Written by Kimberly Kremer and reprinted with permission from her blog “Fishbowl Living” found at fishbowlliving.com.
In our house we drink and cook with all kinds of milk – almond milk, soy milk, goat’s milk, hazelnut milk, kefir, buttermilk and raw cow’s milk. There goes that collective gasp from the peanut gallery again. Yes, we go against everything the FDA recommends about milk and we feed our children (except for Isaac) milk straight from the cow. Okay, not straight from the cow. The farmer bottles it first but that’s about all the processing it receives before it hits my fridge. There are many benefits to organic, raw milk from grass-fed cows and far fewer downsides than the FDA would have you believe but that’s the subject of another post entirely and if you can’t wait another second to get information on raw milk then I will refer you to the Real Milk website.
We’ve been going straight to Wholesome Dairy Farms in Yellow House, PA for about four months now to buy a gallon of raw milk a week. Their milk is also available at Kimberton Whole Foods in their Douglassville store only but I choose to buy it directly from the farmer, Mark Lopez. Mark’s experience as a veterinarian has taught him the best techniques for raising and caring for cows using organic farming methods and he is happy to speak with anyone who has questions about his farm and his cows. He personally answers the phone when you call the farm and I’ve had some very educational conversations with him.
It has become a fun excursion for the kids to go to the “cow farm”. When you drive down the dirt road you often see the cows grazing in the pasture unless it is too hot. In that case, you can take a peek inside the barn to find them in their roomy stalls lazily munching on some hay. We were able to see the new calf at our last visit! There are no secrets to the operation of the farm. The front door to the barn is almost always open to the public so you know what’s going on with the cows that are producing your milk and Mark is glad to schedule a tour with anyone who wishes to see the workings of the farm in more detail. When we arrive, Liam enjoys looking at the tractors and Isaac can’t wait to play with the dog, Murphy. As we pull up to the tiny store attached to the barn, Rhoda, Mark’s mom, is usually there to greet us with a friendly smile.
There is much more than milk available at this farm store. Carl was pleased to learn that raw milk still contains the lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose so my lactose-intolerant husband can enjoy milk and cheese again! We’ve sampled some of their raw milk cheeses such as the gouda and the cheddar and one of their newest additions at the farm store: raw milk cream cheese. I used it to make the cream cheese icing on Carl’s birthday cake this year…something he didn’t think he would be able to eat again since there are a few dairy products that Lactaid pills can’t touch for him; pasteurized cream cheese is one of them. One of our absolute favorites at the farm store, though, is a pound of the organic, nitrate/nitrite-free, all-beef hot dogs and at $4.99/pack you can’t beat the price.
Wholesome Dairy also sells various cuts of their grass-fed, organic beef or if you’d like to plan ahead and stuff your freezer with beef you can speak to Mark about purchasing a side or quarter side of beef. Quarts of raw milk yogurt made right on the farm and eggs fresh from a farm in Lancaster are available in the store, as well. Their milk is sold by the gallon and Rhoda keeps track of each customer’s purchases on a punch card. When you’ve purchased 10 gallons of milk your 11th one is free! The best part for me, though, is knowing where our milk comes from. I have confidence in the high standards of Mark and his team at the farm and I enjoy supporting their business.
So, the next time you get the urge for a snack, whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and while they cool, head on over to the Wholesome Dairy Farm and pick up some raw milk to go with it. You can’t beat the health benefits and, in my opinion, it’s the best tasting milk…hooves down.
For more information on Wholesome Dairy Farms, visit them online at wholesomedairyfarms.com or stop by the farm at 136 Camp Road, Douglassville, PA 19518. Wholesome Dairy Farms has grass fed raw milk and raw milk cheese from registered Ayrshire cows. Their Mission is to provide healthy, delicious foods to our local community. We produce premium quality artisanal milk and cheese to our customers at a cost that is competitive with commercially distributed products. Products include Grass fed raw milk, Cheese from grass fed raw milk, Cage free eggs, Grass fed beef, home raised veal, Grass fed chickens and home grown seasonal produce.
