Today was a magical morning; I got to finally visit the local farm where I get my milk, Moon Hill Dairy, which is located about ten minutes north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There are four new calves that I went up to photograph, but as always with a working farm, there was more in store for me when I arrived.
"You want to feed one of the new calves?" Were the first words out of Lisa's mouth when I walked up. DO I?? Apparently her mother - new to the process - isn't taking to her calf, as she wasn't "mothered" herself. The poor white calf loves attention like a puppy, and I got to sit with her, scratch her, help her stand up, massage her weak legs, and yes, give her the biggest baby bottle I've ever seen. What an amazing process, this thing called life!
But before tending to Baby White, as I started calling her, there was more business to be done on the farm. We rounded up the "ladies" to bring them in for milking, leading them into the stalls one by one, feeding them some yummy nutritional snacks while they wait, and after Lisa sterilized the milking equipment, she got to milkin'! It was the first milking Baby White's mamma, Sage, who produced something called colostrum, a yellower milk filled with antibodies and extra nutrients for that new mammas produce to help the calves grow strong. We saved all of Sage's milk/colostrum for Baby White, who drank a half gallon from my hands in about 5 minutes flat!
Raw milkeries in Colorado have to belong to the RMAC and follow strict standards; each batch of milk is always tested before we drink it (or make yogurt out of it, as I do), members of the farm are required to buy into a "herd share," and pay startup and weekly costs to help manage, board, and care for the herd. Moon Hill Dairy's herd is made of heritage breed cows, which produce a very high quality and quantity of milk- today's yield was about 35 gallons, and they are about to have a grand summer feeding on grassy goodness.
"You want to feed one of the new calves?" Were the first words out of Lisa's mouth when I walked up. DO I?? Apparently her mother - new to the process - isn't taking to her calf, as she wasn't "mothered" herself. The poor white calf loves attention like a puppy, and I got to sit with her, scratch her, help her stand up, massage her weak legs, and yes, give her the biggest baby bottle I've ever seen. What an amazing process, this thing called life!
But before tending to Baby White, as I started calling her, there was more business to be done on the farm. We rounded up the "ladies" to bring them in for milking, leading them into the stalls one by one, feeding them some yummy nutritional snacks while they wait, and after Lisa sterilized the milking equipment, she got to milkin'! It was the first milking Baby White's mamma, Sage, who produced something called colostrum, a yellower milk filled with antibodies and extra nutrients for that new mammas produce to help the calves grow strong. We saved all of Sage's milk/colostrum for Baby White, who drank a half gallon from my hands in about 5 minutes flat!
Raw milkeries in Colorado have to belong to the RMAC and follow strict standards; each batch of milk is always tested before we drink it (or make yogurt out of it, as I do), members of the farm are required to buy into a "herd share," and pay startup and weekly costs to help manage, board, and care for the herd. Moon Hill Dairy's herd is made of heritage breed cows, which produce a very high quality and quantity of milk- today's yield was about 35 gallons, and they are about to have a grand summer feeding on grassy goodness.
There are a ton of benefits from using raw milk from a local farm; raw milk is nutrient-rich, and isn't pasteurized, homogenized, or full of any antibiotics, hormones or chemicals that commercial cows are fed. It's tolerable by most who are lactose intolerant, and it can be used to make great yogurt, cream, cheese, and more. The yogurt I make from the milk has millions more pro-biotic and healthy enzymes than commercial yogurt does (which my "SCD" diet requires, and it prohibits the raw milk in the first 6-12 months).
While buying from a local farm is often a little more expensive, it supports your local economy, which sustains your neighbors and regional livelihood and fosters community growth. Family farms are proven to care more about their animals' physical and emotional wellness, putting more care into their products and as a result, into yours and your family's bellies. Family farms welcome tours from their members, educating both adults and children about the process of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, as well as the forgotten process of where our food comes from.
It was an absolute pleasure photographing the ladies and their calves today while learning more about my local dairy and the people who work there!
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