Dairy Work. With Raw Milk. How can we get over our fear of all natural? Welcome to an episode where a city girl learns the difference between black cows and brown cows and we demystify all the imagined dangers around one of the healthiest beverages you can drink, raw milk. Meet Ben and Kristen Beichler of Creambrook Farm dairy in Middlebrook, Virginia. http://edacious.co/104
What are the health benefits of raw milk anyway? Are they legit or a product of its rarity, more legend than fact? It's proven raw milk has more vitamins because any beta-carotene, omega-3 and 6, and other nutrients the cow eats from grass ends up in your belly. Cows digest these nutrients way better than you, but you end up with the benefits. In fact, some lactose-intolerant folks can actually handle raw milk! To me, it tastes better. It's more satiating. It feels like a complete thing in and of itself.
But some folks still don't buy it. They subscribe to old beliefs leftover from the turn of last century, not understanding the production of raw milk is a lost art. Something practiced for centuries. But urbanization brought dairies to cities. Cities are dirty which causes disease. In the 1920’s raw milk was outlawed and pasteurization ruled. It’s only been in recent years states have realized times have changed. Modern raw milk dairies are complexes of biology and chemistry. This milk is clean, safe, delicious, healthy, and handled with care. Creambrook has its own farm lab and every ounce is tested to the milliliter.
Raw milk at Creambrook is taken straight from the cow and chilled to prevent bacterial contamination. Conventional pasteurized milk is heated. But milk is delicate and the process kills most beneficial aspects while also having a detrimental effect on flavor. And milk does have a flavor profile. Much like wine or cider, this beverage has terroir, reflecting the grasses and herbs eaten by the cows who gift it to us. This flavor profile changes with every season since the cows are constantly grazing on different things. Not only can the flavor change seasonally, taste can change from day to day depending on whether the paddock has more clover, more chicory or just plain grass.
To enjoy Creambrook Farm raw milk, simply sign up for a herd share. Just like owning a piece of Google or Apple, you will own a portion of the herd. Milk is the dividend. Shares are offered full and half portions, billed every four weeks, with shares dropped off weekly at a multitude of drop-off locations all over the region. Get out to Farm Day. Sign up for a cheese class. Both Ben and Kristen are so friendly and charming. The perfect spokespeople for such a healthy, tasty product. When I look at my coffee now and raw milk isn't in it? I get frowny. It's good stuff people. Get you some!
