Kody Hanner
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What is home dairying?
Home dairying is the processing of milk. It involves taking milk (preferably raw) and turning it into dairy products. It is usually done in your kitchen, but some people have milk rooms or even commercial kitchens where they process their milk. Home dairying was simply how milk was processed for all of history until really the last 100 or so years. Even though artisan cheesemaking has been documented back 3,000 years, most other dairying has been done in the kitchen.
This was until the Industrial Revolution when large dairies were being run inside the large cities in less than sanitary conditions, causing babies to become sick (or even die) from contaminated milk. This was when it was discovered that if the milk was pasteurized, the babies stopped becoming sick. This led to a downhill slope in the milk industry and, in return, home dairying.
The big picture was that either only milk going to young infants needed to be pasteurized, or they should have found a way to be more sanitary at the dairies. For the last almost hundred years, we have been consuming a sanitized and dead product that has been found to actually cause many long-term health issues and increased instances of milk allergies.
Do you need a cow/goat to do home dairying?
You do not need your own animals for home dairying. You can purchase raw milk from stores in some states or directly from the farmers. There are also some yogurts, cheeses, and butter that can be made from pasteurized milk. This is nice for larger projects because raw milk can get expensive. Although less expensive than having your own animals in some cases. You must make that choice for your family based on land space, how much home dairying you plan to do, and how much work you want to put into it.
When we decided to buy a cow, we had eight people in our house and a place to pasture our cow. We also were already feeding animals at the barn twice a day, so adding a milking routine wasn’t going to change our lives all that much.
Is raw milk safe?
There is not a direct “yes” or “no” answer to this question. According to the Raw Milk Institute, it comes down to the fact that there are two types of raw milk. Raw milk is stored in the bulk tanks of large dairy operations where the milk is not intended for direct human consumption. This milk is obtained using minimal sanitation practices because it will all be pasteurized after comingled with milk from several dairies.
Raw milk from dairies intended for direct human consumption treats their milk much differently. The animals do not live in confinement; there is less of milk of manure or mastitis contamination. The milking equipment has more stringent sanitation practices because these farmers sell to their friends and family.
My history is raw milk
I worked in food safety for several years after college. We were taught exclusively that raw milk is the most contaminated food product and that it should be illegal everywhere. So when I moved to Idaho, and one of the first families we met had a raw milk dairy, I was a little appalled. I thought they were being reckless! I’m a little embarrassed now that our views on raw milk have changed, and I actually went back to their farm to learn before setting up our operations. Before that, though, when we bought our first dairy cow, I was pregnant, so I wasn’t taking any chances with my already high-risk pregnancy. We low-temperature pasteurized through her whole first lactation with us. We had a good system in place and only pasteurized every few days because anything that I was going to be making yogurt or cheese out of is often heated high enough that you reach a safe temperature anyway.
Is raw milk better for you?
Studies show that due to not being heat-processed, raw milk has more beneficial enzymes, probiotics, and bioavailable nutrients. Also, healthy fat and the bacteria that break down lactose are damaged (hint hint lactose intolerance).
A2/A2 Raw Milk
There is a lot of talk about A2/A2 gene combination milk and what that means right now. This is because they have found that many people who had previously believed that they were lactose intolerant are actually allergic to the A1 beta-casein protein in some milk. A2A2 milk does not have this beta-casein. It is believed that at one point, all cows carried the A2A2 genes. Sometime in the past, there was a gene mutation that was quickly mass-bred because it came at the same time as selective breeding for increased milk production. Now that this has been acknowledged, farmers are beginning to selectively breed for the A2A2 milk because it is also believed that A2 milk is superior in other ways as well.
If you want to have your cow tested to see if she is A2A2, there are several labs that you can send in blood, milk, or tail hairs and get quick results. We use the UC Davis lab in California.
Should I pasteurize?
As I mentioned, we opted for low-temperature pasteurization because we wanted to kill off pathogens but hopefully not ruin all the good things in raw milk. We chose this due to my pregnancy and my husband’s liver disease. The process is done by heating the milk slowly (so it doesn’t scorch) to 145℉ and holding it there for 30 minutes. Then, it must be quickly cooled in an ice bath to below 40℉ in less than 20 minutes, or the flavor can be slightly off.
If someone in your family is immunocompromised or if you have friends or family that don’t want to consume raw milk, this low-temperature method can be a great way to still enjoy farm-fresh milk!
What do I do with it now?
When you first get raw milk, it can feel overwhelming (especially if you have a cow and are getting 8 gallons a day). First of all, raw milk is DELICIOUS! So drink up and enjoy! Plus it is so good for you! But let’s get real: I don’t think anyone is drinking eight gallons of milk a day. So this is really where the home dairying is coming into play.
After the milk has had time to separate in the fridge, usually overnight, I separate the cream. There are a few ways to do this. One is siphoning off of the top with a turkey baster or spoon. Sometimes, I will use a combination of the two. The next is to use one of those pitchers with the spout on the bottom. Once the milk separates, you can pour just the milk from the bottom into another container, leaving you with just the cream. I have problems with the spouts getting damaged with all the kids taking things in and out of the fridge. Last but not least, you can use a cream separator. We use a Slavic Beauty. It is a little on the pricey side but is really the gold standard in home dairying.
Here are ideas for what you can do with your milk!
There are so many things that you can do with the milk both before and after cream separation. I am still a newbie when it comes to cheese making, but my butter and yogurt making are on point! I have used the Home Dairy Book by Ashley English for a few years and like the way she has laid things out. I also have a few other bloggers that have great information, like Jill Winger, The Homestead Family, Venison for Dinner, and Cheese From Scratch.
Cream
Whipped Cream
Butter
Coffee Creamer
Fermented
Yogurt
Kefir
Buttermilk
Clabber
Sour Cream
Cheeses
Farmers Cheese
Cream Cheese
Aged Cheese
Extra
Milk/Clabber (pigs/chickens)
Whey (Watering plants, compost)
Can I Sell my milk?
The next question I get is whether or not you can sell your raw milk. The hard thing is that every state has a different law. You can find the law for your state here.
Here is a rundown of what some of these laws mean:
Small Herd exemptions – raw milk is legal, but you must register with your state’s regulations. Usually, this involves having your herd vaccinated and registered and allowing a state agent to test your milk at their prescribed intervals.
Herd shares – This is a loophole in the system. Technically, raw milk is illegal in these states, but “if the animals belong to you,” then you are just drinking your own milk. So how these work is you pay a monthly fee to a farmer for your “share” of the milk the herd produces.
Pet food only – In states where raw milk is only legal for pet food consumption, you can buy it for bottle-feeding goat kids, calves, or other animals that need nursing. However, often times this milk is purchased for human consumption with a wink and a handshake.
Goat milk only – Some states only allow the sale of raw goat milk. This was put into place for infants who cannot drink cows’ milk for whatever reason. Refer back to the history of raw milk at the beginning to see my eye happening here.
Illegal – Lastly, there are some states where the purchase and sale of raw milk is completely illegal. You can still consume raw milk from your own animals, though.
Rogue Food
Over the last couple of years, I have attended the Rogue Food Conferences, where I have learned a ton about the “other” side of the food laws I used to help enforce.
Hear more on my thoughts about Food Freedom in this episode of The Homestead Education Podcast.
If you’re considering relocating and want all the homeschool and food freedom laws in one place, consider the Homesteader’s Guide to Relocation!
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