Got Milk?

This weekend, we learned about milk! Our friends are bottle feeding a few calves and were so kind to invite us to help. Amy filled large bottles with fresh milk and gave a quick lesson on the basics.

They were so cute... the calves and our kids! Being so young, the calves are still small and soft, but they are very determined to get dinner. If the flow was interupted or the bottle tipped just a bit, they butt and jerk with enough force to pull the bottle out of little hands. That is why Ethan fed them for 45 seconds and went back to climbing fences. Abigail and Samuel, on the other hand, were sad when the job was done.

After the calves finished their bottles, we all went to see Nathan in the barn.

We met Nathan our first summer in VA (2007) while we were both working at Polyface Farm. Since then, he has pursued his interest in farming and started a small grass based dairy. Twice a day, he walks his cows in from the pasture and milks them. He is producing really great milk.

Since it is not legal to buy raw milk (not pasteurized), we recently bought a share of his herd. Like other families in the area, we pay a small amount for Nathan's labor and get one gallon of fresh milk each week.

Our kids have been drinking Nathan's milk for a few weeks, so they loved getting to see the entire process.

Ethan was pretty excited when he watched the milk fill the container. He'll never think about that white liquid he pours on his cheerios in quite the same way. Education is amazing!

Nathan and Amy are newly weds. One month ago, I watched as they worshiped God, honored their parents and exchanged vows. Their reception was filled with family and friends who all enjoyed local fruits and artisanal cheeses. They both believe in producing healthy local food and being faithful stewards of the land and their animals.

What a blessing that our milk no longer arrives with a barcode, but is produced and packaged by friends. Got milk? We do!