RANT - Tired of fake milk products

I remember back when my moma milked a cow and put that milk in pans on the back porch which was enclosed but unheated. That cream would rise to the top, then she would skim that cream off with a spoon and put in a bowl.Take that cream and put some in your plate,sprinkle a tad of sugar on it,then drag a hot biscuit through it while you were chewing a piece of country ham. Those WERE the goooood old days. .......Eddie Buck

Please don't judge goat milk by what you can purchase commercially.

Goat milk needs to be sampled fresh, not what you buy in the store. I know Wal-Mart has it, but Meyenburg goat milk is nasty. It has been in a truck too long. Goat milk doesn't tolerate jostling very well, as that breaks down the proteins and produces the goaty taste.

Also, like the cow milk industry, that commercially produced goat milk is from lots of herds, and some of them may not practice the best of sanitation. It's all dumped in one truck.

Find a local goat milking person, go see her farm, ask about milking practices, look at her milk house. You'll easily see if you want to drink milk from her goats.

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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

Just buy a cow that isn't a huge milk producer, or an older cow. Only milk her once a day. It's not rocket science. Not all cows need to be milked twice a day.

Buy a beef breed and take the milk you need, AND raise up beef steers on her. heck...buy a holstein milker and raise up TWO beef steers on her AND get milk once a day. Talk about a win/win situation. or buy a holstein and get 2 male holstein calves for real cheap..like $10...from a dairy herder. (happens around here a lot...being given the day old males isn't uncommon)

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"A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” - Ansel Adams
(and a lot of luck - Wisconsin Ann)
Rabbits anyone? RabbitTalk.com

There is a solution for those that don't have room or time for dairy animals. Look for the real seal on milk products. You will pay more and may have to search through several grocery chains but real cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, yogurt, and ice cream are available. I have some of each in my fridge right now. The big grocery stores carry the stuff, you just have to read labels and check for the seal.

Regarding goats vs. cows. I tried goats, but never could consistently eliminate the goaty flavor. I heard all the excuses - feed, sanitation, male goat nearby, etc. I am a former sanitation inspector. Finally got a cow, and voila, have not had flavor issues since, regardless of feed. Perhaps some goats don't have that flavor, but I didn't have one. It sometimes tastes like the smell the bucks have. I think it is a hormonal thing.

Like Wisconsin Ann recommends, I've got a small cow - beef/Jersey. I could probably just milk a beef cow now that kids have left. I just milk once daily and let the calf do the rest. Not that hard to steal a couple quarts of milk, and I can't live without it.

There are some goat breeds that are *supposed* to have strong flavored milk. Perhaps your goat was akin to one of those. Also, there is enough variation among individual goats, too, that some experienced goat folks recommend that you taste test the milk from the goat you are planning to purchase.

We have taste tested ours individually, and we can tell whose milk is whose!

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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

The solution is local dairies and local processing plants. Unfortunately our worship of the dollar and the almighty corporation to invest in has destroyed the infrastructure of good food. It's been torn apart, but it's not dead yet. Unfortunately we're also the cheap food mentality country, we place more value on the money then the quality of the food. Until we somehow overcome this thinking we'll never have quality food available to all.
The quote about the dairy farm that had a Main St. address is sad but funny. Very sad that most rural areas that are thought of as producing food usually get the worst quality cheapest food at their stores.

Here's my dairy products story. I go into a truckstop in Wisconsin to get a cup of coffee. For cream they had powdered creamer, pretty ironic for the dairy state.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

Well then there is such a thing as "Shelf Life" can't do that with liquid cream has to be powered. Ya I know but at least when I went to a movie last night they used "Real Butter".

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Oh my, dishes yet to wash and dry

See My Pictures at
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0903/arabianknight/

In California, Summerhill Goat Milk, based in Chino,Caliifornia is the best thing goin'.... Meyernburg doesn't taste good at all when compared to Summerhill... Years ago, Alta-Dena Dairys sold very good raw goats milk uder the brand name of Steuves(sp??).......

MMM MMM Good!

Ok...that's really good to know. We moved recently and are actively hunting our permanent homestead. I want to keep goats and my husband wants sheep. The more positive ammo I have on goats the better.

Thanks!