| Monday is my milk day. I'm not talking about | | | | much less and the nutritional benefits I get from |
| running up to the local store to buy a gallon of | | | | drinking raw milk much greater when the milk is |
| pastuerized, homogenized, low fat milk to pour | | | | coming from healthy animals that are carefully |
| over my cereal in the morning. I pack up my 1 | | | | raised and handled and mainly fed an organic |
| gallon glass jars and make a trip each week to a | | | | grass diet. |
| local dairy farm for fresh unpastuerized, | | | | So here is that short list of the criteria that I use |
| non-homogenized and "full of good fats", raw milk. | | | | when seeking out a farmer who offers raw milk: |
| I have been doing this each week for about 5 | | | | * Cleanliness - is the equipment clean and kept |
| years now and I must say, at no one time have I | | | | clean? Does the farmer take extra steps to |
| ever had a negative reaction from drinking raw | | | | make sure things are kept clean? |
| milk. | | | | * What are the cows being fed? I prefer the cow |
| I know what you are thinking..."Really, how safe is | | | | to have a diet of mainly organic grasses. Some |
| raw milk?" Personally, I feel that raw milk is safer | | | | farmers may incorporate small amounts of grain |
| and much healthier to drink than the pasteurized | | | | during the winter months when the cows may |
| and homogenized milk that is found on most | | | | have limited time in the pasture. Absolutely no |
| grocery stores shelves. Although, please keep in | | | | GMO's! |
| mind, I choose to purchase my milk from | | | | * The size of the herd - I prefer the small |
| principled organic farmers that fullfill a certain | | | | farmer. For 2-3 workers a herd of 35-40 dairy |
| criteria that I will share with you in a couple of | | | | cows is manageable. Beyond this, the potential to |
| paragraphs. | | | | be mismanaged is greater. I feel, large corporate |
| I know what else you might be thinking..."what | | | | dairies are just too big to maintain the kinds of |
| about those deadly outbreaks of Salmonella and E. | | | | healthy standards that I insist on. |
| coli?" Yes, there are the occaisional headlines that | | | | * The average age of the cow ? healthy cows |
| seem to tactically appear on the evening news | | | | can be milked for 12-15 years on the average. On |
| portraying raw milk as this dirty villain out to | | | | big corporate dairy farms the average dairy cow |
| destroy you. Yet, what I have found couldn't be | | | | milks 3-4 years. Obviously something is wrong |
| further from the truth. | | | | here. |
| First, let me say this; Milk in its raw state contains | | | | * Bacteria count - the PI count (pre-incubated) |
| a wealth of natural enzymes, minerals and | | | | seems to be important to the shelf life and taste |
| beneficial bacteria along with important proteins, | | | | of the milk. In the state of California, the PI count |
| carbohydrates and fats. When you buy milk from | | | | is required to be under 15,000 per ml in order to |
| the grocery store shelf, typically, the milk has | | | | sell raw milk. My farmer prefers it to be under |
| gone through an elaborate form of filtration and | | | | 5000 per ml. |
| processing (pastuerization and homogenization). | | | | * Growth hormones, antibiotics...does the farmer |
| The resulting high temperatures from these | | | | misuse unnecesary drugs on his dairy cows? |
| processes kill essential nutrients and quickly | | | | Some farmers who use antibiotics on their cows |
| destroy the health properties associated with raw | | | | will not allow the milk to be used until after some |
| milk. In other words, the milk is nutritionally | | | | pre-determined time, when they've cleared the |
| deficient. | | | | cow's system. Antibiotics shouldn't be used often |
| You have to ask yourself, "Does cooking your | | | | anyway. |
| milk really do a body good?" | | | | * Does the farmer drink the raw milk from his |
| After researching a lot of information on raw milk, | | | | own dairy cows? You might be surprised. There |
| I've concluded that one way to ensure that I am | | | | are some farmers who buy their milk off the |
| getting quality milk is to know my farmer So, | | | | shelves. What a shame. |
| that's what I have done! It's not uncommon for | | | | There is so much more information that I could |
| me to spend a couple of hours at the farm | | | | share with you. Perhaps, another time. If you |
| talking with and observing my new farmer friends. | | | | really want a good book to read that is full of |
| Through this experience, I have gained | | | | valuable information, read, The Untold Story of |
| tremendous insight, knowledge and respect for | | | | Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw |
| the small local dairy farmer community...believe | | | | Dairy Products by Ron Schmid ND. It's one of my |
| me, much more than I would have gotten from | | | | favorites. Also, you can go online to: Natural |
| any government health official or corporate | | | | Healing Tools.com, or westonaprice.org for more |
| croney. I figure, the chances of an outbreak are | | | | information. Thanks for your interest. |