Raw Milk in Amherst, NH

We are NOT a commercial dairy, but just a family with a backyard milk cow who supplies us with more milk than we need.
So we're happy to share the surplus with friends and the community

<= This is our original Jersey, the world's SWEETEST cow, DIXIE

Update March 2010: Maribell gave birth to a beautiful tall heifer on February 28, 2010. We are just now getting surplus milk from
her, so we will be opening up regular pick-up days shortly. In the meantime, email me if you'd like to be on our surplus email list.
A surplus email note goes out on any morning that we have milk above and beyond what the regular milk people pick up. I will
also notify you when we have regular slots open.

(pick-up times are 4p - 8p and we use 1/2 gallon mason jars on an exchange system. We ask everyone to return your
jar clean and sterilzed by running through your dishwasher, so that it is ready to be refilled. If you do not have a jar, you
can buy one of ours for $2).

If you need raw milk right away, or on a more regular basis, we recommend Connolly Brothers Dairy on Webster Highway in
Temple, NH.

Is your cow grass fed? Organic? Hormones? Antibiotics?
Dixie is primarily grass (and hay in the winter) fed. She grazes in the backyard pasture. She gets a coffee-can full of
grain (BlueSeal MIlk Maker) at the morning and evening milking as a treat and as a way to give her some vitamins, protein and the
selenium that must be supplemented here in New Hampshire. She has never had hormones used on her, but we do NOT use
organic feed /hay. It is very difficult to do organic in New England due to the mineral shortage in our soil. We feel she is healthier
with regular grain. As far as antibiotics - it is illegal for ANYONE (even commercial dairies) to release milk tainted with antibiotics
into the milk supply. So no milk you ever drink from any source should contain antibiotics (people get this confused I think with
the beef industry). If we ever have to treat an infection with antibiotics, we have to throw away the milk for 5 days (actually, we
"throw" it to the chickens - they are thrilled!). We hand milk our cow, so you have no worries about hormones, disinfectants,
antibiotics, etc in the milk.

Is raw milk safe to drink?
If you google, "raw milk" you will find many, many discussions on the topic of raw milk. Much of the information on raw
milk comes from misunderstandings and political pressure from the commercial dairy industry. When everyone had a family
milk cow who grazed on grass, no one worried about "bad milk" because the "good bacteria" in grass-fed milk outweighs the
"bad bacteria" and actually keeps the milk safe to drink. In fact this type of milk doesn't go bad, ever. It simply turns to cheese.

When milking made it's big move to commercial dairies, the diet of the cow switched from mostly grass to mostly grain. The
change in diet and the crowded commercial dairy conditions suddenly made raw milk a health hazard. The actual make-up of
the milk had changed and it was now subject to having the "bad bacteria" take over and make people sick. To preserve their
large commercial dairies, the obvious solution was to pastueurze or heat the milk. This "cooked" milk of course destroys all the
bacteria (good and bad) and changes the protein structure of the milk. Viola' - a completely new product that many people suddenly
couldn't digest (the beginning of milk allergies and lactose interolerance) and something that would "spoil" eventually. Obviously
the dairy industry had to do a big "sell" to the consumer to get them to accept this different product, and many of us were raised
still under the belief that only pasteurized milk is truly safe to drink. In fact, a backyard cow, fed primarily grass & hay and housed
in a clean facility produces a real milk that is perfectly safe to drink.

Many people who cannot tolerate pastuerized milk are delighted to discover they have no trouble digesting raw milk, so many
lactose intolerant people use raw milk. Other people find that the heavy lactobacillus content in raw milk (similar to what you find
in commercial yogurt or cultured buttermilk) helps keep their digestive system running smoothly. Many people simply prefer the
fuller taste of raw milk (some of our customers even have a preference to the morning or evening milk). Some people's doctors
have suggested a raw diet and some people simply prefer to eat more natural foods and milk from cows without supplemental hormones.

Jersey cows are the most popular "family cow" for 2 reasons. First, they are the smallest of the milk cows (about 900 pounds)
and secondly they have the highest butterfat content of any milk. Only the Guernsey comes in at a close second. The black and white
Holstein you are probably familiar with (used by commercial milk producers) can produce twice the daily milk supply but has about
half the butterfat of Jersey milk. Jersey's also have milk that is the most yellow in color due to the high content of very yellow butterfat.
(you'll notice the butter from Jersey cream is very yellow).

Why doesn't everyone have a backyard cow?
If you ever spent 5 minutes around a dairy cow, you may wonder the same thing. A dairy cow is the kindest, sweetest, gentlest
animal on the planet. They want nothing more than to love and be loved. They are very smart, know their name, know which pocket
you hide the treats in, know how to get their brush down off the shelf and bring it to you, and know which songs they prefer during
milk time (if you ever sing the "wrong" song, you get a tail in the face!). They'll lay their big old head in your lap and drool when you
find just that right "itchy" spot on their cheek to scratch.

That's the good part. The other reality is that a milk cow is a lot of work. They have to be milked twice a day, 365 days a year. Always.
No exceptions for holidays, illness, family business, blackouts, blizzards, thunderstorms, frigid cold. It's a big committment to have a
milk cow. Not only do you have to milk them, you have to feed and clean up after them. They eat a lot. About a bale or more of hay
every day. They drink about 20 gallons of water a day, and they produce a tremendous amount of "organic fertilizer" every day.
(FYI: That "organic fertilizer" is available to anyone, any day, for no cost - just bring your truck and your pitch fork and some boots)

But for your efforts, you not only get that special cow love, you also get all the milk, cream, butter, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk,
cream cheese, ice cream, cottage cheese, etc. that your family can consume.
Once you have a milk cow, it's hard to imagine life without one.

What is 'raw" honey and how do we buy it? (email kathie@brains.org)

Our honey is "raw and unfiltered" - what that means is that we take it from the hive, pour it through a fine wire mesh (to remove debris) and
straight into the container. This gives you pure dark honey, full of the natural, local pollen. We can ship bears anywhere in the US. Email
for shipping costs (or we can give you a link to order online w/ a Visa or Mastercard).

Currently Available Product	Price
Raw Jersey MILK* (sold in 1/2 gal jar)	1 jar $4.00 2 jars $7.00 3 jars $10.50
Free Range Chicken Eggs	$3.00 / dozen
New Hampshire HONEY - 2009 crop "Beary-Good" Honey - straight from our Amherst, NH hives - unfiltered, ungraded.	$5.00 / oz Bear Each 8oz bear of honey comes with a one-of-a-kind, hand crocheted New Hampshire Hat & Scarf.

NH Honey.com The Nunley Family in Amherst, NH.		Dixie & Maribell
WELCOME ROSIE CLAIRE Maribell is proud to announce the birth of her daughter, Rosie, on February 28, 2010.

Current Products and Prices: At various times of the year, we offer raw milk, free range eggs, honey, berries, vegetables from our backyard farm.