I’ve read that our nationwide grocery stores operate on a 3 day food supply.
That means that they have a constant inflow of new food deliveries that only supply the stores with enough food to sell over a 3 day period.
That thought scares a lot of people (though this article is a very well-reasoned dismissal of those fears and worth your time). It’s a tiny little bit nerve-wracking for me, if only in the context of the fact that I lived in Houston during Hurricane Ike and saw the store shelves nearly emptied the day before the hurricane hit.
This is one reason why I prefer to keep at least a couple of weeks worth of food and supplies in my house at all times.
But unless you’re a dedicated “end of the world as we know it” Prepper, you’re likely to be dependent on others for most of your needs.
Whether that means you are dependent on a grocery store, a local farmer, a local rancher, or your own backyard garden is irrelevant.
In the end, we’re all dependent on something outside of our control for our survival.
Heady stuff, in my opinion.
I had this brought home recently with two jarring developments.
As of right now, Zac has 6 safe foods. Specially raised goat milk and chicken eggs are two of them. I don’t think it is exaggerating to say a steady supply of his safe foods is imperative to his survival.
Last week, on my birthday, we had to do a goat milk run. Our wonderful goat milk lady had some news for us; her out-of-state daughter is having a baby – the first grandbaby for Miss Lois! That’s wonderful for her, and I’m thrilled for both of them.
However, Lois intends (as all good Mothers and Grandmothers should) to be present for the birth, and to stay for a couple of weeks afterwards to help out. All in all, she’ll be out of town for about a month.
She can’t find anyone to milk her goats while she’s gone, so she’s left with no choice but to dry up her girls by the middle of July.
So from July until next spring (when the goats have more babies and therefore more milk), I have lost my supplier of one of Zac’s only foods.
The second development came from my Dad. He’s been raising chickens on special corn and soy free feed so Zac can have the eggs.
A few weeks ago, one of his chickens became broody and decided to sit on her eggs. That’s great, because they’ll have more chicks! It’s lousy because it leaves him one layer short for the time being. (The chicks hatched last Saturday – 7 new chicks! Yay, Ethel!)
That didn’t deter us too much; it’s normal for a chicken to hatch her eggs, after all. What did deter us is what happened next.
Last week two of his free-range chickens didn’t come home to roost at bedtime. Some animal, probably a fox or coyote, ate the birds.
With Ethel happily sitting on her eggs, that left Dad 3 birds short for egg production.
Since Daddy had 6 layers, being 3 short meant a 50% reduction in egg production.
Instead of 3 dozen a week, he’s only getting 1.5 dozen eggs a week.
I’ve been rationing eggs. I no longer eat eggs, as it is far more important for Zac to have eggs to eat.
Dependency isn’t exactly a new concept for us: even in my garden I see signs of it. I mentioned how DE stopped bugs from eating my plants; varmints, however, have taken up the slack.
I have almost no collard greens or Swiss chard to use, as apparently it has become in-ground rabbit food.
(Strangely, the carrots have been left alone…so what’s with that stereotype?)
Back in January, when bad weather ripped through the nation, our regular monthly delivery of quinoa was delayed.
By two weeks.
We ran out of quinoa. Darrel and I desperately ran all over town, scavenging boxes of quinoa wherever we could find them, and at whatever price we could find them.
So what’s the point of pointing out our dependency? Is there really anything that can be done about it? Aren’t we all sort of at the mercy of others?
Well, yes…and no.
Yes, we are all dependent on others in many ways, but there are ways to seize some control.
It’s all about problem solving.
With the quinoa, I’ve since bought an extra case every few months so that we won’t run out and be desperate if a shipment is 2 weeks late again.
With the eggs, I plan to revisit some earlier reading I’ve done on ways to save eggs long term. I know I’ve read that you can freeze eggs, though I don’t remember the particulars, and I’m sure I’ve read something about another way to preserve fresh eggs without freezing that I should probably search out again.
Then, when egg production is back up high, I can set aside a few eggs per week so that if Daddy suddenly loses a few layers and production drops, I won’t have to worry about how we’re going to keep Zac in eggs during that time.
With the garden, I need to seriously look into the suggestion posed by my friend Ruth and seek an electric fence to keep critters out of my veggies.
Goat milk is a two-pronged approach. In addition to trying to find new suppliers of goat milk so that I can buy from two sources (hedging my bets against one of them running out or drying up), I’m also going to start buying more than we currently need and freezing it.
I’ve read that you can freeze goat milk for up to 6 months with only a slight diminishment in taste.
This is doubly important because, raw milk noob that I am, I didn’t realize that most goat milk providers do NOT have a year round supply of goat milk to sell!
So even if Miss Lois were not drying her girls up in July, we would still be faced with the unpleasant winter months where her goats would not be producing milk at all.
Ack!
Buying an extra gallon of two per week and freezing it in small jars will take up a lot of space in my freezers, but it will ensure that Zac and Jed can continue to drink goat milk throughout the dry months.
Speaking of goat milk, I’ve got a few leads on potential new suppliers, but nothing lined up yet.
Anyone know of a raw goat milk supplier in northwest Arkansas or southern Missouri that barely grains (or doesn’t grain) their goats? I’d sure appreciate the info!
Being dependent isn’t entirely a bad thing; it simply means that you must know the potential problems that may appear in your particular dependent relationship, and create a backup plan for how to solve those problems.
I didn’t know the “no milk in winter” thing about the goat milk. I didn’t anticipate that Daddy’s chickens would get broody or eaten. I didn’t think UPS would screw up our delivery for two weeks. I didn’t realize my veggies would be so tempting to critters.
Now, though, I DO know.
So now I can make plans for how to best provide for my children within the limitations of our dependencies.
Where and on whom are you dependent? What’s your plan for how to address any problems in supply?
Hey Carrie,
My friend lived for a year in the Ecuadorian rainforest with the Yanamamo people group. She kept her eggs fresh for a least a month at a time on her counter. All she had to do was to turn them every morning in the carton. (Meaning top to bottom–am I making sense?) Hope this nugget of information helps you.
Pam
Love this, Pam! The thing I’m remembering involved coating the eggs in some sort of oil, or something. Love that I wouldn’t need to do an extra step. Thank you!
The previous poster is correct, you don’t even have to refrigerate them, you can just keep turning them and it will keep them for a month. The fridge can extend the shelf life even further. Many of the commercial eggs that are in stores are there for months. Thank you for the info about the raw goats milk. We’re about to purchase our first half gallon next week (we’re still waiting for the supplier to tell us what the goats are fed). I’ve never given raw goats milk before, but she can’t have rice and reacts to it through my milk. Any tips on what one should do with raw goats milk? Do you just heat before you serve? Specific temp, or just give it straight cold and raw?
Good to know they’ll keep for that long in the fridge! Yay!
What to do with raw goats milk? DRINK IT! Heating it isn’t necessary; some even argue that heating it destroys enzymes and such and makes it less nutritious. I actually just prefer the milk ice cold – delicious!
As long as you have a trusted, clean source of milk, you really should have no problems with drinking raw milk. Hope it works well for you!
we have been through many scares including having to travel 5 hours to get the only safe formula and only enough to last 24hrs. some things that might help you I know from working in a restaurant scrambled egg wash can be frozen and comes out just fine, vacuum sealing boiled eggs preserves shelf life, and dehydrating the milk might be another option, at one point I was trying to get my hands on mare’s milk for a trial and someone was able to sell it dehydrated, where we live it is illegal to sell raw milk but if they dehydrate it its ok
Kerry, I’m so sorry you’ve also been through scares with foods. It’s terrifying, isn’t it?
I KNEW you could freeze eggs! I just couldn’t remember the details. That’s right – it was raw eggs that could be frozen! Thank you! And I didn’t know you could vacuum seal boiled eggs, but that’s great to know! Do you take the shells off first?
Huh. I wonder how you go about dehydrating milk. That would be wonderful if I could figure out how to do that myself. Yay! A new dehydrating project to research! 🙂
Thanks for all the good tips!
Carrie,
While I’m down to 4 laying hens with one on a temporary vacation with her chicks, I will have 9 more hens coming on line in about 2 months. I’ve deliberately selected breeds that are know for their higher productivity so we could keep a steady supply coming for all of us. Hens go through a molt every year where they shed and re-grow feathers. During this time they supposedly quit laying. Mine kept up production during their molts this year and also all winter long. They are supposed to slow way down or stop during the winter too. My older hens are some of the better laying breeds so maybe that and the organic feed helped them continue laying. Remember we saw a large increase in their output when we switched to the organic feed? Anyway, the 9 new hens will help stabilize the amount we will reap soon. I’m going to order 30 more chicks for July 16th which will also include 5 new hens. Ethel’s new chicks will be a surprise as to male/female but it will probably be the normal 50/50 ratio. While a hen is “setting” on eggs to hatch them they don’t lay and I’m not sure when they start to lay again after they hatch. Her absence from the “harvest” has been noticed since the others were lost though. Ethel is a great layer and so far a good mother.
If you scramble (don’t cook them!) the eggs and put them in old ice trays you can freeze them indefinitely. I would then recommend putting them in plastic zip-loc bags to prevent any absorption of odors though. I had heard of freezing a hard-boiled egg. I think you can either leave them in the shell or remove them. Coating an egg with vegetable or olive oil seals the pores in the shell from moisture loss and odor transgression. Egg shells are very porous. Funny, but the USA is one of the few places that refrigerates eggs almost immediately after being laid. It does slow down their going bad but isn’t necessary. If an egg has been refrigerated it isn’t a good idea to leave it out on the counter long though. Also, the egg, as it’s being laid, is coated with a “bloom” which coats the egg partially sealing the pores and helps prevent it’s deteriorization. Washing eggs removes the bloom and speeds up the downward process.
Did you know the egg carton has a code to tell when the eggs were packed? It shows the day of the year (from day 1 to day 365) and the year.
I’m thinking of getting some meat and milk goats but we’ll see! Cabrito…….YUM!!!
DP
I have read that you can dehydrate eggs. Scramble then pour on your tray, low temp. Seems like a way to use for baking and adding to smoothies. I imagine they would taste less than awesome (being kind) rehydrated. I’ve never had enough extra to try, but look into it. I have an excalibur and throw just about everything on it, so I believe it would work. Maybe experiment with cheap store eggs that someone else could eat until you get it figured out.
I’m game to try it! LOL Like you, I throw everything on my Excalibur and see what happens. 😉
Hey Carrie,
My step-sister lives in Missouri and has been on a crazy GI journey of her own over the last few years. She is super dialed into these types of things. Here are the resources she passed along to me regarding goat’s milk in MO. Hopefully one of them is close to you and works out. Brace yourself, lots of farms listed below.
Jenny Planeta
She said she likes to use this website to find raw milk: http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/ Here are the ones in MO that sell raw goat’s milk: Alton: COSO Farms, Chris and Sherri Orr, phone: 417-778-6592, email: coso14@hotmail.com, web: cosofarmslamanchas.com. Milk by the gallon from LaMancha dairy goats. They deliver to West Plains, MO once a week.
Real Milk Finder – A Campaign for Real Milk
http://www.realmilk.com
Anderson: Spring Haven Farms, Tom and Brenda Webb, phone: 417-845-3598, email: trwebb@olemac.net. Goat milk, no hormones or antibiotics used. Pasture-raised and fed, except for a little grain at milking time. Due to the overwhelming response, they are unable to accept any new customers at this time.
Bolivar: Email: walley5@juno.com. Jersey milk, goat milk, yogurt, raw butter, and whey. All hand-milked on their family homestead. No hormones or antibiotics used; pasture raised and fed. Free-range eggs from pastured chickens and grass-fed beef available at times.
Brookfield: Hope Haven Homestead, James, Kimberly and Zachary Lewis, Brookfield MO 64628, phone: 660-258-2238, email: believerinJesus@netzero.com, web: hopehavenhomestead.com. Small family farm, offering raw goat milk, cheeses, and butter made from purebred Nubian dairy goat milk, free-range eggs, freshly milled whole wheat breads and pastries made to order, jams, jellies, pickles, garden produce and goat milk soaps.
Buffalo:
Vanderosa Farm, email: vanderosafarm@gmail.com, web: goatmilk.weebly.com. Family owned and operated farm in rural Dallas County just east of Buffalo MO. They offer fresh or frozen raw milk (goat and cow) and raw milk yogurt (goat and cow), Chevre (goat milk cheese), and goat milk soaps.
Cabool: Te-Iltcohe Dairy Goats at Maranatha Farm (2 miles S of Cabool on HWY 181), phone: 417-962-2272. They have raw goat and cow milk. They milk Jerseys and use a rotational grazing system for the cows. The goats are also grazed. Goat milk sells for $4/gallon and cow milk for $3/gallon. Call to make arrangements to pick up the milk on the farm.
Cadet: The Lyons Family, phone: 573-436-1777, web: 4leggedfarm.com. Goat milk and some cheeses available year round from a herd of purebred Nubians, a few Saanens, Alpines, and LaManchas. Pick up dates are Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. See website or call for details,
California: Carpi Diem Goats, Anita (AJ) & Nick Janes, 31989 Hwy K, California MO 65018 (4 miles E of California and 13 miles West of Jefferson City), phone: 573-418 7618, email: carpidiemgoats@gmail.com. Raw goat milk, never pasteurized and naturally homogenized. No hormones, antibiotics, steroids, or GM grains used. All are raised on pasture, hay and grain are fed only during the milking process. $6/ gallon. Hoping to have fresh eggs, rabbits and ducks available soon. Some fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer. Email (preferred; checked several times daily) or call for more info.
Cleveland: Serene Caprines, Jeannett Nance, Cleveland MO (just S of K.C.), phone: 816-564-6328, email: Jeannett@serenecaprines.com. Raw goat milk available.
Doniphan: Top-Notch Ranch, Tim and Beth Bridges, Doniphan MO 63935 (SE Missouri), phone: 573-354-2713, email: topnotchboers@yahoo.com, web: geocities.com/topnotchranch. Raw goat milk for sale. $5/gallon; also sell by quart and half-gallon. They also raise and sell meat and milk goats.
Elkland: Rock Prairie, Val Dodd, Elkland MO, phone: 417-345-0004, web: freewebs.com/rockprairie/. Raw goat milk for sale.
Elk Creek: Tosh’s Heritage Farm, (a couple miles off Hwy 63), phone: 417-962-2882, email: toshfarm@yahoo.com, web: toshsheritagefarm.com. Goat milk, $5/gallon. Guaranteed no goat flavor, first half-gallon free. Will deliver to Cabool, MO. Also available: grass-fed lamb and beef, and free-range eggs.
Everton: Losing Creek Farm, (north of Everton), email: losingcreekfarm@gmail.com. Small family farm offering raw milk from LaMancha dairy goats and cows. Grass-fed beef/goat available seasonally. CAE/CL free herd.
Falcon: Hidden Brook Farm, Chuck or Lacey Donaldson, phone: 417-453-6745, email: gardengoat@msn.com. Goat milk by the gallon or half-gallon. No antibiotics or hormones used. Packaged in new milk cartons with self-sealing caps. Chevon available.
Ladd’s Family Farm, Norman & Karin Ladd, 6583 Highway F, Farmington MO 63640, phone: 573-747-1889, email: nkladd@aptitudeinternet.com. Hand-milked Nubian and Toggenburg goats, on pasture, hay, and goat grain ration. Natural practices used such as herbal goat wormer. For sale from their farm when available. Jersey cows on pasture, hay, and dairy cow grain ration. Eggs, pigs, fryer rabbits, produce when available for sale at the farm. Also selling at Farmington Farmer’s Market April-Oct. They take orders on pasture-raised meat chickens and turkeys. Member of American Pastured Poultry Producers Association. They have a farm shop/store at the farm, and welcome visits (call first). Bring your own glass jars, or you can pay a deposit on jars they provide.
Fenton: See Valerie Bequette, Richwoods MO under St. Louis area, below.
Festus: P&K Farms, John and Krissie Keen, phone: 573-915-8642, email: Krisske5@aol.com. Offering Jersey cow milk and Nubian goat milk.
Fredricktown: Udder Cream Farm, Mary Settle, email: UDDERCREAM@SBCGLOBAL.NET, web: uddercreamfarmgirl.tripod.com/, phone: 573-783-5662. Raw Jersey cow and goat milk.
UDDER CREAM FARM ALPINE AND NUBIAN GOATS
uddercreamfarmgirl.tripod.com
Harrisonville: New Beginning Farm, Jared & Rachel Heid, phone: 406-939-3839 or 406-939-4194. Jersey and Jersey/Guernsey cows and a Saanen goat. Grass-fed, grazed rotationally. Hay and small amount of corn at milking. Free choice minerals 24/7. Butter, yogurt, cow milk by the gallon. Goat milk by the quart or half-gallon. All glass jars. Farm tour upon request.
Jefferson City area, Midnight Milking Micro-”Moo-ery,” George and Annie Wolfe, 7606 Scott Rd, Russellville, Missouri 65074 phone: (573)-680-7085, email: Annecthill@gmail.com. Raw milk from small herd of registered Guernsey, Jersey and Brown Swiss cows and Oberhaesli and Nubian goats. They are pasture raised, free grazing and own-farm harvested hay, small amount of grain while sanitizing teats for milking. Brown eggs available and will also have naturally raised butchering hogs in November. Raw cow milk- $5/ gal and goat milk- $10/ gal. Please bring own containers. Located 15 miles southwest of Jefferson City in central Missouri.
Kirksville: Mini Jewell’s Dairy Farm, Natascha Jewell, 19856 Four Hill Way, Kirksville MO, phone: 660-627-0273, web: MiniMilkCows.com. Jersey cows, Miniature Jersey cows, and Nubian goats. They follow organic management practices although they are not a Certified Organic dairy. Their 2 Jersey cows, 4 Mini Jerseys and 2 Nubian goats roam and graze on 13 acres of grass and clover (no chemicals used). They are fed minimal whole or chopped grains during milking. They supplement their grain with minerals, Diamond V yeast culture, molasses, and apple cider vinegar. They use herbal dewormers and DE to deworm. No hormones or preventative antibiotics. They test all of the animals for TB, Brucellosis and Johne’s.
Marionville: Camelot Cattle Company, Marc and Michelle DeLong, 1642 Crumpley Drive, Marionville, MO 65705 (5 miles south of Billings, MO), phone: (417) 466-5436, email: michelle1050@sbcglobal.net, website: http://www.eagleswingsranch.synthasite.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CamelotCattleCompany. Registered Jersey cows and Nubian goats naturally pastured and on GMO-free, antibiotic-free, grain-free diets. Jersey milk: $5 per gallon, Nubian milk: $2 per quart. Pick up by appointment, most days/times available. Tours of the milk parlor, pastures, and meeting of the cows and goats are welcome.
Eagles Wings Ranch
http://www.eagleswingsranch.synthasite.com
VJ Farm, Jill Landers, Marthasville MO, phone: 636-433-5106, email: cccland@centurytel.net. Raw goat milk $10/gallon, half-gallons and quarts also available, free-range eggs, handmade goat milk soaps, rabbit meat, seasonal lamb and goat meat.
Milo: Crowned With Goodness Farm, The Yoder Family, Rt. 1 Box 173, Milo MO 64767 (50 mi. north of Joplin, 100 mi. south of Kansas City), phone: 417-884-2455, email: idgr@tiadon.com. Raw goat milk from Nubian and Alpine goats. Delivery to Kansas City area.
Mountain Grove area: Diligence Dairy Goats: phone: 417-962-0030., email: animalwaitress@yahoo.com. Raw goat milk from Alpine, Nubian, and cross breed milkers. No antibiotics, hormones, steroids used. Their philosophy is that nutrition is the first defense against illness and raise the goats accordingly. Delivery in Mountain Grove at Meadowbrook Natural Foods on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Limited quantities available; call to reserve. Half-gallon jugs for $3.
Mountain View: Morningland Dairy Cheese, phone: 417-469-3817, fax: 417-469-5086, web: morninglanddairy.com. All cheeses they make are raw milk cheeses, and are heated to 100 degrees or less. The cow milk cheeses include: Colby, Hot Pepper Colby, Garlic Colby, Mild Cheddar, Medium Sharp Cheddar, & Sharp Cheddar. Goat milk cheeses include: Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, and Colby. The only ingredients in the cheeses are raw milk, starter, vegetable rennet, and sea salt (except for the garlic and hot pepper cheeses).
Naylor/Fairdealing: Sun Down Ridge Farm, Larry D. Rackley – Richard E. Schuerbaum, Route 1, Box 2700, Naylor MO 63953, phone: 573-857-3206, email: Rawmilk4sale@aol.com. They have whole milk from hand-milked Jersey cows and goats year round. Sold by the gallon and available with advance ordering.
Ozark: The Yoder Farm, Doyle & Mary Yoder, 308 Hummingbird Rd, Ozark MO, phone: 417-581-2525, email: ozarkharper@gmail.com. Nubian goats provide raw milk and cheese for sale, and doelings and bucklings in the spring. Farm visits are encouraged, especially in the spring when the kids are young. Milking is done twice daily, into a double-walled frozen pail that cools the milk in less than 5 minutes. Milking is accomplished in a clean milk room of the newly constructed barn. Wheat hay is fed after the morning milking, and alfalfa hay is fed after the evening milking. A mix of whole oats, sweet rolled oats, whole sunflower seed, beet pulp, sweet chopped hay, and “Purina brand Goat Chow” is fed to the goats twice a day, while they are being milked. This is proportioned to the does according to their production. Eggs come from free-range, pastured chickens that are fed a non-medicated ration from Hubbard Feeds, and alfalfa hay in the winter. Twice a year broilers are raised in a movable structure, processed at the Yoder Farm, and frozen in shrink-wrapped plastic bags. There will be a farm store area when the project is completed.
Patton Junction: Green’s Garden, Patton Junction MO (Jct. Hwy 72 and 51), phone: 573-866-2204, web: greensgarden.com. Raw goat milk from grass-fed goats supplemented with Certified Organic grains. No antibiotics or chemical dewormers. Goats are milked by hand. Milk sold by the half-gallon and available with advance ordering. Also available: brick oven whole grains bakery, organically grown vegetables, organic pork.
Republic: Dennis and Debbie Sanders, 4804 South Farm Road 53, Republic, Missouri 65738, phone: 417-732-7050 home, 417-207-1473 cell, email: dsandersfarms@msn.com, Nubian does. They sell raw, sweet, quick cooled Nubian goats’ milk. The goats are fed a ration with no corn, and are fed alfalfa hay. Cleanliness is of utmost importance. Prices are $3/quart, $6/half gallon and $8/gallon. It is requested you provide two sets of your own cleaned jars. The first pint is free. Phone calls welcome anytime up to 11:00 p.m. Contact by phone, email or text. Pick-up at the farm at your convenience.
Rich Hill: Back Acres Farm, The Guenther family, Rich Hill MO, phone: 417-395-4983, email: fjsmg@klmtel.net. Raw milk from Jersey cross cows and Nubian/Alpine/Saanen goats. Their animals are mostly grass fed, and what grain is fed is sprouted first, to release the enzyme inhibiting factors, thus increasing the nutrient value of the grain. They never use distiller’s grain. Animals are grazed on annually soil tested pasture, with minerals, etc. added accordingly. Also, probiotics, and mineral supplements are given regularly. Milk sold by the half-gallon and gallon.
Red Horse Valley, LLC 12052 State Rt E, Rolla MO 65401 (between Springfield and St. Louis off I-44), email: email: redhorsevalley@gmail.com, web: redhorsevalley.com. Nigerian Dwarf raw goat milk. No antibiotics or hormones administered. Email for availability and appointment.
CherHill Dairy Goats, email: saanensandsables@aim.com. Raw goat milk sold in quart jars, from hand-milked goats. No antibiotics or hormones used. References available.
Milking Maiden, phone: 417-299-1357, email: milkingmaiden@gmail.com. Organic goat milk from does on pasture and given organic, non-GMO feed. No hormones, pesticides or antibiotics used. Herbal medicinals only as needed. Farm has over 12 years’ experience. $7.50/gallon, includes container, no jar deposit. Delivery locations in Springfield on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Windwood Farm Dairy Goats, phone: 417-840-0125. Goat milk from goats raised and fed on pasture except for a little grain at milking time. No hormones used. $7/gallon, $4/half-gallon, in your container, picked up at the farm. Call to set an appointment. Small first samples are free.
St. Francois Co: Cream and Crop, (a few miles from Hwy 67), phone: 573-760-6701 or 314-803-3063. Raw cow milk from Jersey, Jersey/cross, Milking Shorthorn and/or Holstein-cross cows, and goat milk from Alpine/Saanen-cross goats. The animals are mostly grass fed, with organic methods used as much as practical and possible. The cows and goats are machine milked and the milk is quickly bottled. Cows, goats and chickens are free to roam. (Free-range brown eggs, sweet ear corn, pumpkins, melons also available) Milk is sold by the gallon and half-gallon.
Ladd’s Family Farm, Norman & Karin Ladd, 6583 Highway F, Farmington MO 63640, phone: 573-747-1889, email: nkladd@aptitudeinternet.com. Hand-milked Nubian and Toggenburg goats, on pasture, hay, and goat grain ration. Natural practices used such as herbal goat wormer. For sale from their farm when available. Jersey cows on pasture, hay, and dairy cow grain ration. Eggs, pigs, fryer rabbits, produce when available for sale at the farm. Also selling at Farmington Farmer’s Market April-Oct. They take orders on pasture-raised meat chickens and turkeys. Member of American Pastured Poultry Producers Association. They have a farm shop/store at the farm, and welcome visits (call first). Bring your own glass jars, or you can pay a deposit on jars they provide.
MPG Nubians, Mary Grooms, phone: 636-377-2221, email: marygrooms1664@gmail.com. Raw milk from Nubian goats, on pasture 24/7 and fed Kent dairy milker 18 at milking time. All goats are hand milked twice daily. No hormones or antibiotics used.
Ross Valley Ranch. Web: rossvalleyranch.com/ Raising dairy and meat goats, chickens, and meat rabbits. Raw goat milk, kefir grains, goat milk kefir, eggs, and scented goat milk soap. See website to schedule appointment.
Warrensburg: Grand Design Nubians and Hope Eternal Nubians, Virginia “Ginger” and Nora McCoy (respective owners), 225 SE 200 Rd, Warrensburg MO 64093, phone: 507-290-5003, email: hopeeternalnubians@gmail.com, web: granddesignnubians.webs.com and hopeeternalnubians.webs.com. Raw whole goat milk from registered Nubian dairy goat herd. Herd is CAE negative. Animals run on pasture, and are hormone and antibiotic free. Fed natural alfalfa and grass hay and do get some grain. Animals, facility and milk are kept clean, milk is handled and cooled properly. Nubian kids may be available. On-farm pickup only. Farm is located 29 miles from Sedalia and 57 miles from Kansas City.
Wooldridge: Rohirrim Farms, phone: 660-839-2450, email: mlstock@c-magic.com, web: rohirrim_farms.tripod.com. Raw goat milk.
Wright City: Sarver Acres Farm, Stephen Sarver, Janice Sarver, and Rebecca Snider, 300 Zoar Church Road, Wright City, MO 63390. phone: 636-248-4464, email: mygoatmilk@gmail.com, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarverAcres. Registered nubian milk goats and registered boer meat goats. They are currently milking four does. Fed with high quality alfalfa hay, black oil sunflower seed, kelp, and Purina Noble Goat Dairy Parlor. No hormones used. Goat milk is sold by the quart and half gallon. They also offer chevre and farm cheese and goat milk soap. Nubian and boer kids for sale in the spring.
Jenny, you are such a doll! Thank you!
I used that website to find our previous goat milk, and in desperation I left a comment on the Arkansas listing asking if anyone could help. A lovely lady responded to that comment that her sister sells raw goat milk and gave me the contact info…and we just TODAY heard back that she could take us on as new customers! Yay!
But I will keep your awesome info around, just in case this arrangement ever falls through. 🙂 Thank you again!!
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One nice thing about goats – if you have the ability to keep a buck, you can breed the does at any time of the year. This is how I manage to have milk year round with just two does (and the does still get to raise their own kids for 3-4 months). The “buck effect” is a beautiful thing for small herd! LOL
That’s a good point! I think it would be wonderful to have goats. Maybe someday. If my parents get goats, I’ll point this out to them. 🙂
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We get raw milk from a farmer who also sells raw goats milk. His son will also be selling goats milk. They live in the Donniphan area if you are interested Right now the cow’s milk is $4 a gallon and the goats is $5 or $6 – I order occasionally for a friend but not enough to remember. He is super clean too.
Thank you! I really appreciate the info. Right now we have two excellent milk providers, but I’ll keep this in mind in case anything happens to either one of them.