Bootleg Raw Milk

[mysticokra]

We recently became aware of the benefits of drinking raw milk. Some of the best information we saw was at http://www.realmilk.com/why.html

One thing that seems odd is the things one must do to acquire it. The article in Acres U.S.A. this month talked about a farm in WI that has refined a strategy for selling raw milk. See http://www.acresusa.com/magazines/archives/0503Milk.htm

I have found a distribution network at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GA_WPF and I thought some of the group my appreciate the benefits of my research.

It is ironic that I can buy drugs on any streetcorner in America and the government can't stop it, but they sure stopped people from getting raw milk. I am old enough and competent enough to decide for myself whether the farmer's product merits my business.

The government's interest in protecting the agribusiness model is done at the expense of the public's health. People are beginning to wake up to what has happened. Perhaps things will change when the undergound network gets strong enough.

Should we get T-shirts made that advocate "Bootleg Raw Milk"? [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Stoneheartfarm]

Cheeck with people who have dairy goats. Often you can get raw milk from them.

Steve

[Bird]

I sure don't have the technical knowledge to know whether raw milk is better or worse for you, but I grew up drinking plenty of it from our own Jersey cows, and of course we made our own butter. And I'll have to admit, I suspect it was better for us than the stuff we're using now.

[Hakim]

My sons grew up on a small farm, and we were next door to a 100 cow diary farm (on 400 acres for 4 generations in Upstate, New York).

Sort of like Bird, whenever we needed milk, we walked about a 1/10 of a mile down the road, and drew off a gallon or two right from the cooler tank, which was always filled by about 5 am, waiting for the "milk truck." Anyone in the neighborhood was allowed to get milk this way. Those who could afford to, left a "donation" of 50 cents or so "in the can."

My sons drank raw milk daily till they were at least 12 years old. Neither one ever had any illness, and never once visited a doctor or a hospital. Needless to say, in our experience we "believe" that raw milk is the way to go.

I enjoy your point about being able to buy drugs, but not raw milk ... If you have ever tasted that cold, fresh milk, well, it is so delicious it is a lot better than any soft drink. Plus we often made our own fresh ice cream from the milk, with fresh blueberries. Yum!

[EJB]

>>The government's interest in protecting the agribusiness model is done at the expense of the public's health. People are beginning to wake up to what has happened.

I think you hit the nail on the head with that one...you can't get raw milk because the mega-agribusinesses can't sell it to you..they can't sell it to you because there is no way to make it last on the shelf in its raw state...and since they can't sell it, they want to make sure no one else can either...am I too cynical? [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]


Personally, I am looking into getting a couple of dairy goats for our own family. Just not sure I really want to sign up for those twice daily milkings 7 days a week, 365 days per year...[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Bird]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
made our own fresh ice cream from the milk, with fresh blueberries

[/ QUOTE ]

We didn't have any blueberries, but we did have peaches. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] And that hand cranked ice cream was mighty good whether peach or just vanilla. Sometimes we'd just take a large mouth gallon jar, put in a few ice cubes, a little vanilla extract, a little sugar, fill it with milk, shake it up, and had a mighty good "milkshake". And for breakfast cereal (Post Toasties or Wheaties), I didn't put "milk" on it; I used real thick fresh cream, made it into a paste instead of liquid. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Don't know that I'd want anything that rich anymore. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] But I can still make a meal just of cornbread and "sweet milk".

And now-a-days they sell 2% and .5% milk in the grocery store. Horrible stuff. We thought that "blue John" was only fit to feed the hogs and chickens after the cream was all separated out. I may have to buy pasteurized homogenized milk now, but I still only buy the one labelled as whole milk.

One of my mother's favorite stories about city folks was when we moved to Baltimore for a short time when I was a baby and she was telling a neighbor about milking the cow and giving me the fresh warm milk straight from the cow, and the neighbor said, "You mean you gave that baby milk before they put the cream in it?!" [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[RichZ]

We will be getting our first dairy goats any day now, but since they're just kids, it'll be a while before we're in the goat milk business. We intend to be in the goat milk business, selling goat milk, goat milk cheese and goat milk soap. We're being mentored by a local dairy goat farmer who has taken us under her wing. The first thing she warned us about was selling raw goat milk for human consumption. There could be a liability on the part of the seller if someone buys it, and gets sick, even if it's the buyer's fault for mishandling it.

I think the question of liability discourages many farmers from selling anything that could ultimately get them sued. I know it will be very unlikely that we will sell any raw goat milk for human consumption. I, for one, could not afford any lawsuits.

[Stoneheartfarm]

Rich,

Even if the milk is pasteurized, it will still be better than store bought milk. The stuff they are selling in the stores and calling "milk" bears little resemblance to real milk. I'm not sure I understand everything that happens in a modern processing operation; but I believe our store bought milk has been processed to the point of being manufactured.

Steve

[RichZ]

I agree! It's that way with everything you get right off the farm.

For example, people love our eggs from our free range chickens. The yolks are bright orange instead of yellow, and just taste so much better than store bought eggs from factory farms!

[Stoneheartfarm]

And the yolks stand up better. It's amazing how excited people get when you tell them you're selling eggs.

Steve