From Baltimore City Paper:
It’s been two weeks since I last hooked up with my supplier, and my stash is completely gone. There’s no other way to score the stuff. My 4-year-old son is also stressing, since his addiction is even more pronounced than my own. This morning I tried to pass him off some inferior, uh, product, but he was onto me in a flash. “Mama,” he said sternly, taking a whiff and then passing it back to me. “This milk is yucky. Where is the real milk?”
In three states, like California for instance, you can purchase raw milk for human consumption at a grocery store. Virginia only allows consumption of raw milk by humans from a cow that you own, so willing dairy farmers supply you with raw milk by selling you a share of a cow. Maryland actually specifically outlaws cow shares, as does North Carolina. In some states, you can only buy it from a farmer for use as animal food. In others, it’s totally forbidden for dairy farmers to sell the stuff at all.
We live in Virginia, and that photo above is from our free sample, delivered to our local butcher. We’ve since signed up for a 1/2 a cow share, or 1/2 gallon per week. Our cow’s name is Blossom, and she’s a Jersey, which is a popular breed for grass-fed dairy because the cows are relatively small and the milk is very creamy. We have not yet been to the farm, but I’ll go up there some week to pick up my milk and see Blossom and the other cows. Our dairy farmer has four cows with two ready to calve “any day” and has arranged to buy a fifth.
The milk I picked up today is noticeably more yellow than my sample as the grass around here is growing and greening up like crazy. Two weeks ago, the sample was more of a cream or eggshell hue. I’ve noticed the same thing with the grass-fed butter that I buy. It usually takes me about two weeks to go through a tub of salted butter from Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, PA, which is a cooperative that buys and pasteurizes grass-fed dairy from their area. The current batch is more yellow than the tail end of the batch from two weeks ago. I could actually compare those side-by-side in this case, though I obviously couldn’t do the same with the milk.
We can make butter from our cow share, but it’s not really enough butter to get us through a week, especially if I dip into the cream, which I can’t really resist doing. We did make some from the sample, and it’s easy and delicious.
If you are live in a state that won’t allow raw milk to be sold in any form, look for all grass-fed dairy products. They are worth the money in taste and nutrition.
UPDATE: I’ve been wondering what to do with milk if it goes sour, and I found a list of tips here.
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