Getting Our Milk Certification

We’re getting ready to sell our milk in our local co-op and also our little downtown store. But first, we had to go through all the state inspections the last few weeks. We passed with flying colors. In fact, when the state inspector walked into our milking “parlor,” he said, “This is the nicest raw milk facility I’ve seen.” (I’m convinced it was the …

… dainty curtains I put up.)

This is a dream come true for me—something I’ve wanted ever since I was a 10-year-old helping out on my uncle’s dairy farm. (Back then, dairies were still small.) I’ve had a milk cow on and off ever since my children were toddlers, but I’ve never jumped through all the hoops to be able to sell it until now.

Thank you Emma, Maizy, and Chocolate. You girls are the bestest bessies ever.

Here is inspector Scott, in our food-packaging facility, taking a sample of milk to be sent away for testing.

We’ll be selling our milk in half-gallon canning jars with plastic reusable lids. We’re billing it as “Cream-Top Milk” (an old-fashioned term). We’ll also have a “bouquet” of adorable, colorful ladles for sale for scooping the cream off each jar. Butter anyone? (My ancestors are finally nodding their heads, “She’s done right by the Butters part of her name.”)

  1. Laurie Dimino says:

    Congratulations MaryJane on your dream come true! Sure do wish I lived close by so I could come and get some of that delicious milk! Good luck in your newest venture!
    Hugs,
    Laurie

  2. Debra Davis says:

    Yes, congratulations on this venture! I grew up drinking milk out of glass gallon jars–from the local dairy and my grandparents’ cows. My gramma churned butter for years. Good memories of good food…thanks for bringing it back.

  3. Christine McCombs says:

    Congrats! Wish I lived closer to get some! Best to you in your new item! Love the canning jar idea. I use these jars with the plastic lids to store sugar, cornmeal, beans, and etc. Use them also with the regular canning lids and then use my vac sealer on the lids to keep things even fresher! Great for cheese in the fridge, doesn’t mold if left in there for awhile. Doesn’t happen very offen at our house though! Everyone loves Cheese!! God Bless.

    • MaryJane says:

      Hi Christine,
      My DIL has been turning our extra milk into cheese for several months now. We have an entire fridge full of cheese. You’re right, big YUM!

  4. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Wow, this is so cool!!! When I grew up, the milk was delivered to our house twice a week in those glass jars with the cream on top. Now the only downside I can remember was when the cows got into the wild spring onions which translated to a slight onion odor and taste( or so us kids insisted!). Do you have the same thing happen out there?

    • MaryJane says:

      Actually, we used to have a delivery dairy here but when they threw in the towel in 2005, I bought all their equipment. We worm our cows with garlic on a regular basis and when we do, we make sure to make up batches of “garlic” cheese! Definitely what a cow eats, ends up in the milk.

  5. Joan N. says:

    Congratulations MaryJane…you are an amazing person!

  6. Ellbee H. says:

    I was excited to see your milk being sold at the co-op. We tried it right away and my husband and I are enjoying every delicious drop of it. This is what milk is supposed to taste like. Knowing it is fresh, raw, and local makes it simply the best. I really like the glass jars and the lids, too. Do you have plans to sell other products made with your milk, such as plain yogurt?

    • MaryJane says:

      Thanks for buying our milk! We truly appreciate it. We give a shout out of daily bottles sold to all involved here at the farm. No, nothing else planned for the immediate future. We want to concentrate on just the milk for now. But maybe we could teach some yogurt and cheese making classes here at the farm? My DIL has mastered making every kind of cheese, etc.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *