Farm Fresh PRODUCTS

No farm is complete without a garden, chickens and at least one cow for farm fresh food! Our small dairy provides fresh, raw milk to our local community. We milk once a day and often share the milking experience with farm guests, field trips, and clients. Once bottled, our milk is delivered to our neighbor’s farm market, Grindstone Gardens*, to sell to herdshare members (see below for herdshare information).

We also have chickens and grow a garden primarily for personal use, but love taking any excess eggs or garden produce to Grindstone Gardens along with the milk.

*We hope you visit Grindstone Gardens whether or not you buy our products there! They are located at the corner of McDonald Road and Pine Hill Road (1554 S. McDonald Road SW, McDonald, TN, 37353).

HOW TO JOIN OUR RAW MILK HERDSHARE

Want to buy raw, unpasteurized milk for drinking or for making cheese, milk kefir, yogurt, or butter? First, give us a call or check with the folks at Grindstone Gardens to make sure we are accepting new herdshare members. If we are, then either go to Grindstone Gardens during open hours or set up an appointment with us to sign Herdshare Agreement, go over the Herdshare Rules, pay the buy-in fee ($20 plus a case (6) of Ball mason jars), and get your first milk! After that, you can stop by Grindstone Gardens any time to pick up milk (but you can get fresh produce too if you go while they’re open!).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “herdshare” and why do I have to buy into a herdshare to purchase raw milk? In many of the states, raw (unpasteurized) milk is a highly regulated food for various reasons. In Tennessee, you may only purchase raw, unpasteurized milk if you own a cow or part of a cow or if you purchase it as pet food. We prefer to sell shares in our herd to selling “pet food”. Here is some more information about raw milk.
What all is “done” to your milk? After milking the cows by machine into a stainless steel jug, we filter the milk directly into clean, glass jars and refrigerate. That’s it. Nothing taken out; nothing added.
What other dairy products do you offer? We prefer to just sell you the milk, but we also sell heavy cream and occasionally butter, cheese or ice cream.
Are your cows grass-fed only? No. They are fed grain at milking time to maintain their caloric needs. (It takes a lot of calories to make milk! Ask any mama!)
Do you feed your cows organic or non-GMO feed? No. We buy feed made specifically to meet the nutritional needs of dairy cows. While we could probably buy organic or non-GMO, it would at least double the price of the milk.
Do you give antibiotics to your cows? Our cows are kept as healthy as possible, as naturally as possible. When we suspect mastitis or another health issue, we try natural remedies first, but will use antibiotics or other medications as needed, following the recommended milk withdrawal period.
Are your cows A2A2? We do have some cows that are A2A2. Our milk is labeled by cow, and if you are specifically wanting A2A2, you can ask us which cow’s milk to look for.
How long do raw milk products last? We try to maintain a high level of cleanliness so that our milk products last as long as possible, usually at least two weeks and often longer. Some people say that raw milk never goes bad; it just clabbers and becomes useful for cheese or other products. However, most of us agree that fresh is best! Please plan to use your milk within two weeks of purchase. If you encounter a jar that has soured or grown mold within two weeks before being opened, discard and let us know right away.