Maria29-- I have drank raw milk nearly everyday for my entire life. born and raised on a dairy farm and now dh and I have a dairy. I would not hesitate at all to recommend it to anyone. There are a few things to remember though. when milk is homogonized, that means that it has been processed so that the fatty particles are broken up so it does not separate and form the cream on top. Also, different amounts of cream are removed, which then makes up your 1%, 2%, fat free ‘varieties’ of milk. Pasteurized means that it has had ‘germs’ and stuff removed. if you are buying milk from a farm that has passed some sort of standards to be certified or something, that will probably be fine. but (like another poster mentioned) I wouldnt put a whole lot of stock into something that has the government stamp of approval on it. The government is more concerned that we all know where our tshirts are made than where our food comes from! for those of you who arent directly involved with the agriculture industry, (other than eating, which is pretty direct, in my opinion!) there’s a controvercial hot button right now called source verification. some farmers/ranchers are all for it, b/c it could give the consumer more trust in the american farming industry (it would also enable us to better market our products overseas again), but others are against it b/c they fear it could come back to haunt them. as in, a steak at a fancy restaurant makes a person sick, then they come back with a lawsuit on the person who raised that steer. I can see both sides, so I am even kind of torn on the issue. But, I am confident in knowing that nothing my family does with our livestock (be it beef, dairy, or pork) is going to make someone sick. HOWEVER, who’s to say that the processing plant where our cattle end up wont do anything to mess that meat up?? I cant be so sure of that. If that were to happen, and my family farms name is on that steak, are WE going to be to blame?? I’m not confident enough in our juducial system to sleep easy on that one! anyway, back to my original point. i say go for it! drink all the raw fresh milk you can handle. and remember…it does a body good! ha!
and now on to T1catholics question… YES! buying directly from a farmer is wonderful in my opinion. like i said earlier, i wouldnt put a lot of stock into a govt stamp of approval. i would ask around, find a farmer with a good reputation and ask him if he eats what he produces! what could be wrong with farm fresh eggs? the shell may be a little dirty or have a few feathers stuck to it, but if you dont eat the shell, why worry? and btw, did you know that if the person you buy eggs from doesnt refrigerate them, you dont have to either? (they look neat on the cabinet in a bowl or basket) buying meat directly from a farmer is an excellent way to help your local economy and save yourself some money at the same time. around here, people team up with a neighbor or coworker and buy 1/2 a beef or hog from farmers all the time.
sorry for such a rant, but this is a topic that hits close to home (not to mention the pocketbook!)
I felt terrible.
Hi farm fresh!