CheeseForum.org ยป Forum
GENERAL BOARDS => DAIRY FARM - Animals => Topic started by: cozcoester on January 15, 2009, 06:54:41 AM
-
Hi guys, the cheesemaking supply shop near me has started a cow share program where you buy into the cost of raising the cattle and are supplied with raw milk so often. Anyone heard of such a program or found it to be worth buying into? Currently I've been using milk bought from the grocery store.
-
Who takes care of the cow? Do you have to put in your own time taking care of it? How much does it cost? Sounds interesting. Personally after all the research I've done I find just looking around for the right store milk I can get a good curd. How much milk and how often?
-
That is a very interesting concept... it would certainly be worth hearing more about the details?
-
I've heard of this as a way to get unpasteurized milk. In most states in the US you can not legally buy unpasteurized, but you can own a share of a cow or goat and receive your share of the unpasteurized milk. Is that possibly what it's for?
-
I've heard of this as a way to get unpasteurized milk. In most states in the US you can not legally buy unpasteurized, but you can own a share of a cow or goat and receive your share of the unpasteurized milk. Is that possibly what it's for?
Here in Ontario this is frowned on and anyone instigating this is prosecuted as they say 'to the full extent of the law'. A local farmer has been taken to court a number of times, fined, and has a legal bill of over $50,000.
You can see more in the battle for raw milk http://www.realmilk.com/why.html (http://www.realmilk.com/why.html)
Unsure what the outcome will be, but it sure has scared a few folks, which is the intent of course.
Can't let any one be seen who questions the system! Must protect big business???
-
I live in Grand Rapids Michigan. Not sure of the legalities and such here, but I caught wind of this from my local homebrew supply shop. They have advertised two different local farms that offer such programs. I'm not entirely certain of the price but found a link to one of the farms that offers the "cow share program".
http://www.lubbersfarm.com/Cow_Share.html (http://www.lubbersfarm.com/Cow_Share.html)
Hopefully the link shows up alright. I'll see if I can find out more details
-
Heres the other local farms link. This one actually gives prices
http://www.migreenpastures.com/herdshare.html (http://www.migreenpastures.com/herdshare.html)
Just curious if anyone has found such a program in there area worthwhile. I've been getting milk from the grocery and have had good results thus far.
-
I live in Grand Rapids Michigan. Not sure of the legalities and such here, but I caught wind of this from my local homebrew supply shop. They have advertised two different local farms that offer such programs. I'm not entirely certain of the price but found a link to one of the farms that offers the "cow share program".
[url]http://www.lubbersfarm.com/Cow_Share.html[/url] ([url]http://www.lubbersfarm.com/Cow_Share.html[/url])
Hopefully the link shows up alright. I'll see if I can find out more details
The first two paragraph from the above link's webpage explains themselves pretty good...
"What is a cow share? Members purchase a portion of a cow (a one-time expense) and then pay the farmer an on-going boarding fee for the care and milking of their cow. Members pick up their share of the milk once a week.
Why a cow share? Michigan does not allow the direct sale of raw milk. Ownership of a share of a cow allows access to local, fresh (unprocessed) milk. It also provides the owners with first-hand knowledge of the farm caring for the herd."
I wish there was something in my area (New Orleans) like this and especially for goat's milk.
-
I didn't notice how much milk that fee gets you a week?
-
on average 3 gallons a week for the 10 month lactation period.
-
That's cool, maybe you could get someone else's shares so you can get a lot at one time and then they get a lot at one time.
-
Here is a state by state break down of some farms who have cow shares in the United States:
http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html (http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html)
Here is a link to places you can buy raw milk in some other countries:
http://www.realmilk.com/where-other.html (http://www.realmilk.com/where-other.html)
-
Thanks that's helpful. Too bad the raw milk is so expensive.
-
As a cow owner, I can say that keeping a cow is anything BUT cheap. Yes, raw milk is pricey, but it doesn't come from corporate herds, either.
-
I would just be sure to visit the farm, and see there set up, milking practices and such to make sure it's kosher. Also, ask about feed and pesticide use, I knew a lady in Fl, who would spray the field with round-up then put her herd to pasture 1 hr later and turn around and sell that milk. bleck
-
Not sure why, but the scene from Napoleon Dynamite comes to mind:
"The defect in that one is bleach."
"Yessssssss"
:)
-
Not sure why, but the scene from Napoleon Dynamite comes to mind:
"The defect in that one is bleach."
"Yessssssss"
hahaha!
-
thats a very smart idea to check up on things. I never would have occured to me personally. I prefer my cheeses pesticide free.
-
Share programs are the loophole in the milk distribution regs. Sometimes it works and sometimes they catch your head and hang you.
I'd love to see more Grade B licensing. I've been checking into it in my state and it is still not clear to me if it is allowed to market to individual home cheesemakers or only to a cheese plant.
I agree that you need to check up on your milk source. it's called common sense. That round-up senario is outrageous, but let's not deceive ourselves into thinking the big guys do any better. I've been around commercial dairy farms all my life. Rare to find a conscientious farmer. :-\
-
In Washington, the state has noticed that "loophole" and they note that cow shares are only legal IF you are also a grade A dairy, and therefore, the cow share idea is kind of a moot point.
I'd be wary about a chow share deal, wondering what I was really paying for the product...
-
Spirited, I belive you meant to say, "it's a mooo point" not moot. Just trying to be helpful. ;D
-
Damn it Carter!
You beat me to it :D
CC
-
LOL,
I have given up on trying to acquire raw milk for now. Right now, I don't have a recipe that I can execute well enough over time to justify the expense/risk associated with raw milk anyway.
Hell, I cannot even adhere to a scalding temperature protocol consistently yet.
So, in the mean time, I will spend my time, perfecting my craft with cheap, store bought milk.
Someday, when I have perfected my process to the point that only a new source of raw milk will make it better, I will again look for raw milk.
If I appear a bit down, I'm sorry. Sometimes cheese making is a bit frustrating.
(But I keep at it.)