How do we buy Raw Milk? (email kathie@brains.org)

Update May 2012: Rosie is now in milk, so we are adding people to our regular pick up list. There are still a few openings for regular pick up. Email me if you'd like a regular pick up day.
Here are the current slots OPEN for regular weekly pick up:
Sunday -- FULL
Monday -- FULL
Tuesday -- FULL
Wednesday -- FULL
Thursday -- 1 jar
Friday -- 3 jars
Saturday -- 5 jars


We ask our milk customers to agree to:
1. Return your lid and jar CLEAN (run through a dishwasher) and ready to be refilled.
2. NEVER store anything other than milk in your jar.
3. If you forget your clean jars, just leave $2 deposit when you pick-up and bring the other jars the following week.

email: kathie@brains.org

Is your cow grass fed? Organic? Hormones? Antibiotics?
Dixie is primarily grass (and hay in the winter) fed. She grazes in the backyard pasture. She gets a coffee-can full of grain (BlueSeal MIlk Maker) at the morning and evening milking as a treat and as a way to give her some vitamins, protein and the selenium that must be supplemented here in New Hampshire. She has never had hormones used on her, but we do NOT use organic feed /hay. It is very difficult to do organic in New England due to the mineral shortage in our soil. We feel she is healthier with regular grain. As far as antibiotics - it is illegal for ANYONE (even commercial dairies) to release milk tainted with antibiotics into the milk supply. So no milk you ever drink from any source should contain antibiotics (people get this confused I think with the beef industry). If we ever have to treat an infection with antibiotics, we have to throw away the milk for 5 days (actually, we "throw" it to the chickens - they are thrilled!).

Is raw milk safe to drink?
If you google, "raw milk" you will find many, many discussions on the topic of raw milk. Much of the information on raw milk comes from misunderstandings and political pressure from the commercial dairy industry. When everyone had a family milk cow who grazed on grass, no one worried about "bad milk" because the "good bacteria" in grass-fed milk outweighs the "bad bacteria" and actually keeps the milk safe to drink. In fact this type of milk doesn't go bad, ever. It simply turns to cheese.

When milking made it's big move to commercial dairies, the diet of the cow switched from mostly grass to mostly grain. The change in diet and the crowded commercial dairy conditions suddenly made raw milk a health hazard. The actual make-up of the milk had changed and it was now subject to having the "bad bacteria" take over and make people sick. To preserve their large commercial dairies, the obvious solution was to pastueurze or heat the milk. This "cooked" milk of course destroys all the bacteria (good and bad) and changes the protein structure of the milk. Viola' - a completely new product that many people suddenly couldn't digest (the beginning of milk allergies and lactose interolerance) and something that would "spoil" eventually. Obviously the dairy industry had to do a big "sell" to the consumer to get them to accept this different product, and many of us were raised still under the belief that only pasteurized milk is truly safe to drink. In fact, a backyard cow, fed primarily grass & hay and housed
in a clean facility produces a real milk that is perfectly safe to drink.

Who drinks Raw Milk?

Many people who cannot tolerate pastuerized milk are delighted to discover they have no trouble digesting raw milk, so many lactose intolerant people use raw milk. Other people find that the heavy lactobacillus content in raw milk (similar to what you find in commercial yogurt or cultured buttermilk) helps keep their digestive system running smoothly. Many people simply prefer the fuller taste of raw milk (some of our customers even have a preference to the morning or evening milk). Some people's doctors have suggested a raw diet and some people simply prefer to eat more natural foods and milk from cows without supplemental hormones.

Is Jersey milk different than other milk?

Jersey cows are the most popular "family cow" for 2 reasons. First, they are the smallest of the milk cows (about 900 pounds) and secondly they have the highest butterfat content of any milk. Only the Guernsey comes in at a close second. The black and white Holstein you are probably familiar with (used by commercial milk producers) can produce twice the daily milk supply but has about half the butterfat of Jersey milk. Jersey's also have milk that is the most yellow in color due to the high content of very yellow butterfat. (you'll notice the butter from Jersey cream is very yellow).

Jersey milk also contains about 25% more protein than milk from a Holstein. Even "skimmed" Jersey milk tastes richer than whole milk from a Holstein due to the protein content.

Why doesn't everyone have a backyard cow?
If you ever spent 5 minutes around a dairy cow, you may wonder the same thing. A dairy cow is the kindest, sweetest, gentlest animal on the planet. They want nothing more than to love and be loved. They are very smart, know their name, know which pocket you hide the treats in, know how to get their brush down off the shelf and bring it to you (or at least try), and know which songs they prefer during milk time (if you ever sing the "wrong" song, you get a tail in the face!). They'll lay their big old head in your lap and drool when you find just that right "itchy" spot on their cheek to scratch.

That's the good part. The other reality is that a milk cow is a lot of work. They have to be milked twice a day, 365 days a year. Always. No exceptions for holidays, illness, family business, blackouts, blizzards, thunderstorms, frigid cold. It's a big committment to have a milk cow. Not only do you have to milk them, you have to feed and clean up after them. They eat a lot. About a bale or more of hay every day. They drink about 20 gallons of water a day, and they produce a tremendous amount of "organic fertilizer" every day. (FYI: That "organic fertilizer" is available to anyone, any day, for no cost - just bring your truck and your pitch fork and some boots)

But for your efforts, you not only get that special cow love, you also get all the milk, cream, butter, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, ice cream, cottage cheese, etc. that your family can consume.
Once you have a milk cow, it's hard to imagine life without one.

What Makes Free-Range Chicken Eggs Different?

If you've never eaten a free-range chicken egg, you are in for a treat! The entire consistancy is different and the yolk is much darker in color. I'm told that the color has to do with them foraging for insects and "what nots" and I'm sure that plays a factor as the egg yolks are brighter orange in the summer than in the winter.

We have 22 Rhode Island Red hens currently laying and have eggs available most days. We have another 60 new girls, growing up fast and will be lay in mid-spring.

What is 'raw" honey and how do we buy it? (email kathie@brains.org)

Our honey is "raw and unfiltered" - what that means is that we take it from the hive, pour it through a fine wire mesh (to remove debris) and straight into the container. This gives you pure dark honey, full of the natural, local pollen. We can ship bears anywhere in the US.

There is no such thing as "organic honey" - because no one can really say for sure where the bees gathered their pollen and nectar. So, honey can be labeled natural or raw but not organic.

We currently are out of honey - check back in the fall of 2012.