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About Your Cows
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About Your Cows
This is a photo of our cows relaxing out in their field. The herd consists of a variety of breeds, including Jersey, Holstein, Jersey-Holstein cross (aka F1), Milking Dutch Belted (aka Oreo), Milking Short Horn, and Brown Swiss.
The farm maintains a "closed herd", meaning they don't bring in any outside animals to the farm, and so don't bring outside infections and/or viruses. A vet comes out to the farm every 4-6 weeks to check the cows, and they have always tested negative for Johnes (pronounced yo'-nees) and TB. The farm is a Grade-A certified dairy, and the milk is tested regularly for butter fat, protein, SCC (somatic cell count), and bacteria, and continuously meets and exceeds regular safety testing standards for certified raw milk (though this raw milk isn't officially "certified"). You may email us if you are interested in more specific information about the testing of our cows.
The fields in which the cows are pastured are chemical-free, and in winter when the grass is inaccessible, the cows are fed on quality hay and corn silage (the whole corn plant). Cows are milked twice per day, in the morning and evening, and milk is usually pulled for delivery the previous day. The farmer uses a closed milking system, in which milkers are attached to the cow and the milk goes through a closed pipeline and through a filter, then into the bulk tank, where it is immediately cooled to 37 degrees. He bottles the milk directly from the tank into one-gallon plastic jugs, and keeps the jugs in industrial coolers (like you see in grocery stores) until we pick them up for delivery. We then put them on ice in large 120-quart coolers on delivery day. Keeping the milk cold is pertinent to keeping it fresh as long as possible.
Calves
are left with their mamas in the field, so milk is shared with them, for both
their emotional and physical benefits, as well as for making healthier, happier
cows when they are grown.
The farmer hosts a farm tour sometime in the spring, usually on a Saturday morning, so you can see the farm, learn about the milking process, ask the farmer questions, and see your cows in their everyday habitat. The 2009 farm tour took place on April 25th.
Click here to see more photos of our cows.