Our raw, unpasteurized cow milk comes from our herd of all Jersey cows. Our cows are fed all non-gmo feed while having continual access to pasture. The cows are also fed a portion of grain during the milking time. This helps them to stand still while we milk and allows us to feed them the vitamins and minerals that they need to produce healthy milk. During the day they have free choice access to kelp, along with non-gmo alfalfa hay which we feed out in the pasture.
We milk twice a day to ensure that our customers have as fresh and quality milk as is possible. It also helps increase milk production naturally, (we don't give shots, hormones or hot feed).
There are 2 cows in every batch, so while one cow is being milked the other is being prepped. Every cows knows her name and order in the milking queue; they like their routine!
After every batch the milk is dumped, brought to the processing building, strained, and then chilled in ice water.
After all the cows are milked we turn them out on pasture and last but not least, feed the baby calves that delicious, creamy whole milk!
Our raw, unpasteurized goat milk comes from Alpine and Saanen goats. Our goats are kept on pasture in electric fences that we rotate. Like the cows they are fed all non-gmo feed with a portion of non-gmo grain at milking time. The goats also have access to a goat mineral during the day.
We have Boer meat goats as well. They are used for land management and weed eating rather than controlling the growth with chemicals or mowing. The land and the goats benefit from grazing. The Boer goats get taken out twice a day to graze with a herder on horseback.
The goat milking process is basically the same as the cows. With the exception that we have 4 goats in a batch and milk 2 at a time and the goats do not know their order in the queue. They enjoy getting milked so there is always a scramble!