Keeping Your Own Family Milk Cow-
the basics you need to know to be a milkmaid!
So you have dreamed and yearned about having your own cow but maybe hesitant to take the plunge?
You don't know how to milk?
Never been that close to a cow?
Need to talk your family into it?
What in the world do you need to care and house a cow?
Oh yes I have been there!
We started with 2 beef cows and a few chickens. I had NEVER been near livestock before except maybe at a petting zoo. And I grew up in the "country". After having a few wild cows, a beligerant donkey and some great laying hens we made the plunge a few years ago and bought a herd of 11 Scottish Highlanders. Then after a calf was rejected by it's mother I was now hands on raising a calf! Boy what a learning curve that was. The next year I was finally fed up with conventional milk we got in the store. I tried organic milk but thought it didn't taste quite right with me. So now I said to my husband we need a milk cow. Luckily I have a great husband who loves animals (after all he talked me into farming!!!). We found Molly at a farm over in Apulia from a farmer I knew growing up. Molly was 2 years old, not tame and due to have her fist baby in a few weeks. It ended up being a few months but she was a great girl, had a nice heifer (girl calf) and I was now a milkmaid. I had NEVER handled a cow! Never milked a cow. Now Matt had but that was at a dairy with machines. Luckily he is a great mechanic with lots of family in the dairy business. In a few days he had a milking machine up and running. In those in between days it was horid! Her teats were small and difficult to handle. Milking started at 4 am and went to 6 am when Matt had to go to work. We were sore, miserable and I was ready to give up. This is much harder than I ever thought!
So now entering our 6th year together, Molly and I are a team. I have a machine I refuse to live without and a cow that gives and gives. Plus a husband and son that adore milk, butter, cheese, icecream, yogurt,........
Molly calved a big healthy bull calf in August and giving some great milk.
I have a 2nd jersey we purchased in the early spring from a local dairy. Her name is Amber, she is 3 years old and giving 4 1/2 to 5 gallons day. Now that Molly is in milk I have decided to sell Amber. We are almost swimming in milk and really can't feed another cow over the winter. Interested in a young jersey already trained for milking? Give us a call and come meet her.
I really wish I had someone to learn from when we started, the learning curve would have much more pleasurable!!!
Yes! You want a cow!
Yes! You want to try it!
Yes! You can do it!
Yes! You should take the class to get ready for your girl's arrival!
This is a unique and intensive hands on class class that will cover basic handling, feeding and care of your cow , pasture management, fencing, housing, care of her calf, milking (by machine - I have 2 different machines and by hand), how to handle all that milk and whatever questions you have. We'll show you how to make butter and if time permits a simple, easy mozzerella cheese.
We must have at least 2 people attending to hold the class.
$200 per person or $300 for a couple. Adults only please.
This includes homemade lunch featuring our farm products and other local items
AND
includes copy of Joann S. Grohman's book Keeping a Family Cow .
Classes start at 8 am and finish by 5pm.
Our next class is scheduled for:
Sunday October 17th
315-677-3747
A deposit of $100 is required at booking and the remainder is due the day of class.
Please wear appropriate foot wear for pasture walking. Be prepared for inclimate weather and getting dirty (a change of clothes sometimes is a good thing to bring).
