Re: Claravale Dumping Milk down the Drain

[Guest guest]

This is truly alarming. I buy 1 case of Claravale per week now. I finally

resorted to special ordering by the case because the store was always out.

If you can't use a whole case (12 quarts) at a time then maybe you can go

in with someone and place an order. That is one way to be sure you'll get it.

I talked with Ron G. a while ago because I noticed that the taste of the

milk changed a bit and I was curious about it. He said that he switched his

cows to organic feed. His cows are pastured for only part of the year. So I

guess he is organic now but I dont' know how long it will take to get his

certification.

Irene

At 12:57 PM 9/1/02, you wrote:

>Hi, all,

>

>I would like to pass on to you a piece of information from my local WAPF

>chapter:

>

> " Ron Garthwaite, Claravale Dairy owner, says he has to routinely throw

>out his milk, because he cannot sell all that the cows produce. There

>is no shortage, yet the natural food stores are always out of his milk.

>

>Let's come up with a solution to this heart-breaking destruction of

>wholesome raw milk. "

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 01 Sep 2002 12:57:57 -0700, you wrote:

>Hi, all,

>

>I would like to pass on to you a piece of information from my local WAPF

>chapter:

>

> " Ron Garthwaite, Claravale Dairy owner, says he has to routinely throw

>out his milk, because he cannot sell all that the cows produce. There

>is no shortage, yet the natural food stores are always out of his milk.

>

>Let's come up with a solution to this heart-breaking destruction of

>wholesome raw milk. "

>

We are doing our part, our milk consumption, and we prefer to buy his brand,

has tripled, but that still only makes about 6 qts a week. Reason for the higher

consumption is kefir making. Our local Whole Foods hasn't been out in more than

a month, except when I swooped in a grabbed 4 qts last Thursday afternoon, they

were the last of it.

The 'non-milk' in the super market sells for about $3 for half a gallon, I am

happily paying that for either his or OP's glass jar qts. I am wondering if his

costs are a lot higher than a regular dairy. Don't misunderstand the question, I

am *not* concerned about his prices being a rip off or any other negative thing,

I am wondering if he is profitable, having to handle the glass jars and the

extra care and all that obviously is involved. We have a local dairy in Marin

County, that is proudly advertising being both local and organic, but then they

go and pasteurize and homogenize the milk. I think where I am going with this,

is, has the market been proven for raw milk yet, to make it attractive to an

independent dairy, like our local. Why would he want to spend money on two extra

steps, if he can sell it without, or is this a cleanliness issue that he can

avoid by ruining the milk? Just wondering out loud.

Another thing I've wondered is why the glass jars? They must have been abandoned

because of cost in the first place. My wife and I both remember odd shaped glass

milk jars from our youth that had a place for the cream to rise to and settle

in, that apparently made the cream easier to pour off. That would be a neat

marketing gimmick now, but the plain glass jar... is there a reason otherwise?

Mike

[Guest guest]

> Hi, all,

>

> I would like to pass on to you a piece of information from my local WAPF

> chapter:

>

> " Ron Garthwaite, Claravale Dairy owner, says he has to routinely throw

> out his milk, because he cannot sell all that the cows produce. There

> is no shortage, yet the natural food stores are always out of his milk.

>

> Let's come up with a solution to this heart-breaking destruction of

> wholesome raw milk. "

People should be able to order the milk in advance. When our co-op was

running out of the milk I wanted every week if I didn't get in the day it

was picked up I told the manager I was starting to use more of that milk and

she ordered more in. No problem since. It's not raw milk, but it is from a

small local dairy. It also sounds like the dairy owner needs to expand his

business to do something useful with that milk, like make cheese. Of course

you people in that area need to drum up some more business.

Kris