New to TF, afraid to try raw milk

[meesh38]

I'm just getting started with TF, I'm lucky to live in an area where raw milk is on the grocery store shelves (at whole foods and family run grocers) but I can't get over the fear of it. I've been trying to read up on the issue but both sides seem to make valid points. Can you tell me what made you decide that this was healthy for your family? Thanks for any advice.

[Odilia]

People have been drinking milk for thousands of years. It's only for about the past century that people have been cooking it (pasteurizing it) first.

If you pull a calf off the cow, milk the cow, pasteurize the milk, and then feed the pasteurized milk to the calf, the calf will die. I grew up on a ranch, and we have cattle (including milk cows) now. A baby calf needs fresh milk or formula. If pasteurized milk is deadly to calves, I extrapolate that it can't be good for me or my babies (I sure don't pasteurize my breast milk before feeding my babies!).

I grew up with a family milk cow, so getting one again for my own family was a high priority. I can totally understand how with all the information promoting pasteurization that it would be a hurdle for one to try fresh milk! Is it possible for you to visit the dairy providing the fresh/raw mlk to your store? I think it's so important to feel good about the source of our food. We live next to a dairy. They don't wash udders before milking!!! When the farmer came by one day as I was going to milk, he laughed at how I meticulously cleaned my cow before milking. I do strain the milk, but I usually don't even get so much as a hair on the filter, because I'm so careful in cleaning my cow and equipment and in handling the milk. Any one who's ever visited has not had any concerns about then drinking the milk. I would think that if you could see how carefully the cows are cared for and how the milk is handled, it would go a long way in allaying your fears.

[Chakra]

I did a lot of reading on this and 100% believe raw is much much better then pasturized. I would just do research on the dairy it comes from. I assume a local dairy. Drive by it if you can. Call and ask questions. Make sure its grass fed and ask how many outbreaks/recalls they have had. I know organic pastures has never had a outbreak and are very clean.

I was a little weird when I 1st started on it too. I drank the 1st couple gallons myself before giving it to the kids. My kids now know the difference in milks. They only drink raw. My little milk snobs!

[meesh38]

Thank you both. I think that is a great idea to visit the farm. It would be a nice day trip and I'm sure it would make me more comfortable to see how clean they are.

[meesh38]

Originally Posted by Chakra

I know organic pastures has never had a outbreak and are very clean.

I did find this. ??
http://www.knbc.com/news/9913052/detail.html

[spughy]

In that case, I believe the entire dairy was tested, retested, and tested again, plus a lot of the milk on store shelves was tested, and they never actually found any e.coli... health officials jumped to the assumption that it was the milk, but there were other culprits (hot dogs I think??? I forget). Maybe someone with more local info can fill you in... but I do know that Organic Pastures has been cleared every time there's been even a small question about contamination.

[JulieSilk]

Raw milk is far better than pasturized, homogonized etc. A family member of mine has been a quality control lab tech for a few dairies. It's frightening to hear the stories of what goes on at these places. I will not scare you will all of those stories, but consider this....

They take a natural milk product, drive it a few hundred miles. Then mix it with batches from all over the place. After, they heat the milk to a high temp killing the bacteria along with all of the vitamins. Lastly, vitamins are added back in. Does this sound natural? I've drank raw milk for years before moving to this country and I was fine. It isn't readily available where I currently live.

[GoddessKristie]

Originally Posted by Odilia

People have been drinking milk for thousands of years. It's only for about the past century that people have been cooking it (pasteurizing it) first.

This sums up my reasoning perfectly.


In addition to this fact, milking is now cleaner than ever. With the new equiptment there's a much lower risk of contamination, especially on a small farm where the milk is handled a minimum of times.

[MRJmama]

It really is all the handling and processing that increases risks for contamination in milk. This is the reason pasteurization is needed. When you buy raw milk from a local farm you don't need all the handling and the risk of contamination is low. Plus you get all the other benifits of having raw milk.