There are two different kinds of raw milk:

 

1. Raw milk intended for human consumption.

2. Raw milk intended for pasteurization.

 

A dairy whose intent is to produce milk as a commodity to be sold for pasteurized products operates very differently from a raw dairy whose end product is meant to be consumed raw. There are different standard operating practices and milk testing methods.

 

Over the years, there have been a small number of illnesses and deaths that have been attributed to raw milk consumption. However, it is important to know that NONE of these instances have been from raw milk that was intended for human consumption! This is an important distinction that media outlets, the FDA, CDC, and other food safety officials fail to understand when these rare instances occur and are reported. It is true that raw milk can serve as a carrier for harmful pathogens. However, there are many simple practices that can be done to dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of pathogens being in the milk's environment. 

 

Here at Shumway Farms, we are very focused on producing raw dairy products that are safe, nutritious and delicious! Here are some of our practices that are very different from conventional dairies that produce milk as a commodity intended for pasteurization:

 

• We do not give anti-biotics or Bovine Growth Hormones (BST) to our cows - This ensures that our cows maintain healthy gut bacteria levels and strong immune systems. This means that their manure is full of the same good gut bacteria. This will ward off pathogens from developing in the manure. Stagnant manure in a confined space is the number 1 source of pathogens found on conventional dairies.

• We pasture our cows as much as possible - While we cannot graze our cows all year round (it is Wyoming...), we do operate a very efficient grazing program to maximize the growing season so that our cows can be grazed a good 4-5 months of the year. Healthy pastures cannot support pathogen life. This also means the cows are not confined to a small barn space where large amounts of manure can collect (dairy cows do produce a lot of manure!). Even in the winter months, we try to allow our cows the freedom to go outside at their leisure so as to mitigate too much confinement. Obviously during harsh weather it's best for them to hunker down in the free-stall barn, which is why we will, at times, keep them confined to shelter.

• We limit the amount of grain our cows consume - Grain is a very essential part of a lactating cow's diet. She requires extra protein and calories in order to stay healthy during her lactation cycle (extra calories that she cannot obtain by grazing or eating forage alone). This is why grain is very important. A healthy dose of grain is about 1% of a cow's body weight in pounds. However, too much grain is not healthy for a dairy cow. A cow's rumen is very sensitive and too much grain can ferment in her system, killing much of the good gut bacteria that keep her immune system strong and her milk healthy. A significant overdose of grain can result in even more health problems for the cow. Many conventional "factory dairies" feed their cows more grain than they should. This may result in higher levels of milk production, but cow immune systems are weakened and milk nutrition levels decline. A cow with healthy gut bacteria and a strong immune system will produce antibodies and other healthy bacteria that will be present in not only her milk, but also her manure. This makes it very difficult for pathogens to develop in manure, which is typically the number one source of pathogens on conventional dairies! Hence, healthy cows not only procude healthy milk, but also healthy manure, which mitigates the growth of pathogenic bacteria on a farm. Cool, huh?!

• We keep our barn and milking equipment super clean - Clean milking procedures are a must when producing raw milk intended for human consumption! When you know your milk is going to be pasteurized, then it is easy to get a little lax in your processes.