, I LOVE cows! I have a milk cow myself, and she is my favorite “pet” ever. Right now she’s dry (expecting a calf soon! Yay!) so I am enjoying a reprieve from the 2x/day milking but honestly I really do enjoy milking her and it rarely gets boring or tedious. I just posted a picture of my Belle this week on my blog, in fact. ;-) Take a look at my pretty girl: http://homesteadnutrition.blogspot.com/2009/01/tour-of-homestead-part-1.html
We do organic milk here as selling raw milk in MI is not permitted (you can do a cow-share, though). I’m all for doing a cow-share and drinking raw milk, but my dh is dead set against it. He’s afraid that we’ll get sick from it. No dear, it’s all the junk in the regular milk from the store that makes one sick! Anyway, organic is the best I can do for now. :)
We started drinking organic raw milk with our milk share last April. I really think God’s timing is funny, since May was when our baby started growing! I prayed about the wisdom of drinking raw milk while growing Bobo, but decided that I trusted our farmer and didn’t want to miss out on the wonderful grass fed cow milk that we got all summer long. I really believe that much of my pregnancy health and strength came from drinking raw milk and making my own yogurt.
We just recently lost our source of raw milk and had to scramble to find another one. Thankfully, as of today, I’ll get another jar of liquid white gold again on Wednesdays. It really is a miracle in our climate that we can get fresh milk from cows at all!
Alas, it’s illegal here in Virginia too to buy and sell raw milk, but I’d break the law if I could find someone to sell it to me! We can get milk from a creamery about 2 hrs. away at our Kroger and it isn’t homogenized but is pasteurized. But it’s very good and the best we can do for now!
We drink raw milk too. It’s about 1 1/2 hrs round trip to get ours. I’m trying to find a closer source, but they are all full.
Switching to raw milk was the best thing we’ve done. Besides the obvious (tastes much better), it is a must for children with athsma. Pasturized milk has been linked to an increase in athsma in children. My daughter had it pretty bad. She was up all night at least 2 or 3x a week with athsma attacks and had daily medications to take. Within 2 months of switching to raw milk (and organic/natural cleaning products) she has been medication and athsma free ever since. Praise God!! We had previously only switched the cleaners and tried to get her off of the medicine many times with no luck. It’s amazing how using natural God given things can have such a wonderful effect.
It is more expensive if you only look at the actual price of the milk, but when you look at the bigger picture, there is no comparison. Think of all the money we save in Dr’s bills and medications. We will never go back to the poison sold in stores!
Since we sold our own Jersey :-(, we found another sourse of organic raw milk and it is ‘so yum! My kids won’t drink any other milk and I don’t want to give them any other milk, which works out well!
We agree. We bought our own cow just over a year ago. It is wonderful to know exactly what we are (and are NOT) getting!
Soy milk for me, organic homogenized, pasteurized skim milk for hubby and kids. I’m lactose intolerant, and I’m not at all comfy going to raw milk. A report a few weeks back from our local news confirmed raw milk is NOT for my family. A farm in our area had raw milk that was infected w/lysteria.
I don’t want to worry if the milk I’m giving my family is safe or not.
I searched for a raw milk source for almost a year, and finally stumbled upon one! I clicked on a “where to buy” link for a different product I was researching, and saw an organic store I hadn’t seen before. So I clicked, and it turned out to be an organic delivery service in my local area! They sell cow-shares from a reputable, local farm ($30 yearly fee), and raw jersey milk for $7 a gallon. YES!!! I can get pasteured, farm fresh eggs, raw cheese, raw butter and many other great organic products. Best of all, they deliver to my door once a week, for a flat $5 fee.
We got our first raw milk just last week, and all I can say is that it was worth the search, and the wait. So yummy!
Now I plan to make the mozzarella, butter, and cream cheese soon. Oh yeah, and yogurt and buttermilk… :)
If you really want raw milk, don’t give up the search! You may just stumble onto a source like I did.
I agree with Jen don’t give up the search if you are looking for raw organic milk. Just today finally found a small farm supplier through a homeschooling local yahoo group. Who’d figure? I am off to pick up our first gallons of milk and some keifer and yogurt too. I am so excited.
I understand many reasons why people choose raw milk. I think it is a great idea. But, having grown up on a dairy farm I just want to let people know that antibiotics are not a concern in milk. They are not given to all the cows “constantly”. All milk is tested for antibiotics before it leaves the farm. If even a trace amount is found in the milk it cannot be sold to consumers. It doesn’t even leave the farm. Yes, some cows are treated with antibiotics when they are sick. But, the milk from these cows in not combined with the rest of the milk.
Great entry.
This is kind of off-topic, but what is your favorite soil conditioning fertilizer? I’ve tried Pro-Gro on my veggie garden, but I don’t know how happy I am with the results. Anyone have suggestions?
We just use horse manure from a local farm, so I don’t know.
I FINALLY found a source for local, raw milk (and possibly eggs, too)!! I am SUPER excited!!!