Welcome to our dairy!
Know well the state of your flocks; Set your heart to your herds; For riches are not forever. Proverbs 27:23-24
Our dairy is the cornerstone to our farm. Our passion lies with the dairy and the amazing animals that we work with. It is said that a dairy farmer is the hardest working person in the world, but we simply feel blessed for the opportunity to work alongside such amazing animals on a constant basis.
Our cows are milked twice a day with a bucket milker. After extensive research we found that this system is not only the best for the milk but also for the cows as we chose components that mimic the natural suckling of a calf. We milk one animal at a time so that we can focus all of our attention on the cow that we are currently working with. Not only does this allow us the opportunity twice a day to inspect them for any problems but also to brush and bond with them. Our girls work hard and deserve some extra TLC!
Our machines are cleaned both before and after milking to ensure sanitary conditions. We use the same chemicals that are approved for use in organic dairy farms. This removes any milk stone build up, and bacteria that can sour and contaminate your milk while ensuring our customers aren’t exposed to chemicals that are not approved.
Meet the girls!
Meet "Gerdie" our Guernsey
Meet Maya our Jersey heifer.
Small Farms vs. "Modern" Daries
How does our milk get to our customers?
Our morning starts early with milking at 5:00 Am. We call in the girls and they get on their milking stanchion. They are given pets, and some minerals. We check them over at this time for any problems or concerns. Before milking we re-sterilize all of our milking equipment. We then clean the udder of the cow which is a sign for her to drop her milk. We then attach the machine for the milking process. While she is being milked, she is pet, groomed and given the individual attention that she deserves! Once done, we finish up with her, put her bac out to her pasture, take the milk inside to chill immediately in glass containers and then sterilize the equipment once again. Approximately 12 hours later, we repeat the entire process.
From there, the customer either comes to our farm to pick up their milk or they meet us at the farmer’s market.
How does milk get from a commercial farm to the grocery store?
The cows are milked twice a day just like ours. However, these cows are milked “in bulk” and usually in massive milking parlors some even with rotating stanchions to hold 50 cows at once! The cows are fed a commercial grain generally consisting mainly of corn and often with urea, chicken litter and chicken feathers for protein and calcium. If a problem with a cow manages to get detected (there is a regulation allowing an allowable level of “pus” in the milk so if it’s a minor infection its usually left) they’re usually given a massive dose of antibiotics. If it is too bad or the cow goes dry from the infection it is sold at auction.
Once the milk is milked, it all goes into a bulk storage tank. This tank contains the milk from all the cows in the herd regardless of status. These tanks are then pumped by milk trucks every 48 hours approximately. These trucks stop at multiple farms on a route and mix all the milk together.
Milk is then taken to a lab for testing. Farmers are paid for things like cream content etc.
The next step is, once done at the lab, the milk is pumped into storage silos where it undergoes pasteurization, homogenization, separation and further processing. Seperation is the fancy word for separating the cream off of your milk. Even when you pay for “whole milk” you’re still getting skim milk and then they sell you the cream off of that “whole milk” again at a higher price!
After that processing is done (mind you the milk is not exactly fresh at this point anymore) includes micro-filtration, increasing the storage life by ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment, and mixing or culturing milk for flavored and yogurt products
The milk then goes through the plant’s bottling process and it is stored in a big, refrigerated room until it is delivered to stores to be sold. It is then shipped via semi-trucks all around the country to the grocery store for you to pick up and take home.