Sunday, May 8, 2011

Milk Madness

Just this past week, the FDA announced it has been conducting a yearlong sting operation to expose and end the sale of contraband in Washington, DC. The outlawed commodity and the criminals? Raw Milk sold by Amish Farmers from Pennsylvania!

Luckily, I can get Raw Milk locally at Lavon Farms, the last operating Dairy Farm in Collin County, Texas. There, the Moore Family offers a whole line of fresh, unpasteurized dairy products. BTW, the milk is also non-homogenized, so you can see all the delicious cream floating on the top third of the bottle. Yummy!
So, why drink Raw Milk? IT TASTES GREAT! Better than anything you can get at the store, I guarantee it. But, it is also better for you, because it contains all of the good bacteria (like yogurt, but more) that gets killed off by high temperature pasteurization in store bought milk. People who are lactose intolerant or suffer from allergies swear by it.

From a Primal Perspective, it is chemical free and unprocessed. Raw milk also has less sugar, especially if it is from Jersey Cows. And, the long-chain fat molecules in non-homogenized milk are not broken down like store brands, making it easier to digest and burn for energy. For those who want an effective, truly all-natural recovery drink to replenish glycogen and leptin levels after a high intensity work-out, Raw Milk is an outstanding option.

For a more comprehensive explanation of the benefits you can visit http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html.

Yes, there's a downside, but not if the dairy farmer uses safe, clean, sanitary methods and tests all milk prior to placing on shelves. Lavon Farms does ALL of the above. My take on all this is that humans have been consuming Raw Milk from goats and cows for 9,000 years. Entire cultures, just one step away from a hunter-gatherer Paleolithic existence, have thrived on dairy for countless generations. I'm not going to deprive myself of all that goodness.

If you like to "buy local", what better way than buying fresh milk directly from your local farmer right at the farm? I took it to the next level this weekend by going to and from the farm on my bike and transporting the milk in my pannier (ice packs not included). It is 7.2 miles each way, and fortunately for me, all but 1 mile of the trek is trails! It was a beautiful adventure. Here are some pics...


Fresh, wholesome Raw Milk - packed, "refrigerated", and ready to head home!  :-P

2 comments:

  1. I always loved fresh raw milk. I used to get it in Lancaster County, PA. But I live in CA now and you can't find raw milk here. Oh yes, there is raw milk, but it is not from any local farm and expensive as hell!!! The FDA is making it so hard to eat healthy. And why? Because they want to control everything so they can make profit from it. Too bad.

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  2. I live in Virginia and have a cow share - I can't imagine doing without raw milk!

    Right now, I'm drinking the cream in my coffee, the hubs is having partially skimmed milk in his tea (fatty blobs in tea are not good, so I'm told), and we have 1 1/2 quarts of home made yogurt in the fridge.

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