My family is really going through the raw dairy these days. I got the idea for this post when we – yet again – ran out of any and all raw dairy a full 24 hours before the next farm delivery. I even added a whole extra gallon to our order at last pickup and here we are out once more!
Do I run to the store and pick up a half gallon of ultrapasteurized organic milk to tide us over?
No way! Organic Valley or Horizon organic milk from the store is horrible, health-robbing stuff. I would never buy it. It is way better to go without until you are able to get more milk fresh from the farm.
We haven’t always consumed as much as we are now. It’s just that my oldest is starting puberty and drinking about a quart a day – maybe even more?
My other two kids have all of a sudden gotten into drinking it as well. I’ve always had to pretty much force them to drink their milk in the past (you know the drill – drink your milk or no bike ride after dinner or whatever).
Now they are gulping it down and asking for more.
I know this seems like a lot, but at the moment, our family of five is easily going through 4 gallons of grassfed cow milk and 2 gallons of foraging goat milk.
Per week!
Oh, I almost forgot. Add a half gallon of raw milk yogurt to that.
And 1-3 quarts of raw cream (for raw ice cream of course). Who can live without ice cream? We do a lot of milkshakes at our house.
Plus one pound of raw butter.
That’s a lot of full fat dairy for a family of five. But then again, we don’t buy any sodas, boxed breakfast cereal, and other processed foods so even though the fresh dairy is expensive, it fits within the budget.
Just my opinion, but I would go from two cars to one or move to a smaller house if necessary to afford our raw dairy. You can’t put a price on health. It is more important than any possession.
“Health is the first wealth” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
In light of how much saturated fat my family is consuming, some of you might be thinking that we surely must be a family of large people.
As it turns out, none of us has a weight problem. It’s really true – eat your whole, unprocessed fats and don’t skimp! It really does help keep you trim!
How much raw dairy does your family consume? I want to know and I’m sure others would too!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
We have a family of 8. (my mom in our home at the moment) And we consume a minimal of 8 gallons a week, a pound and 1/2 of butter,(not to mention yogurt and raw cheese)
Here in Canada we (2 abults and 3 children) go through 6 gal plus easily a week. Each week we make butter, ghee, yogurt, kefir, sourcream, creamcheese and the rest for drinking. For a treat we make icecream and cheese. It is crazy that we cannot buy raw milk here. However, we have a source and it is like gold to us.
How much organic raw milk whey from the process of making raw milk kefir (not powdered whey product from the store) should a person drink a day to detox and raise glutathione levels in the body? I can’t seem to find anything on the net about drinking actual raw milk whey that is not powdered and straight from the cow. I have lots of whey in my refrigerator and want to use it to raise the gluthathione levels in our bodies to detox mercury and other heavy metals but I don’t know how much whey to drink.
Thanks,
Liberty
I keep a very small herd of dairy goats in NC and sell the milk for $12 per gallon. Even if I sold every gallon I produced, I would not make a profit at that price, but I can’t really charge more. I know on the consumer end, prices can seem high for raw dairy, but the cost of keeping healthy happy animals is also high. But worth it!
Both of my farmers in Minnesota are being persecuted by the Minn. Dept. of Ag. for selling raw milk. They are going thru endless court hearings and judges are ruling against their constitutional rights. Maybe if many people contacted the MDA demanding raw milk, they would back off our farmers. In any case, you can call MDA asking for a list of local organic dairy farmers who can then sell it to you legally purchased off the farm.
I live on Long Island, NY and cannot find raw milk anywhere or have it delivered to me. If anyone knows where I can purchase some from my area or who will deliver here please, please let me know..
thank you!
Anyone have any raw milk ideas/resources for people in WI?
A gallon is almost 4 litres… so I go through between 1-2 litres per week, usually as kefir and yogurt, and a half-litre (500ml) of cream. I pay $4/litre for the milk, cream is a whopping $16 for a litre (but oh, so worth it!) My milk farmer is also my beef farmer, and soon-to-be chicken/eggs as well. I’m in an area where raw milk is not legal (though we’re fighting it as hard as we can), so it’s all very much on the down-low. Nothing like buying milk out of the back of your farmer’s van in someone’s driveway 🙂
We are a family of nine. We buy 10 gallons every 2 weeks @$6.50 a gallon. We live in Maryland so we have to cross over into Pennsylvania to get it. My 3yo twins and my six year old drink the most followed by my husband. I would like my 14 month old to drink it but she won’t take a bottle or cup. We usually run out on the Thursday or Friday before the next pick up. I would buy more but I don’t have room in my fridge. In Pennsylvania the butter and cream are pasteurized so I haven’t bought it yet.
Also if I might ask Sarah, where do you get your milk. We might be coming to Florida next February for a few months and staying in the Disney area.
We go through 3 gallons per week. 2 plus for drinking, and at least 3 quarts of homemade raw milk yogurt. We get a quart of raw milk every few weeks to make cultured buttermilk/butter and other yummy things!