Getting Back to Dairy
Welcome Gertie the Guernsey to the farm!
It was inevitable that this day would come. Tom and I really do enjoy our dairy products from butter to cheese to my favorite ice cream! Every time we went to the store to buy milk, Tom would tell me that the milk just tastes bland, there is no fat to it, and he missed the thick cream that rises to the top of fresh milk. Growing up in the city, I had no clue what he was talking about but every day I would add milk to my tea instead of cream.
Finally, I was tired of getting milk at the grocery store and told Tom we were buying a cow. Immediately Tom was excited and apprehensive. He really didn’t think we would be able to sell any. How many times have I heard:
“the dairy industry is dead for small farms. “
“no one drinks milk anymore”
“plant based alternatives are taking over”
“everyone is lactose intolerant”
I didn’t care if others bought or not, I wanted a milk cow just for us. No more racing to the store in the morning because there was no milk for my tea! Next was the debate on which breed to get. Do you get a Jersey, Guernsey, or Holstein? Perhaps we should get a cross breed or a dual purpose cow like a Dexter. In the end we knew cream was priority for butter and homemade custard. In the end I was interested in the docile nature of the Guernsey and the golden milk due to the beta carotene. So, we bought Gertie who is a purebred Guernsey.
It takes some time to get use to non-homogenized milk aka cream top. However, this city kid is loving it! I can have 2 products in one: fresh cream and milk. We have made butter, cheese, ice cream, clotted cream, whipped cream, and I am always searching for the next recipe.
Even though we eat more dairy than is probably healthy, a cow can produce a lot of milk! We put out our add for raw milk available straight from the farm. I told Tom, perhaps 1 or 2 families would be interested. Almost immediately my phone exploded with interest! Surprise, people still drink milk and eat dairy products!
I am beyond excited for this interest in dairy. Small dairies have disappeared in the United States. In Minnesota alone we lost 130 dairies in 2021 and an additional 90 in 2022 and it isn’t even the end of the year. Meanwhile people are still enjoying dairy products from butter to yogurt. We will have to see where this dairy goes but our farming motto is to be flexible. You cannot sell a product with no interest and when an opportunity presents itself you need to consider it!