Tag Archives: The Untold Story of Milk

New Cow Share Program in Haida Gwaii

Posted on by

Big Bear Ranch sent me a link to an article in The Tyee called: Did you Want your Milk Raw? (The Tyee was started by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon the minds behind the Hundred Mile Diet). Lisa Graham-Knight has two Jerseys which are supplying Haida Gwaii with raw milk. I read through the postings after the article and was saddened by all the fear the general population has around raw milk. I wrote a posting on The Tyee site about why I like raw milk and consider it safer than pasteurized milk. Below is my posting:

I am the Chapter Leader for the Weston A Price Foundation in Kamloops. My family and I have been drinking raw milk for about three years now. This summer I decided to buy my own Jersey cow so I could ensure a supply of this nutritious traditional food.

It is important that raw milk comes from healthy grassfed cows. The raw milk is of better quality if the cows are on fresh pasture, so it is a common practice to milk only on a seasonal basis. It is better for the cow’s long term health not to be milked while pregnant.

We drink fresh whole raw milk daily. I make raw butter, kefir and yogurt. I freeze raw milk for winter consumption. My family has not become sick from drinking raw milk. In fact, I did not drink milk for nearly ten years because of “lactose intolerance”. It turned out I had “pasteurization homogenization intolerance”. Industrial milk is dangerous for me.

I would recommend interested people reading Ron Schmid’s book The Untold Story of Milk. It gives historical background about how we have found ourselves fearful of a nutritious traditional food that has nourished generations of people.

In the name of “safety” we have seen our rights to choose healthy foods reduced. Farmers and ranchers in my area are being regulated out of business. It’s really all about choice. Does the government have the right to choose what is right for me? Unfortunately, they have the power to do so. The farmer becomes a criminal just by selling me this traditional food.

I want the government out of my business so I can get nourishing foods directly from the farmer at a reasonable price. Even at this reasonable price, the farmer gets paid more than what they would receive from the Industrial Food System. (I won’t get into government run dairy quota.) Legal raw milk sales would save the small family farm. Legal farm gate sales regarding meats is another issue that would save the family farm.

I will try to connect with the people involved in this new cow share program.

Looking for Pasture for Dexter Cows

Posted on by

Last weekend my family drove up to 150 Mile House, BC to look at Dexter cows. Dexters are a small Irish breed of cattle that produce excellent milk and meat. We are trying to find pasture to lease near our home so my family can have real milk. If you are wondering why we are going to so much trouble to get real milk please read: The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid. It is available in the Kamloops Public Library.

The Untold Story of Milk

This book is a wonderful history of raw milk.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find pasture for lease in our area. We would also consider hiring an Agister to pasture and milk our cows. Agistment is legal in Canada. It is equivalent to boarding your horse with a stable or farmer. If anyone reading this post knows someone with pasture for lease or an interest in an agistment contract please contact me.

Update June 25, 2009: We found a Jersey cow and calf in Langley, BC. They are now pastured in Kamloops, BC. We had our first drink of real milk since November 2008. It is wonderful to have such a delicious, healthy food back on my family’s table. A big thank you, to all the people that helped make this possible. If you have ever wondered if you would like your own cow please read The Family Cow by Dirk Van Loon.

the-family-cow

A practice book that will help you decide if you want a cow.

Update August 4, 2009: We have been getting milk regularly from Patty our Jersey cow. She has a very good disposition. Over the last week, I have been learning how to milk. My hands are not very strong but I take it slowly. I enjoy the early morning drive out to the farm and the warm smell of the hay. I am getting about 5L in one milking a day. I have started to freeze milk for the winter months. Milking while the cow is on pasture makes better quality milk. Cows on hay in the winter make a poor quality milk and it is very hard on the cow’s system to be milked during pregnancy. Our cow will not be milked during her pregnancy. Traditionally, fresh milk was consumed during the summer season and cultured butter and raw cheeses were consumed in the winter. The modern convenience of freezing allows us to now enjoy milk later into the winter without harming the cow. I am hoping to freeze 120L of milk and put away about 10kgs of raw butter.