“An important study published in 2015 confirms what many mothers have observed—children on raw milk don’t get sick as often. Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the study compared health outcomes in almost one thousand European infants consuming raw milk, pasteurized milk or ultra-high temperature pasteurized milk with the occurrence of respiratory tract infections, rhinitis (runny nose), otitis (ear infections) and fever.”

When I first learned about raw milk at a Nourishing Traditions class, I was determined to try this “liquid gold” (as I call it). Thanks to the leader I was able to find an organic, pasture based, raw milk dairy by Lincoln. It was over a two hour drive round-trip, but it was worth my time. After a few years of travelling, my husband actually allowed me to get a milk cow. For several years I had asked him for one, but he always said, “I’m not getting a milk cow.” A while after this, I was allowed to get a goat, and after seeing my commitment to milking, and the amount of time I was spending driving to get milk, he let me get my first milk cow. This story didn’t have a happy ending, but we didn’t give up, and we have been successfully milking our own jersey cows for several years.

I have had a growing list of people that have asked to buy raw milk from us, but at this time I just don’t have the courage or the set-up to do it. I know there are great producers out there, and I want to take a little time to give you some tips on how to find a raw milk supplier. I had thought about reaching out to a producer that I know, in order to take a farm tour and make sure everything is how I think it is, and then share this producer with you, but I haven’t found time to do it. Instead I made of list of things that I would watch for if I were looking for raw milk again. I’m probably too picky, but here is my list of things I would want in order to get the most nutrient-dense, safe milk I can.

1. I would look for a pasture based dairy because there will be more nutrients in the milk and moving cows on pasture keeps them healthier and cleaner which increases the safety of the milk. During the winter I would not expect the cows to be on pasture, but I would ask how they keep the cows clean. We feed round bales in our sacrifice paddocks to allow for plenty of clean/dry areas to lay down.
2. I would want the dairy to be testing the milk at least once a month to ensure the milk is safe from harmful bacteria.
3. Testing for brucellosis and TB of the herd once a year.
4. A clean area for milking the cow.
5. Proper handling of the raw milk, and fast cooling.
6. Look at the cows, do they look healthy? Are their udders clean?
7. Since I recently learned that a few of our family members can tolerate A2A2 milk better I would prefer A2A2 cows.
8. I would definitely want 100 percent grain free cows (watch out because I have had farmers tell me that you can consider a cow grain free if they are under a certain percentage of grain). What! Why can’t we just let grain free mean exactly that. 🙂 You can ask what they feed them when they bring them in to milk. Cows get pretty upset if they just have to stand there, so we feed organic alfalfa pellets and our organically raised hay. More about the benefits of grain-free milk later.

You can check out the Real Milk Finder by the Weston Price Foundation here to find raw milk producers in your area.