Who to believe?

Raw milk--so much controversy.

Each state has its own laws regulating raw milk. In Texas it can be bought directly from the farm on which it is produced. There is a lot of information available, and I will add some links, but anything I say here is my own opinion and a result of my own research. Any risk you take in your life is your own, as is mine.

Some people, especially those who would profit, would have you believe that raw milk will kill you. Some people never look past that statement to find out the truth. It is true that raw milk, improperly handled, can be dangerous. Raw milk from cows that have been improperly handled is also dangerous. But so is store-bought spinach.

Milk began to be pasteurized in the early 1900's, when people began to get sick after drinking milk from sick cows. At this time, some dairy farmers thought it was convenient to raise their cattle near breweries and feed them the byproducts. Since cattle naturally eat grass, not grain, this made them sick. The answer, instead of treating the cows properly, was to pasteurize the milk.

Also, the purpose of homogenization is to make milk last longer on the shelves, which benefits nothing but the profits of the producer. But I digress.

There are several reasons why pasteurized milk is less beneficial than raw milk. And ultra-pasteurized is the devil's own child. When milk is raw and starts to go bad, it sours, but can still be used in cooking. When milk is pasteurized and goes bad, it rots and is good for nothing. This post could end up very long if I try to tell you everything I have learned about the benefits and risks of raw milk, so I will include several links to the (in my opinion) best information.


Where to start
More
Info
More Info
And Yet More

There's LOTS more information out there if you look for it, both in favor and against.

There are at least two certified raw cow's milk dairies in Texas. Sand Creek Farm is up near Waco, probably about and hour and a half to two hours away for me. The other is Stryk Jersey Farm near Schulenberg.

It's only about an hour away for me.

$5 each.

I can't even begin to tell you the difference in taste. I drank milk every day of my life, but I also drank Cokes. After I had cancer and went through chemo, my bones were tested and found to be osteopenic, the predecessor to osteoporosis. Obviously pasteurized milk was not enough to counter the effects of sodas or the devestation of chemo to my bones. Even though I drank it EVERY SINGLE DAY! For that reason I started drinking raw milk. I can't drink it every day now, because I can't go down to Schulenburg that often, but I don't drink cokes anymore either.