So there I was, out in the middle of nowhere, driving home after picking up eggs from my local farmer the other day, when what should pull out in front of me but the huge milk tanker truck pictured to the right.
The interesting thing is that most folks wouldn’t think twice about the big fat lie plastered on the back of that milk tanker.
Is it possible for farm fresh milk to come out of a tanker truck? I don’t think so!
My dear uncle would turn over in his grave if he saw the message on that truck. You see, my Uncle Harry was a small dairy farmer from Frewsburg, New York just a few miles down the road from Chautauqua where my family spent the summer each year while I was growing up.
My first experience with fresh, raw milk was at my uncle’s farm where I would drive out as a teenager to visit on weekends. I would ride his palomino horse for hours all over the beautiful, rolling pastures and then come in for lunch or dinner.
There was always a big stainless steel pitcher of cold, raw milk on the dining room table during meals and my aunt and uncle would try and coax me to drink some. I was tentative about it as I’d been warned that “raw milk was dangerous” and not to drink any.
But, seeing his peaceful, healthy cows grazing in the pasture, I found that somehow hard to believe.
I never did try my uncle’s raw milk, but I truly wish I had. I’m sure it was delicious.
Now a veteran of raw milk drinking from numerous farms for over 10 years, I feel like I am somehow honoring my uncle’s legacy by supporting the small dairy farms in my community and spending my dairy dollars locally.
Sadly, like thousands of small dairy farms across America, my uncle’s farm is no more. It pains me to know that I can never take my children there to see it like it used to be.
But, I can help educate people about the wonders of raw milk from cows grazing on green grass and how this food is so very safe to consume – light years safer than factory treated, tanker truck milk headed to grocery store shelves around the country! Grassfed raw milk is life giving, nutrient dense, and exactly what children need to grow up sturdy and strong.
This seems a timely topic to write about given that my local farmer’s rye grass is coming in strong in the pastures right now and the raw butter is turning deep yellow as the cows transition off of the hay winter ration. My family’s favorite raw butter of the year!
One thing is for sure – there’s no way my kids will ever be drinking any phony fresh milk from a tanker truck in all its pasteurized, homogenized, antibiotic, steroid, and hormone laced, GMO glory.
No, my kids will be drinking clean, raw milk from a small farm such as what my aunt and uncle proudly owned.
And, it will be fresh from the cow, not phony “fresh” from a truck!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
What is “Fresh” Milk Anyway? http://t.co/1DpYe5R5
I just wrote about this today! We recently moved to a farm and so really loving the fresh still warm-from-the-cow milk we are getting from a neighbor a few house down the road!
I enjoy your posts so much!
Are you able to get raw milk in the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area? What are the rules?
So much for spell check. Giving = going mussels = myself 🙂
Sherri, thanks for your comment about giving two hours round trip. I have been feeling sorry for mussels for having to drive that far here in Virginia. I will now start being thankful that raw milk is even available to us. I have been getting raw milk for six months and feel so much better driving by the actual cows we are getting milk from for our family.
I’m in Texas and I feel very fortunate that I am able to make a two hour round trip to buy raw milk from a dairy farm. It’s always worth it.
I’m hoping that soon we can buy it in the stores.
I’m in Houston, Texas. Where can I find raw milk?
What is “Fresh” Milk Anyway? http://t.co/cmjPmpVz
I would love for this to be an option for our family but living in Ontario Canada it not an option. If you know of any loop holes please share 🙂 Otherwise we continue with what’s available.
Amy, here is a link to the application for Cow Share Canada .. a way for Canadians to obtain access to farm fresh raw milk. This organization is headed up by Michael Schmidt, a raw milk farmer in Ontario. Perhaps this can help you.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffoodrightsalliance.ca%2FCowshareCanadaAppl.pdf
Here is Michael’s blog – a great way to keep up with raw milk happenings: http://thebovine.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much Sarah I will look into this 🙂
Amy, I live in Toronto and I have recently become a member of Cow Share Canada. The membership is only $50. The organization helped me find a gentlman who’s bringing milk to To every week.
Amy, I am also in Ontario, just north of Toronto. There are a few guys doing raw milk, both in the city (one I know of the milk comes from Kingston) and to the West out towards Guelph area. We’re in 45 minutes from the city and 5 minutes off the 400. Our guy is from the Kitchener-ish area and he has a pick up location 5 minutes from our house each week. I know he also goes to Alliston, Barrie and many other locations on the west side of TO. Ask around – word of mouth is the best way to get info. Our guy, I believe, has a waiting list right now, but if you want more info, I can get it for you – I would need your email address though, I won’t post his contact info publicly. I have also heard of someone doing raw milk in the Niagara on the lake area.
Oh my. Niagara On the Lake. Please let me know who this is. I too am desperate to find some raw milk. Actually there are a few of us here in the area that would really like it. I have access to raw milk, but the question for us is , what are they feeding to the cows because that is as important to us as obtaining it raw. Please email me personally for information that you might have. When I connect with you I can give you my phone number and perhaps we can meet. [email protected]
Rachel – I’d be eternally grateful if you could email me and let me know who I can get raw milk from in the Kitchener area! I’m going to be in Kitchener for a while visiting family so I would only need to pick it up once or twice. I’m willing to buy a temporary cow share. Without it my stomach troubles return and I become exhausted and bloated. Would like to be feeling 100% while I’m with my family, and I visit Ontario regularly so it would be nice to have a contact for whenever I’m there. 🙂 If I can’t find milk I may just have to buy lots of raw cheese!!
hi kim, ive been in search of raw milk for my little one cause unfortunately am having supply issues breastfeeding. I came across this post, im in Niagara and I read here that you might know of someone in Niagara on the lake??? if you could email me I would really appreciate it..
I’m in Kitchener and get my milk from a farmer up in Moorefield. The loophole is that you have to get a cowshare and the milk is then yours. You’re basically paying the farmer for their services and taking care of your cow.
PS Forgot to share the link to raw milk and grass-fed meat: http://www.eatwild.com/products/canada.html#ON
I’d be so grateful if you could email me and let me know where you get raw milk in the Kitchener area!!
I sure wish we had access to raw milk 🙁 But, we do have a local, grass-fed dairy with a low-pasturization method so I guess it is the second best option.
Folks tell us all the time how “contented” our Jersey girls look our in the pasture grazing on lush grass (…well our weather hasn’t led to the lush green stuff yet…now they’re grazing on the hay cut from our lush grass…) but wouldn’t dare drink a glass. Such a shame. It’s the best milk in the world and the health benefits we’ve seen have been miraculous. We traveled recently because our cows are dry before calving next month. When we would have to eat out and the server asked for our drinks, my boys would ask if they had real milk. I said no and they would get something else. The servers didn’t understand. 🙂