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Visit Real Milk for more detailed information about fresh milk, or to find a farm with a herd or cow share near you if you don't live anywhere near our delivery area.
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ATTENTION We are sorry to say that the MMPA (Michigan Milk Producers Association), a large dairy co-op, has forced our farmer to discontinue his herd share program with us. We are very sad for our farmer, as he will no longer be supported directly and appreciated for the wonderful work he does in raising his cows in a healthy and humane way. HOWEVER Shawn has found another dairy farm who will be starting up a herd share program, and will be welcoming as many of our members (and their friends!) as are interested in joining up with them! Their share prices and delivery locations will be similar to what ours were, though days & times will be different. The will soon have a website up and running, and in the meantime, you may contact them directly for more information: (269) 476-7026 |
Do you remember
(or have you at least heard about) when milk was delivered fresh to your doorstep every morning from the cows living on the farm down the street? Those cows grazed in fields of healthy grass touched only by cows' hooves and mouths, farmers' feet, and the occasional tractor.Nowadays, most people only know about the processed milk we buy in the stores, which usually comes from cows kept in tiny pens, routinely given antibiotics to keep from getting sick and growth hormones to increase milk production, fed corn and soy products (which cows' stomachs don't digest very well) from the big farm corporations. This is milk that isn't really milk any longer, at least not the way nature intended. You can read here about 10 Reasons To Drink Your Raw Milk, including details about the differences between fresh and pasteurized milk.
It is not illegal to purchase, possess, or consume fresh milk anywhere in the U.S. However, it is currently illegal in Michigan to sell unpasteurized or "raw" milk (though milk was really never meant to be processed, as is the case with so many other foods), as it is in many other states in the US. The only way to obtain fresh milk is by owning your own cow, and since many people just don't have the space or time to do this. There are farms in SW Michigan who can offer you your own cows, so to speak. Members of cow and herd share programs invest in an interest in a cow or a herd of cows, and by paying monthly boarding fees they then can obtain milk from their cows weekly or every other week through our local deliveries.
If you're looking for herd or cow share programs in Michigan, or in other states or countries, visit the Real Milk website.
A fresh milk consumer living in Michigan has written an online article entitled "The Real McCoy". The author brings together lots of information (including links to more info) about why groups like ours got started, and is a wonderful example of why we have taken on this mission that was started with our farmer (originally by another local farmer) more than four years ago.
Many past MMM members have personally experienced health benefits through drinking fresh milk, including some who have suffered lactose intolerance in the past, but who now enjoy fresh milk with none of the physical problems they previously suffered when they tried drinking store-bought, pasteurized milk. Among other things, studies have shown increased health benefits of drinking milk from grass-fed cows, including an increase in the amount of CLA ("conjugated linoleic acid") and Omega 3's. You can read more about this on the Eat Wild website.
Please visit our Info & Links page for links to more information about all sides of the raw milk story, plus book recommendations and links to online discussion groups.