In this journey I’ve acquired many ol’ farmer friends, all of which came with invaluable knowledge. The interesting thing is, every single one of them milked a cow as a chore when they were a child. It’s a similar story to walking uphill in the snow, but its running to milk the cow and jumping on a bus with manure remnants on their boots and udder salve on their hands. Regardless, they have been there done that and 70% of them feel it’s easier to buy milk.
The key word above is ‘chore’. It probably wasn’t their choice. Have you ever sat outside around 7 pm in the summer months? Add in a beautiful view, the sounds of animals and the quiet calm of a barn? It is right up there with sitting by the lake and drinking a beer (with nachos). All you need are some good tunes (cue the favorite tune of me and my gypsy soul friend…“Dime Store Cowgirl”.)
Now back to the milk and the fact that I have a giant husband and a two little giant boys. Four gallons of milk a week is an easy feat for us. What if I didn’t have to run to the store last minute but could just walk to the barn? Bonus! What if the cost of the milk was feeding my favorite cow who I get to see daily? Bonus! What if the work of the milk was therapeutic for me? Bonus! Now…what if the health benefits outweighed even all of the above? Totally worth it. Yes, raw milk has risks if you do not handle it with care. The health benefits far outweigh the risk. Raw milk is loaded with vitamin and mineral content and some lovely probiotic bacteria which actually makes it less susceptible to contamination. I am no scientist, but do your own research and you may soon agree!
The real kicker that may strike your fancy. There is something called A2. The chances of a random cow, off a random farm, are slim to have this quality…but…Mabel came with a halo. She is “A2” (determined via testing). A2 is a type of beta casein, with A1 being the other type. The difference is one amino acid and with that amino acid, the production of something called BCM-7. Albeit a small difference, that difference which does not produce BCM-7 is being linked to less chronic disease and the lack of digestion issues/inflammation. The best of the research (at the very least) is suggesting that many of people who seem to be lactose intolerant may instead be unable to digest A1 protein. Granted, this is all still being studied, but it sounds like the benefits certainly have a case. Jersey cows, among a few others, are more commonly testing positive for A2 beta casein. Goat milk and human milk is also A2. If you want a good read supporting A2 milk, check out the book “The Devil in the Milk”.
So to that I say “Fill ‘er up!”
(Okay no, I don’t fill this bucket with milk, but I did just buy it…and I love it and I thought you might like to see it!)