Micro Dairy?

Hi, I have 10 acres also, and I raise sheep, and have recently gotten 3 alpine milk goats, and also have 8 angus cows! I dont plan on being in the black but mainly not to far in the red! LOL. The sheep I sponsor F.F.A kids with wethers to show (The moms were my Dau. grand champions!) Most kids can afford the feed, but buying good quality stock can be pretty high! So I sponsor! The goats are mainly for me (and maybe a orphan calf) I have M.S. and pasturization or homo? can change something in the structure of ? Cant remeber all the terminology but RAW is definetly better from what I've studied! (Main thing is cleanliness! That's what makes the big diff.! Girls are'nt milking yet, but know a lady that sold raw goats-milk, and the buyers were always informed it was raw! And never had any trouble!) But each state is diff. The cows are retirement income! (Eventually!) A bred cow/calf pair brings minimum of $1500.00 around here! (Will definitly need a lease area!) 10 acres only works for this many with willingness to supliment. (And good culling practice! :-( We also give plenty of quality hay, and I grain the sheep & Goats, and DH gives cows cubes 3x a week, and during cold sometimes protien tubes. Its all still getting started and you learn everyday! plus we dont have big expectations, no car payments or credit cards, things like that so main thing in the red is feed! and meds for me! (Poor hubby!) Good luck! Kim in OK

Jeff,

I have found that with anything that you REALLY want to do, there is ALWAYS a way. ALWAYS.

Nevermind all the pros and cons according to others, if your heart is in the right place and your intent is true, it can be done. Listen to your own voice and trust yourself above all others.

Good luck,

Jeff

I guess I just felt the need to chime in on the dangers of raw milk. Having lived in a 3rd world country, we bought milk from a lady who had one cow. She milked outside with the cow tied up to a post. Nothing looked terribly clean, but we never suffered any ill effects. I think that in this country we have taken everything to the wrong extreme. Most foodborne illness occurs from improperly handled meat at the butchering stage, and from improperly handled vegetables that have been in contact with the wrong persons. People in other countries seem to not have nearly the food borne illness problems we do. Maybe because they do not go to such extremes of cleanliness all the time and their bodies are better adapted to deal with them. THat said, I sell raw goats milk, and do my level best to be as clean as I can. We have used this milk for some time now without any ill effect, and heve heard none from those buying from us.

I'm going to print out this thread and put it in the bathroom so maybe DFDH (dairy-farmer-dear-husband) might read it.

The legality of selling shares in cows to bypass regulations on selling raw milk off the farm has been tested in several states. NY and Indiana to be specific. In both instances, the courts sided with the farmers. Makes for good precedent.

__________________
Ultra Lord is not afraid of chickens!

For what it's worth, I suspect it would be feasible to TRULY sell goat's milk for animal use.

Goat's milk is wonderful for raising orphaned babies on -- I hooked a friend who bred dogs up with a guy I knew who raised goats, because he was paying $3 a quart to raise bulldog puppies (mama refused the litter) for goat's milk from the grocery store. He paid $6 a gallon to my friend for goat's milk and bought several gallons a week until the pups were weaned.

You'd need to market it but I suspect the market is there.

Leva