Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 > I just found a farmer who sells raw milk close to my house!! > I'm very excited ($2.25/gallon, not bad!). I'm not sure what > questions to ask him to make sure I'm getting good quality food. > The cows are grass fed after May 1st. Until then it is mostly hay, some corn. Is this okay? Hi Barb: You could ask the farmer the following: What breed of dairy cow do you have? What color is your butter? When the cows are on green grass do they receive any supplements? What type of forage do you grow in your pastures? Have you ever added anything to your soil in the pastures? What is the average volume of milk per lactation per cow on your farm? Do you or anyone in your family ever get cavities? Have any of your customers reported members of their family having a cavity remineralize over without a dentist filling it? With respect to the feed being mostly hay, some corn, hay is fine but corn is a fattening food. Ask him if the corn is hybrid corn, if so, that's worse. Chi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 Barb everything sounds good for that milk and eggs Most farmers don't think there product is worth anything, hence the cost. Barb Carr wrote: > Hi all, > I just found a farmer who sells raw milk close to my house!! I'm very excited ($2.25/gallon, not bad!). I'm not sure what questions to ask him to make sure I'm getting good quality food. > > The cows are grass fed after May 1st. Until then it is mostly hay, some corn. Is this okay? > > He sells eggs $1 per dozen so I'm thinking maybe they aren't great (it's so cheap!). What do I ask about the chicken feed (he said they eat corn, mash, oats and lay ????) Is there something in particular I should look for in assessing whether these eggs will be good or not? > > Also, sometimes they have butter but not often. Is it hard to make butter yourself? > > Thanks, > Barb > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 Hi Folks! If you get a tersely worded e-mail that does not relate to the discussion it is my fault. I was replying to an old nemesis on the cheese council I work on in Wi. Sorry for the intrusion of petty bickering, hope it was entertaining anyway. It is our first day here on the group, and we hope to be of assistance, and gain knowlege from your vast experience. by the way Opra owns a home about 3 miles from our farm, never see her but if we do we will froward your information and take her on a tour of our 233 acre Dairy farm that is based on weston A price principles. See ya. Suze Fisher wrote: > >>>I just found a farmer who sells raw milk close to my house!! I'm very > excited > ($2.25/gallon, not bad!). I'm not sure what questions to ask him to make > sure > I'm getting good quality food. > > ****Hi Barb, ask him to see the cows! I just started buying raw milk from > local farms here in Maine recently. I went to one last weekend (only one of > two in my area that I know of) and bought the milk and some beef. Then the > farmer's sister asked if we'd like to see the cows and we said yes. Glad I > did. They were in a pretty dark barn, heads locked into some old fashioned > head holding contraption, so that they could not move, other than to stand > up and lie down. Some had feces smeared on them, not such a horrible thing, > but they seemed a bit excessively dirty. One milking cow had a HUGE mass on > her front leg joint and I asked the farmer's sister about it...she told me > it was a normal joint. That thing was a mass of inflammation and I'm sure > the cow was in pain. > > These cattle are pastured in May, but seem to live a horrible existence > between May and October. > I want HUMANE milk. *Properly fed* animals is not enough. They need to be > treated with respect in regards to their own health and comfort as far as > I'm concerned. > > So ask to see the cows. > > >>>>Also, sometimes they have butter but not often. Is it hard to make > butter > yourself? > > ***I made some butter this weekend for the first time and it was a snap! > Just toss it in a food processor, for the easiest method. > > Enjoy! > > Suze Fisher > Web Design & Development > http://www.suscom-maine.net/~cfisher/ > mailto:cfisher@... > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 Barb, The price is okay. I pay $.75 / doz for my farm eggs and I get my raw milk for $2.00 a gallon. And the farmer was apologetic and asked me if that was too much! Also, the butter making is not hard but it takes a lot of cream for a relatively small amount of butter. I could not make enough butter for our family, as we eat at least a 1/4 pound a day. I would have to buy a lot more milk and waste a lot of it after I took the cream off. Maybe someone else has better ideas on this. ----- Original Message ----- From: Barb Carr Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 5:23 PM Subject: questions for farmer Hi all, I just found a farmer who sells raw milk close to my house!! I'm very excited ($2.25/gallon, not bad!). I'm not sure what questions to ask him to make sure I'm getting good quality food. The cows are grass fed after May 1st. Until then it is mostly hay, some corn. Is this okay? He sells eggs $1 per dozen so I'm thinking maybe they aren't great (it's so cheap!). What do I ask about the chicken feed (he said they eat corn, mash, oats and lay ????) Is there something in particular I should look for in assessing whether these eggs will be good or not? Also, sometimes they have butter but not often. Is it hard to make butter yourself? Thanks, Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 You could also ask how often eggs are gathered and how they are washed and stored until sold. When does the farmer use antibiotics and growth stimulants, and feed supplements is good information. Where do the livestock get water is good info, I think. You could ask about the milk's butterfat and protein content as well as total plate and somatic cell count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 > > I'm not sure what > > questions to ask him to make sure I'm getting good quality food. > > > *** On this subject, I have been wondering if I should ask the farmers I get my raw milk from if the cows are tested for TB etc? Rather, how should I ask exactly? Should they be tested often? And what should they be tested for? Or should I not worry about it... > > Thanks > Carolyn > >>>>>>>>>Hello Carolyn: I don't know whether cattle can spread TB or not. Since you want to know you could ask the farmers and I'm sure they would answer you completely. For further clarification ask your physician or call a veterinarian. Cattle are routinely tested and also vaccinated for some diseases. Sorry I don't know more about it. Dennis > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 I'm not sure what > questions to ask him to make sure I'm getting good quality food. *** On this subject, I have been wondering if I should ask the farmers I get my raw milk from if the cows are tested for TB etc? Rather, how should I ask exactly? Should they be tested often? And what should they be tested for? Or should I not worry about it... Thanks Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2002 Report Share Posted March 18, 2002 Hi Wanita, >>>You don't say a few things here that could be important. What time of day did you visit? ***Early-mid afternoon. >>>Was it early morning or late afternoon, regular milking times? ***I don't know when the regular milking time is, but I think it was around 2 p.m. >>>Did the farmer say the cows had been inside through the winter months? ***Hmmm...I don't remember if we had that conversation. I don't recall why I was under the impression that they remained in the barn and in the stanchions throughout the winter. We spoke with the farmer's sister, btw, not the farmer. An acquaintance told me she does the milking, but that's all she does. She didn't seem to know much about the dairy cows' diet. >>You're in Maine? ***Yes. >>>>What was the weather that day? ***Beautiful! It was sunny and mild. If they were to ever let the cows out to pasture, that would've been a perfect day to do so. >>>How much snow and ice was in the pasture? ***I thought they looked pretty clear, but I don't recall exactly how much, if any ice or snow was visible. >>>Guess what I'm trying to say as a New Englander who has lived on a dairy farm is that the stanchions may seem cruel. They're needed for the milking process in larger herds. ***Thanks for giving me a little insight into stanchions. This was a small herd. If they were only hooked up for a brief milking period, I would find it more understandable. But the BULLS were also in stanchions. Is there no reasonable alternative to keeping them all in stanchions for long periods? >>>>They are dairy cows that deserve the respect of good food, water, sunlight, exercise and air like any living being but this is New England. ***They weren't even getting " good " food. They were getting a mixture of corn, hay, silage (don't recall what kind) and some commercial pellets. That's about all the info I could get from the farmer's sister. She didn't seem to know how much of each they got, or what was in the commercial pellet. I can tell from eating the meat I purchased there though, that they get a pretty high ratio of grain, because the meat was MUCH fattier than the grass-fed meat I get from other local farms. >>>>If they are being kept in for long periods in winter it is more than likely for the cow's protection from getting hurt on ice or in snow crust. ***I know...I understand what you're saying...but, is there not a more humane way to barn cows? Are stalls not doable with small herds? As far as this particular farm goes, there were approx. 10-15 milking cows, 3 bulls, and about 8 calves of various ages. All stanchioned except the calves, who were chained. >>>The inflammation was likely from laying on the barn floor without sufficient shavings underneath. ***There seemed to be little to no shavings underneath. >>>>If all of them had this I'd be worried. New England winters are hard on all that live here. If you have livestock that overwinter its hard morally and financially just like it is for us who live here year round. Freedoms need to be compromised for safety and survival. ***Hmmm...well, having been raised here, I'm thoroughly familiar with Maine winters. And I do understand that wintering livestock in a humane fashion may not be the easiest thing to do. But, as a consumer, I choose not to patronize a farm that keeps it's livestock stanchioned for long periods. I could be mistaken about this particular farm, perhaps they do take the cows/steer out in good weather, or have another section of the barn where they are not stanchioned. But, I've decided to look around for a different source of milk...the feed these dairy cows get is reason enough. I'm going to look for a goat farmer, as someone else suggested. I will do more searching for dairy farms as well, and will see if I find any that have a different, and more humane (by my standards) accommodations for their dairy cows. I appreciate your input, it's been a long time since I've spent any time on or around farms, so I'm learning. I'm beginning to think I should just start saving money so that I can buy a little land and raise my own dairy goats, and laying hens Suze Fisher Web Design & Development http://www.suscom-maine.net/~cfisher/ mailto:s.fisher22@... Suze Fisher Web Design & Development http://www.suscom-maine.net/~cfisher/ mailto:s.fisher22@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 On Thu, 14 Mar 2002 12:00:11 -0800 " Carmen " <ctn@...> writes: I know this remineralization topic has discussed before, but I am curious....how long of a process is this? Assuming I'm drinking good, raw milk and taking cod liver oil, when will my filling fall out? Carmen <<<<< cavity remineralize over without a dentist filling it? >>>>> ME: The method that Doctor Price used in remineralizing teeth involved butter oil (not just butter) mixed with cod liver oil. The mixture was probably much stronger in its nutrient profile than what you are currently using. As for me personally, I had people remineralize their teeth using butter and fish livers mixed together in smoothies. Despite the enthusiasm for cod liver oil by Sally, and others I have always been very leery of it and remain so to this day (as well as flax oil). Remineralization ALWAYS went faster when patients were eating animal products raised on very high quality forage. Most of the time though people were able to remineralize their teeth on a diet that was largely raw animal foods and consisted of copious amounts of milk, fish and butter. This usually took much longer but was okay since it usually was only one of many goals for the person involved. Further, they had their fillings removed in advance rather than waiting for them to fall out. hope that helps, Bianca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 Bianca, What's the average amount of time it's taken your patients remineralization to occur? Is it months, years, ...? Can only small cavities remineralize? Roman > > ME: The method that Doctor Price used in remineralizing teeth involved > butter oil (not just butter) mixed with cod liver oil. The mixture was > probably much stronger in its nutrient profile than what you are > currently using. > > As for me personally, I had people remineralize their teeth using butter > and fish livers mixed together in smoothies. Despite the enthusiasm for > cod liver oil by Sally, and others I have always been very leery of > it and remain so to this day (as well as flax oil). Remineralization > ALWAYS went faster when patients were eating animal products raised on > very high quality forage. > > Most of the time though people were able to remineralize their teeth on a > diet that was largely raw animal foods and consisted of copious amounts > of milk, fish and butter. This usually took much longer but was okay > since it usually was only one of many goals for the person involved. > Further, they had their fillings removed in advance rather than waiting > for them to fall out. > > hope that helps, > > Bianca > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.