If you’re new to the world of raw milk, it can feel VERY overwhelming! If you’re wondering where to buy raw milk, how to make sure it’s safe, and how to find a safe farm with high standards, this article is going to answer all your questions!
Check out my guide: How To Find Safe Raw Milk for the ultimate resource on where to buy raw milk and how to find a farm with safe milking practices for your family!
I’ve been using raw milk for 3 years now, ever since I switched to follow more of an Ancestral/Weston A Price diet in our family.
I’ve learned a lot over the years – and I’ve had the privilege of interviewing experts in the field of raw milk safety. I’m excited to share their tips with you! I’m passionate about families having access to SAFE raw milk, and for that reason I want to provide more resources for you then simply telling you where to buy raw milk.
If you’re interested in more educational content about raw milk safety and how to find a safe raw milk farm, please watch this video on my YouTube Channel. I had the privilege of visiting a raw milk farm and talking to the farmer who sits on the board at the Raw Milk Institute. Her passion is for mentoring farmers and teaching them to produce raw milk safely.
You’ll definitely want to watch that video! I’ll link it below!
What is the Difference Between Raw and Pasteurized Milk?
Raw Milk is milk that comes straight from the cow’s udder, into the jar. It’s not altered or heated or processed in anyway.
Pasteurized milk is heated after it’s been pumped. Heating the milk destroys all of the bacteria in the milk and most of the nutrients and vitamins as well. Pasteurized milk is essentially “dead” milk – it is highly processed so that nothing living is left in the milk.
Raw milk contains bacteria that is incredible for our gut health and microbiome. It’s nutrients are in a very bioavailable and easily digestible form. It’s milk in the form that our ancestors have always consumed it for thousands of years.
Many people who are intolerant to dairy can actually tolerate raw, A2/A2 milk.
Is Raw Milk safe?
Raw milk is what our ancestors have drank since the beginning of time and in and of itself, is very safe.
The issue is that some farms that sell raw milk are not producing it safely. My Guide on how to find safe raw milk goes into this more, but here are the basic questions you want to ask your farmer to figure out how they’re producing raw milk and if it is safe:
1. Where do your cows live and what do they eat?
2. Do you test your cows for disease?
3. How do you clean your cow’s udders before milking?
4. Do you strip the teats before milking?
5. How fast is your milk less than 40 degrees?
6. How do you clean your equipment?
7. Do you test your milk for coliform & standard plate count?
Where to Buy Raw Milk:
Now the real question – where to buy raw milk?!
I recommend visiting the Raw Milk Institute’s website to find a farm with high cleanliness standards. All of the farms following the Raw Milk Institute’s standards are going to be absolutely safe. Visit the raw milk institute here.
Given that there are very few farms listed on RAWMI website (if there’s one close to you, consider yourself lucky!), you will probably need to use another search engine to find raw milk.
The following websites are search engines specifically designed to help connect you with local dairy farmers. It’s up to the consumer to do their own research on a farm and decide if the raw milk is safe to drink. These websites give a great starting point:
www.realmilk.com
www.getrawmilk.com
If you would like my free checklist of questions to ask your raw milk farmer to figure out if their milk is safe, you can download my free printable checklist by joining my email list below:
Raw milk is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, and historically people have relied on it and thrived on it for many years. Making sure that your source is a clean, small farm with high standards is one of the most important things you can do to make sure your milk is safe. You can also ask to visit the farm and meet the dairy farmer and dairy cows. No farmer should make you feel bad for asking questions or wanting to see the process for yourself. It’s your job to do your research and choose the farm that feels like the best match for you and your family!
Here’s to more safe raw milk!
