How to Buy Raw Milk

Need to buy raw milk? While you can find and purchase raw milk in grocery and health food stores in California, consumers in Maryland do not have it so easy. Every state in between has its own rules, but there are ways to work with even the strictest raw milk regulations. You can get raw milk for as little as $4 a gallon in some areas, while it will cost $12 a gallon in the more expensive places. Here's how to buy raw milk wherever you live:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Buy Raw Milk

1. Find out if you can buy raw milk retail in your state, or if it can be purchased directly from dairy farmers. If so, you may be able to buy raw milk at your local farmer's market. Find out what the laws are by going to the Real Milk Campaign website.

2. 

   Find your local Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter leader through the WAPF website. Your local chapter leader will be able to advise you on how to buy raw milk in your own area.

3. Look for a cow share or cow herd co-op nearby. Search the Eat Wild and Local Harvest web sites to find dairy farmers nearby. You will then need to contact the farmers directly and find out if you can buy raw milk from them through a cowshare program.

4. 

   Begin to purchase raw milk through your source after evaluating its safety and the cleanliness of the farm. If the dairy is a Certified Raw dairy, you can buy raw milk there with confidence. Otherwise, make sure that the dairy adheres to the Raw Milk Standards USA or to the criteria for grass-based raw milk discussed on the Weston A. Price Foundation website.

5. 
   Buy raw milk

   Enjoy the delicious beverage and continue to buy raw milk. To your health!

Tips & Warnings

• Ask about raw milk at health food stores. Often, the owners may know a source.
• Attend the Weston A Price Foundation conference to find raw milk sources.
• Read The Milk Book and Nourishing Traditions to learn the health benefits of raw milk.
• Be sure that your raw milk source is clean and grass-based with a minimum of grain fed to the cows.

Resources

• Raw Milk books on Amazon
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine: Improving Health and Longevity
• The Milk Book: The Milk of Human Kindness Is Not Pasteurized
• The Untold Story of Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Products
• Natural Health Information articles and tips
• Official Real Milk website
• My Kids Drink Raw Milk
• Natural Health books, resources

[showpup]

on 10/30/2008 Great topic! As a former dairy goat operation owner I can also offer another tip for those finding it hard to purchase directly from farms due to regulations on raw milk sales for human consumption. 'for human consumption' is the catch phrase. If you're purchasing the raw milk to feed an orphan litter of puppies or a fawn, etc... it's perfectly fine in most places. Just be certain the farmer adheres to certain sanitary practices. No recent vaccinations/wormings, proper health testing (will have ear tags), no abscesses, Clean catch, glass containers, instantly strained with stainless steel equip, quick refrigeration, no bucks anywhere near milking does in the case of goats... Why not ask to watch the process? Most farmers will be thrilled you took the interest and you know it's done right and fresh. You may even get to help milk!

[GreenGardenChic]

on 4/6/2008 Raw milk makes the best homemade yogurt.

[bmi57]

on 12/26/2007 I really miss the raw milk I grew up on. I will have to check further on it. Thank you for bringing back some memories of the good old days.

[presnick]

on 12/24/2007 I was raised on raw milk, and I miss the days when it was readily available. Thanks for the tips on finding it again!

[presnick]

on 12/24/2007 I was raised on raw milk, and I miss the days when it was readily available. Thanks for the tips on finding it again!