Raw milk is kinda lawless in West Virginia.

Farmers don't need a permit. There's no inspections or required testing. Farmers can sell raw milk and cream to anyone in West Virginia, on the farm or delivered. Raw dairy products (yogurt, kefir, etc) are not allowed for humans, but they're fine for pets. 

Although it's amazing that our government is letting us make milk choices on our own (gasp!), this also means that milk quality can vary a lot.

We take milk quality and safety seriously.

We make sure our cows are in the best natural health, from heritage breeds to rotational grazing to their 100% grass fed diet (keep scrolling for more on this). 

We also make sure the cows and barn are clean. We make sure that the milk is cooled quickly and kept cool, all the way until you get it.

We go above and beyond what's required.

We choose to test every batch of milk on site for general bacteria counts.

These tests don't tell us if there are specific strains of potentially dangerous bacteria in the milk (salmonella, e. Coli, etc). But, they do give us a good read on how well we are cleaning and a heads up for any problem in the herd.

Here's what we test for:

• CC (Coliform): This is general test for how many coliform bacteria are in the milk, and that includes e. Coli. This test can indicate potential fecal contamination (AKA manure in the milk) and poor sanitation during milk production and processing (AKA lack of proper cleaning).
• RAC (Rapid Aerobic Count): This is a general test for how many aerobic bacteria are in the milk, and that includes salmonella. Keeping these numbers lower can help make the milk sour more slowly. It can also indicate improper cleaning or mastitis in the herd.

Our self imposed limits are the same limits required for milk after it's pasteurized. We have a limit of 10 for CC and a limit of 20,000 for RAC.

Here are our test results:

Taking great care and testing every batch has major benefits for you!

1- Our raw milk is as safe as we can make. 

As with any raw food (including lettuce), there's always a risk of potentially harmful bacteria. But, our attention to cow health and cleaning, backed up by testing, makes it lower risk compared to other raw milks.

2- Our raw milk tastes better than other raw milks.

This is because of our heritage breeds and pasture practices, but it's also because of our safety standards. Dirty milk generally doesn't taste that great. 

3- Our milk will last longer than other raw milks. 

It should last for about 2 weeks after you get it before becoming too sour to palate. Unclean milks may last a few days to a week. Learn more about raw milk souring here.

4- With our level of cleaning, there's basically no dirt or manure in the milk.

I mean, just thinking about that is --- yuck! No more info is needed.

Need some more proof? This is how clean our barn is during milking:

Our natural farming standards make the best milk for you.

Heritage Breeds = Tasty Milk With High Butterfat

Our herd is Jersey and Jersey/Fleckvieh crosses. Heritage breeds are renowned for doing well on grass. And, Jerseys in particular are known for producing milk with high butterfat. Since fat holds flavor, our milk is quite tasty.

Lifestyle = Happy Cows

Our cows are outside 100% of the time, all year. Well, I guess except when they come in the barn for milking 1-2x per day. They are happy and healthy this way.

Diet = Flavorful Healthy Milk

100% grass... no grain ever. At least that's the common way to say it. But, they actually eat a diverse mix of plants on pasture. Even in the winter, they dig through the snow to get it! This makes our milk extra flavorful and have a better nutritional profile compared to grain-fed cows.

Regenerative Farming = Max Nutrition

We take great care of our soil and aim to improve it year after year after year. And we do all of this naturally - no crazy fertilizers. It all comes from within our farm. Thank you, manure and resting pastures! Cows raised on regenerative pastures are shown to produce milk with max nutrition.

Junk Free = Least Toxins

We don't use anything synthetic on our property on on our cows. That means no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, It means no GMOs. It means no antibiotics or hormones. We don't vaccinate our cows, either!

Here's our herd grazing at sunset: