Raw milk scare

[bobm]

In this morning's " The Columbian" newspaper , Clark County ,Washington ... At a small town just 10 miles from us, produces and sells raw cow and goat milk to the public in 5 small grocery stores in nearby towns. The farmers started selling raw milk, cream as well as eggs, beef, and pork in 2011. A few days ago, a routine sample by the Washington State Department of Agriculture found the dairy's raw cream was contaminated with listeria monocytogemes. As a result the dairy recalled all cow and goat raw milk and cream from the stores and asked the buyers to throw out all of their raw products. After learning of the contamination , the owners of the dairy decided to close the dairy . They said that they were planning to close it in a few years, however the contamination just sped up the process. " It's a bittersweet goodby. " said the owner. ...

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grew up drinking raw milk. Once I reached a certain age I was often the one milking the cow by hand. Even before I started milking myself one of my chores was to go to the corn crib and shell corn or select nubbins for the cow to eat while she was being milked. I have no fear of raw milk as long as I know how it is handled.

In a commercial setting, I don't know how it is handled. There is a fair chance the people that run that dairy didn't do anything drastically wrong. it's more that when milk, raw or not, is handled, transported, and stored things can happen.

That's a sad story.

 

[canesisters]

... too far away...dang!..... I'm shoping for a dairy cow.....

 

[Smart Red]

I am with ridge runner here. I used to strip the cows after milking and I love milk straight from the cow. Never had a problem with it at home.

 

[seedcorn]

... too far away...dang!..... I'm shoping for a dairy cow.....

R U nuts??????? Milk her 2X a day, every day, for the rest of your life???? I married my wife, not going to be married to an dang old stinky cow! No thank you, I will GLADLY pay whatever the price for dairy products.

(turn on sarcasm meter as you read but I am serious as heart attack on no milking cows, goats, sheep...... For me).

 

[frontiergirl53]

@seedcorn my great-grandpa said he got to where he milked the cows once a day and that fed his 7-person family just fine. He said that same expression "I'm married to your grandma, not to that ol' cow..."
He raised black angus but would always get a blonde cow every now and then and that's how we learned genetics!

 

[seedcorn]

No idea on beef breeds how often you have to milk them but dairy cows will develop mastitis if not kept milked. But even 1 X a day is more than I'm willing. I'll pay.

On automatic milkers, cows will go 3-4X a day to get milked. Must feel good to drain udders.

 

[Smart Red]

Seedcorn, you certainly do know how to put reality into clear view. I have a friend who has had to milk before and after school every day for 50 some years. She always said that when her spouse dies, she's calling the auction house before the coroner.

 

[seedcorn]

@Smart Red she is very dedicated or as I tell my dairy friends, it's an addiction-worse than herion...

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I was raised on raw milk starting as an infant. My daughter has been milking cows and goats for about a year for her first job. There is a store and they sell raw milk. She just quit and got a job a lot easier. She loved it, but was not making very much money. She likes her new job and does not miss the milking now. I am proud of her for being able to work hard and get dirty.