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
Hello! I live in central IA and would LOVE to get raw milk. I am so jealous of all of you who can get it! Any ideas of what I can do? At our healthfood store, I get nonhomogenized vat pasteurized milk from cows that are raised right. I’m looking for any loopholes you all can think of–ha! geist6 at yahoo dot com Thanks!
I grew up in Iowa! I know that there is a huge local, organic movement going on there. I just seen this video of this guy who has a huge dairy farm that produces raw milk. I forget where I seen the video, I believe it is on youtube. He lives in Central Iowa too. I actually grew up in Clear Lake.. this guy was a bit south of that. I would google it. Iowa has nothing but farmers- it shouldn’t be to hard to find some raw milk there!
We are a family of 8, and we have three goats that we are currently milking twice daily. We use it all whether we drink it, make kefir, make yogurt, ice cream, and in cooking and baking. I even make cheese with it. We’re getting about 1 1/2 gallons of milk per day, and I don’t like to waste a drop of it!
Hi Sarah,
My family of four drinks raw milk, but only 2 gallons every 2 weeks. For now we only use it on granola in the morning and sometimes in cooking. I am currently learning uses for soured milk and plan to venture into yogurt making soon, so I’m guessing our intake will be more by the end of the year.
On an unrelated note, I am fairly new to your blog and was wondering if you had ever done any posts on being a food snob in the real world? My family is very “choosy” and it has sort of alienated us from having much of a social life in a world where food is central to a good time with friends. How do we eat well and still have fun? 🙂
Can’t wait to see you in Dallas in November Jackie! 🙂
Sarah,
I’m a single senior and I can easily go thru 2 gal. every 2 weeks. Just love it!!
We user 6-7 gallons of raw, grassfed Jersey cow milk per week. We’re a family of 4, and I make a lot of kefir, and also use the kefir to soak home ground wheat flour for our bread. I’ve been doing this since May…. and I’ve lost 20 lbs!
Family of 4, 2- children 8 and 9, anyday now a family of 5 (yippee, 8 years of hoping and praying!) we consume 2-3 gallons a week. We are blessed to have a certified raw dairy farm just in the next town. We are spoiled and well aware of it. We are taking full advantage of having it over there. I tell you the NT ice cream has been great for eating when I have not felt like eating anything else. Drinking 1 cup of raw kefir in a smoothie each day has made a difference on many levels as well. My parents are now trying it, a friend’s mother on chemo, and my fermented challenged husband is willing to go at it too!
Yay!
Me. Just me. One and a half gallons of raw milk per week. Plus cheese and butter.
Our family of 4 have been easily going through 4 half gallons a wk. Since Im unable to obtain more than that at this time i am stretching it by adding fermented rice milk or coconut milk to it.