I was on my health journey for well over a year before we made the jump to raw milk. After a lot of research, we decided that it was right for our family.
I was the type of kid who would put just enough milk in my cereal so that it was wet, and I wouldn’t drink the milk after. If I drank milk at all, my stomach would hurt. I was able to eat cheese and other dairy without much issue. With raw milk, I can have a whole glass without any stomach issues.
when I heard about raw milk, I was kind of freaked out. Thinking about the bacteria and sanitation process worried me.
in Michigan where we live, you have to join a herd share to buy raw milk legally. So basically we payed a $50 up front fee to claim our share/cow, then we pay a weekly fee for a gallon of milk.
we pick up once a week, and drop off our clean jars with lids to be filled for the next week. It is a 20 minute drive each way, and that is the closest herd share to us.
you can find where raw milk is sold near you at realmik.com.
so now to the benefits of raw milk:
-when milk isn’t pasteurized, the essential proteins digestion remain in the milk. So a lot of people who are sensitive to pasteurized dairy, can tolerate raw dairy better.
-you choose the farm, and choose your standards for how the cow is fed, treated, etc. for example, I receive frequent texts from our farm on the health of the cows, what they are doing for updates, etc.
-you can make so much out of raw milk. The cream separates to the top after sitting, so the possibilities are endless. We’ve done butter, ice cream, cream cheese any many others.
-there have been studies that say that raw milk decreases the chances of developing allergies.
-the nutrition content is much higher than pasteurized milk.
-raw milk doesn’t really go bad. You can always use it to make something when it starts to sour— for example sour cream.
Raw milk is definitely the more expensive option. If you have the extra money and can find someone local that sells it, i would highly recommend it!