My family is really going through the raw dairy these days. I got the idea for this post when we – yet again – ran out of any and all raw dairy a full 24 hours before the next farm delivery. I even added a whole extra gallon to our order at last pickup and here we are out once more!
Do I run to the store and pick up a half gallon of ultrapasteurized organic milk to tide us over?
No way! Organic Valley or Horizon organic milk from the store is horrible, health-robbing stuff. I would never buy it. It is way better to go without until you are able to get more milk fresh from the farm.
We haven’t always consumed as much as we are now. It’s just that my oldest is starting puberty and drinking about a quart a day – maybe even more?
My other two kids have all of a sudden gotten into drinking it as well. I’ve always had to pretty much force them to drink their milk in the past (you know the drill – drink your milk or no bike ride after dinner or whatever).
Now they are gulping it down and asking for more.
I know this seems like a lot, but at the moment, our family of five is easily going through 4 gallons of grassfed cow milk and 2 gallons of foraging goat milk.
Per week!
Oh, I almost forgot. Add a half gallon of raw milk yogurt to that.
And 1-3 quarts of raw cream (for raw ice cream of course). Who can live without ice cream? We do a lot of milkshakes at our house.
Plus one pound of raw butter.
That’s a lot of full fat dairy for a family of five. But then again, we don’t buy any sodas, boxed breakfast cereal, and other processed foods so even though the fresh dairy is expensive, it fits within the budget.
Just my opinion, but I would go from two cars to one or move to a smaller house if necessary to afford our raw dairy. You can’t put a price on health. It is more important than any possession.
“Health is the first wealth” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
In light of how much saturated fat my family is consuming, some of you might be thinking that we surely must be a family of large people.
As it turns out, none of us has a weight problem. It’s really true – eat your whole, unprocessed fats and don’t skimp! It really does help keep you trim!
How much raw dairy does your family consume? I want to know and I’m sure others would too!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
My family of 6 uses about 4 gallons a week. I’m not a big milk drinker, but I make lots of yogurt, cheese and custard.
Hey Pamela I’m about to start making dairy products as in Western Australia we cant get access to raw cream, cheese, yoghurt etc… would absolutely love if you would send me any of your recipes! [email protected] – much appreciated!
We just bought our first 1/2 gallon of raw milk yesterday at Eastleigh Farm in Framingham,Ma. We bought some delicious garlic cheese that they sold there. that was also made from raw milk. This morning I made pancakes with raw milk. They were delicious! I tasted the milk plain, it was OK. I haven’t had milk in about 25 years. I am very sensitive to pasturized milk but not to the raw milk. I just found a Strwberry Milk Shake recipe by Nourished Kitchen that I want to try. I also want to make yogurt out of the raw milk. So I am just a beginner in all this!
My husband, 21 year old daughter and I get through 2 gallons a week. We make a quart of kefir a day from it and make smoothies, and use the rest to mix with cold pressed espresso or drink plain.
Oh how I wish we could get raw milk on a regular basis where we are! It isn’t legal for sale in Canada, so one has to join a cowshare. I only know of one in our entire area and it is having many legal problems these days not to mention the fact that one gallon costs upwards of $18! There is no way we can afford that! So, we make do with (uggh) pasteurized organic milk, mostly for yogurt and kefir (although we do use some in cooking and in tea), and the occasional bounty of raw milk from whenever we cross the border (legal for sale in WA). It is such a sad situation to me and I get depressed reading how others are able to enjoy such large and regular quantities of fresh raw milk weekly! I’m happy for those who can, but sad for those of us who can’t, for I fear we’re missing out on a HUGE component of healthful living, going without.
family of 4, two kids under 3 years of age…we consume 3+ gallons raw milk, 1/2 gallon of raw yogurt, quart of raw cream, and at least a lb of butter a week.
My husband works out of town pretty frequently, but when he’s home, this family of 5 easily goes through a gallon of raw milk a day. And that’s with one son who can’t drink it. We also go through a lot of raw cheese and farm eggs. My husband’s mom was shocked when she found out he drinks a lot of milk now. But he said he loves the raw milk. He complains pasteurized milk has “an aftertaste.”
i use a half to a gallon a week depends if i have my grandson or just me ..he loves the stuff .. i buy only organic and it doesnt matter how much it costs or how far i have to drive to get it
Amanda,
I found that science writer Gary Taubes’ “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It” made a lot of sense. It is NOT A diet book, it is a sequel to his earlier book, Good Calories-Bad Calories. It confirms what we all pretty much know (especially if we love raw milk, which i do!):
Good Calories- These are from foods without easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. These foods can be eaten without restraint. Meat, fish, fowl, cheese, eggs, butter, and non-starchy vegetables.
Bad Calories- These are from foods that stimulate excessive insulin secretion and so make us fat, increasing our risk of chronic disease–all refined and easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars.
For me, his book, Why We Get Fat…(essentially insulin resistance) answered questions and cleared up misconceptions shedding light on decades of “wrong science” thinking about fats, laying to rest the AMA’s tired myth of the ‘Healthy Heart Diet’….just my 2 cents…hang in there.
We have 2 adults, 4 kids, and one nursing baby, and we go through 4 gallons per week, not including cream. I don’t mind spending the money on any food item that I can have the peace of mind to tell them, “have as much as you like”, and know that it’s good for them. They are required to finish what they pour. And if we run out, that’s it for the rest of the week.
I’m with you. There is NO wasting of grassfed jersey milk in our home.
When all my kids are home we go through 2 plus gallons a week, I agree our health is paramount and when I found out that raw milk also tells your body to make fresh white blood cells, I was even more hooked!