Monday, March 16, 2009

On The Way To The Farm

Every Saturday I make a journey out to Solway, MN (about 25 minutes one way) to a farm where I get milk directly from the cows.
This allows me to by-pass all the processing and additives the government requires.

Join me on my Saturday trip to "the farm"

Arriving I feel soft eyes looking at me - it is the cows, always curious


I turn to the back of the van to grab my cooler when a wet nose meets me
This boy was enjoying the warmth of the sun in the door of the cow barn.
Not much of a guard dog

We walk past the barn door on the way into the milk room.
We have drawn notice.


My littlest is helping me this morning.
His job is to get the jugs out.
He then helps put the lids on.


The "bulk tank"
This is where the milk goes after the cows are milked.
It is cooled to below 40 degrees and held for the milk truck
to come and pick it up to take to the creamery.
This is where we get our milk. Unprocessed - pure-healthy

Our jugs are filled for the week - 4.5 gallons.

Enjoying the fruits of his labor
Milk doesn't get much fresher than this!

This gal wishes us good by. We give her a little nuzzle as we go.
(cow noses are wet)


With warmer temps in the air it made for a lovely
Saturday morning trip.

As we leave the dairy I always slow to look at the barns down the road.
This is one of my favorites.
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Thanks for joining me.
If you are worried about our health, or are intrigued by the idea here is a site with wonderful info. Please choose your farm wisely. We chose a farm that processes on site and supplies milk to the local grocery stores. (Hence the long drive) For example: The farm will not allow anyone to take milk until it has been properly cooled.
Other sites
here
here
here


12 comments:

Sandra said...

How fortunate you are to have this resource. Dairy farms have disappeared from the landscape in my area. The corporate farms have pushed them out.

It's a wonderful experience for your child to understand where food comes from.

Sandra said...

I should add....I had an orphan foal in 2001. My vet recommended goat milk as opposed to milk replacer. There is a dairy goat farmer in the area who supplied me with milk for 3 months. He drank 5 gallons a day! But I think the raw milk helped turn him into the horse he became.

Jennifer and Sandi said...

Wow!! Now how cool is THAT!!

Happy Monday!

- Jennifer

Polly said...

I love this post. You are very lucky indeed to have this possibility to buy milk directly at a farm. My parents get their milk at a farm as well and I must say it tastes very different to the one from a shop, I love it.

And I love the last photo of the farm, it looks surreal and as if it's only held in place by magic powers!

Polly

Alicia @ boylerpf said...

Great post. Too many of these smaller dairies are being eaten up by the big guys. You are so very fortunate to have one that close!

drollgirl said...

so cool. i used to have grandparents in arkansas, and they had their own cows. it was pretty incredible to see them, touch them, and get milk from them. just so different than buying from the store.

Janni said...

Hi jules
thanks for the visit on my blog (don't get many of those)

I really love that last shot of the barn, beautiful.

Janni

Kacie said...

Jules, That is so cool that you get fresh milk like that! Good idea!! And great pics! Thanks for taking us with you! :)

shabby girl said...

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Love your pictures! Cows are just the sweetest looking animals! I've never really been close to one but have often thought that as we drive by them on the highway, I'd like to stop and say hello to them.
Go ahead and use the picture of the turkey, but use Dale Truitt's name. Thanks!
Be back soon!

A Cuban In London said...

I'm still under the magic effects of you opening image. And the rest of the article was a beauty to behold. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Alexandra said...

How awesome and fun and what a learning experience!

Anonymous said...

I loved your little helper. His hand helping holding the pitcher was priceless. He really likes milk, it just about curdles my stomach, but I like cows.