Why should I drink raw milk?

It tastes great! We believe that even if you knew how good it was for you, you still wouldn’t drink it if it didn’t taste good.

It’s nutritious! Raw milk is unique in that it is the only significant source of a complete food in our diet that is not processed in some form before being eaten.* For instance, the enzymes are all available, whereas in pasteurized milk, less than 10% remain. What this means, is that your body can more readily utilize all of the nutrition that is available in this milk. That’s good for you, and it’s great for your kids! The protein is 100% available, all 22 amino acids, including 8 that are essential. All 18 fatty acids are metabolically available. These are altered by heat in the pasteurization process. Vitamins are all 100% available, and in pasteurized milk they are significantly altered. Minerals are all 100% metabolically available. Calcium is altered by the heat of pasteurization and the loss can be as much as 50% or more.

How long will Raw milk last?

About two weeks. Raw milk is a highly perishable food. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it will sour quickly (although it may, depending on what bacteria are present), but that it changes and degrades quickly. Even if it doesn’t sour, after a couple of weeks the cream will become very thick and won’t mix back with the nonfat, the vitamins and enzymes will degrade, it will change consistency and flavor. Raw milk is best when consumed within the first week but will last about two weeks. At Claravale we put an approximate one week “Purchase By” date on the bottle, which means you have about one week after the date on the bottle to drink it.

Is Raw milk dangerous?

Claravale Farm is licensed by the State of California to produce raw milk and we are regularly inspected by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for milk quality, cleanliness and pathogens. Our partnership with the State really helps to produce a clean, quality and healthy product.

Raw milk is no more dangerous than other unprocessed foods. The potential pathogens that may occur in raw milk are the same as those which can occur in other foods such as produce, meat, fish, and pasteurized and processed dairy products. If produced correctly, there is nothing about raw milk that makes it any more likely to contain these organisms. As with all foods, if they are produced carefully and correctly they are safe. Any foods which are produced incorrectly or mishandled can be dangerous. In our 80 year history, no consumers of Claravale Farm milk have ever died or gotten sick from milk born pathogens and no pathogens have ever been detected in the milk. Much of this safety record lies in the fact that we are a small dairy, use old-fashioned, time honored production methods, and handle the milk properly. Part of this proper handling includes having an appropriate “Purchase By” date so that the milk is always sold fresh.

Is Claravale Farm Raw milk Organic?

We are not certified organic, however, at Claravale Farm we use the following production methods: We feed our cows nothing but high quality organic hay, dairy feeds, and pastures. We do not use pesticides. We do not use antibiotics on the milking herd. We do not use bovine growth hormone or any other hormones to artificially increase milk production. We do not use or feed the cows genetically modified organisms.

Are Claravale Farm’s cows totally pasture fed?

No. We feed our cows a traditional diet of hay, feeds, and pastures. Claravale Farm is a traditionally run dairy and we don’t think total pasture feeding of dairy cattle is appropriate for a number of reasons. Contrary to popular belief, total, year round pasture feeding is not natural for cattle and is not the way in which dairy cattle have historically been managed. More typical is for dairy cattle to get access to some pasture for a short period of time during the natural growing season (winter and spring here) and to be fed mostly hay, grain and other produce during the rest of the year. This is what we do at Claravale. In this way, farmers have historically taken advantage of natural yearly cycles of rainfall and production. Year round pasture feeding of dairy cows requires the artificial creation of year round pastures by intensive irrigation, which requires energy and water, both limited resources in California.

Dairy cattle produce large quantities of milk, which puts a large strain on their bodies. Pastures alone are seldom adequate to keep them in good enough condition to be able to keep up this production without burning out. Dairy cows need additional nutrition to be in top condition.

Grass fed cows produce milk that has an “off” flavor. The older literature contains many references to the fact that cows which are on pasture produce milk which tastes bad. It is usually recommended in this literature that the cows be taken off of the pasture for a few hours before milking to limit this effect. These days, this is not a factor with most milk producers (including organic milk producers) because the milk is cooked and processed before sale so it doesn’t taste good anyway. The effects of the grass on milk taste will be masked by the effects of all the other processes. Every year when our cows do get some pasture we always get complaints about the taste of the milk. At Claravale Farm, taste is an important component of quality so we don’t totally grass feed our cows, but rather give them a varied, traditional diet designed to keep them healthy while producing delicious milk.

Why does Claravale milk come in returnable glass bottles?

Natural, unprocessed milk has a delicate flavor and, if improperly handled, can readily pick up foreign flavors from the environment. Milk in waxed or plastic containers can taste like the packaging. Glass has traditionally been used to package milk because it preserves its flavor and freshness. Also, reusable glass bottles are good for the environment because they never have to go to the landfill.

What breed of cows does Claravale Farm have?

We have Jerseys. This breed is world renowned for the quality of its milk, which contains higher concentrations of proteins, solids, butterfat, and beta-caroteen than other breeds. Milk sold in supermarkets comes mostly from Holsteins, which produce larger quantities of more watery milk. Due to their breeding, Holstein milk also contains higher levels of Bovine Growth Hormone than Jersey milk.