Raw milk sales!!!

springvalley · #1 03/23/10, 08:44 PM

How many of you sell raw milk? I have noticed in the last month a large jump in people requesting information about raw milk and if they can buy some. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks Marc

farmergirl · #2 03/23/10, 09:03 PM

I don't, but I buy it from a friend of a friend of a friend.

Callieslamb · #3 03/23/10, 09:06 PM

Not allowed in my state...unless you own the cow.

scholtefamily · #4 03/23/10, 10:01 PM

We are getting a cow next month and plan to sell raw milk. The law in IL allows for the customer to come to the farm and they have to bottle it themselves. Or have a cowshare. There is a huge market for raw milk.

springvalley · #5 03/23/10, 10:13 PM

I should have mentioned, I do sell milk, just wondering if some of the rest of you have noticed an increase in interest of late ? And why that would be? Thanks Marc.

francismilker · #6 03/23/10, 11:29 PM

I sale it as well and have been selling my limit lately. Most of the interest has came by word of mouth advertisement. Maybe I'm selling it too cheap at $4 per gallon! (Just planned on keeping the cow fed) I'm limited to 100 gallons of milk per month by Oklahoma state laws. The chickens and dogs are loving the extras. I even noticed one of my daughter's hairsheep drinking from the bucket I leave in the barn for the critters. Never thought I'd see that.

Trisha in WA · #7 03/23/10, 11:34 PM

Marc, I think more people are getting educated and want to provide healthy food for their families. That's why I personally own a cow anyway.

Apryl in ND · #8 03/24/10, 03:36 AM

$4 a gallon is pretty cheap for fresh, wholesome milk I think. I don't have my milk cow yet and am paying a ridiculous $4 per half gallon for store bought organic.

carellama · #9 03/24/10, 04:16 AM

Society is weird! It is a shame that it costs more to eat healthy! I understand why but still think it is a shame!

springvalley · #10 03/24/10, 10:15 AM

People in this country are so use to cheap, processed, mass made, that yes healthy is more costly. We as a country send the least on food as any other country in the world. Now if our Government cared more about what went in our mouths, then we would not need health care reform. Thanks Marc.

Up North · #11 03/24/10, 12:11 PM

Marc, we sell raw. If I remember correctly for much the same reason as why you now sell raw. We have been selling raw for 6 months now. We have had pretty steady growth but like you, we have noticed a big jump in new inquiries as well. However, most of my newest customers have been referrals and people who just happened to drive by the farm and see our sign. Heather

springvalley · #12 03/24/10, 12:43 PM

Heather, you are so lucky. I would sell all the milk I could raise and then some if I could put out a sign. Thanks marc

DJ in WA · #13 03/24/10, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francismilker

I sale it as well and have been selling my limit lately. Most of the interest has came by word of mouth advertisement. Maybe I'm selling it too cheap at $4 per gallon! (Just planned on keeping the cow fed) I'm limited to 100 gallons of milk per month by Oklahoma state laws. The chickens and dogs are loving the extras. I even noticed one of my daughter's hairsheep drinking from the bucket I leave in the barn for the critters. Never thought I'd see that.

Up your price. I have sold to close friends (illegally - FBI will be knocking on my door soon, as those who monitor the internet will track me down). We just sell 3 gallons a week, and I was selling for $5 a gallon. Then I was told by some people they were getting $13 a gallon for their state certified raw milk. I upped my price to $6 at which our friends balked. I told them, fine, they could get their own cow, so then they agreed to pay more.

Even my dad thinks it's crazy to pay that much, because, by gawd, he can get it on sale for $1.99. I remind him of the things people blow money on. Beer is more than $6 a gallon, but nobody thinks that's foolish. How much is pop per gallon at Burger King? If people want to splurge on some good milk and cream, why not?

Some people want quality, but don't want to pay for it. They want to sit in their easy chair while I'm out in the cold squeezing some milk for them. If people can't tell the difference between my milk and the store milk, then they can go to the store.

A bit of a pet peeve for me.

springvalley · #14 03/24/10, 09:34 PM

you tell them like it is DJ, I say the same, if we have to go out in the rain, sleet, snow,and the dead of night. Let them pay for it. Thanks Marc.

Laura · #15 03/25/10, 04:35 AM

We've had our cow for a little over a month and she came with her own fan club. I am very wary about selling milk as it is illegal to sell raw milk in this state without a license and I won't be getting a license.

I am even more wary now after the article on the front page of the Seattle Times claiming, with no direct proof it was the milk, and no milk recall, of 3 people getting sick with E. coli from raw milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery. It was a real hit job. The germs could easily be transmitted to the outside of the jugs then hand to mouth and not from the milk itself.

Those of you who sell, do you carry insurance to protect your farm from claims of illness?

mountainlaurel · #16 03/25/10, 06:15 AM

Well, an article in the Frederick New Post, (FRederick, MD) yesterday stated that a batch of chocolate milk sickened some W Frederick middle school students last Friday.

The milk, fro the Dairy Maid Dairy, located in Frederick md had contaiminated potable flush water in it.
Two students who drank their entire carton of milk had to go home as they were pretty sick.

Spokesmen for the Dairy Maid said this batch of milk had a warning notice on it not to distribute but the notice was 'lost'.

When do they get sued?

darbyfamily · #17 03/25/10, 12:30 PM

Heather, I've sent a few your direction when I get emails... we've still got a calf on our Jersey so we're not getting as much as I hope to eventually... so we're not selling.

Up North · #18 03/25/10, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darbyfamily

Heather, I've sent a few your direction when I get emails... we've still got a calf on our Jersey so we're not getting as much as I hope to eventually... so we're not selling.

I've had some folks mention they heard about me from someone down your way. I figured it was you. Thanks!

commonsense · #19 03/29/10, 08:50 AM

We've had a growth in our customer base in the past couple of months. Word of mouth seems to work quite well, and we also increased our cow herd to accommodate the demand.

I've been told by several of my customers that they have more people who would be interested, but they were keeping my information more or less to themselves so their supply would be assured!

Each time we bring another cow into milk, we think we will finally have a good surplus. Fairly immediately, we have customers to absorb the increase. At some point, I imagine the growth will slow, and then we'll get a pig.