Is your raw cheese actually raw? Or has it been greenwashed?

Imagine that you're shopping in a cheese department. You spot some raw cheese. Hooray! So, you buy the cheese. But then, you read the fine print on the back of the label. For example, on Organic Valley's raw cheeses, it says "Heated to 158F for 15 seconds". Ugh!!! What's up with this? Another greenwashed label? Shouldn't raw cheese not be heated at all? Doesn't heating to 158F negate the purpose of purchasing raw? Let's dive a little deeper into what raw cheese is, why it's important for your health, and the regulations on raw cheese.

Read more

Macadamia nuts are one of the "healthy nuts". Here are 5 scientific reasons why.

I know a lot of you don't eat a lot of nuts... but maybe you kinda miss them? I know I do. It's so much work to soak and dehydrate them at home (to get rid of the antinutrients). It's easier to just not buy them at all. If you want to purchase presoaked nuts, they're hard to find and prices can be crazy. And then of course there are PUFAs to consider. I mean, don't you wish almonds didn't have a 2010:1 omega 6/3 ratio? Don't you wish walnuts weren't so ridiculously high in PUFAs? Don't you wish Brazil Nuts didn't have so many oxalates? Enter macadamia nuts...

Read more

Are there GMO non-food coatings on your fresh produce? Here's what you need to know.

In general, fruits and veggies are considered “healthy” foods. But, our complicated food system has, of course, complicated this. Farming practices matter. But, even after produce is harvested, chemicals can be applied to coat produce and keep it looking fresh for a long time. Let's look into the ingredients in produce coatings, the new Apeel coating, and what to look out for when being a smart natural food shopper.

Read more

Supplements our dairy cows get for the best possible health and nutrition

Our cows are 100% grass fed. They are never fed grain. But, it's more like "100% grass fed +" since they also get natural supplements so they can be in optimal health. Our supplements change based on the forage quality (and therefore our soil quality), the weather, and any particularities with the cows. We give molasses, minerals, homeopathic remedies, and energy pellets (which are alfalfa and flaxseed oil). Here's why and how.

Read more

How and why our corn & soy free chicken has a perfect 1:1 omega 6/3 ratio!

The conventional American diet has a 30:1 omega 3/6 ratio, and it's making us sick. Regular pastured chicken usually has a 7:1 ratio. But our chicken was tested and has a 1:1 omega 3/6 ratio. That's basically perfection in food. It seems to come down to the feed. Here's how we do it and why it's important.

Read more

What does "Certified Organic" really mean? What sets Miller's apart?

Do you shop the "certified organic" label? If so, do you know what it really means? It may not mean what you think. Learn about what it takes to get certified, what inspections entail, and the details of what "organic" really means (without the big, fancy words). There's a chart that compares the standards with how Miller's Bio Farm goes above and beyond.

Read more

An embroiled and heated family debate - Is a hot dog a sausage?

My family has a chat group. We share photos, life updates, stories… and sometimes we get a good debate going. It was prompted by my sister. She wrote, “Important question! We need you all to settle a dispute. Please let us know your opinion. Is a hot dog a sausage?” Bingggg. Bingggg. Bingggg. Ahhh… the sounds of a chat debate quickly ensued.

Read more

Bird Flu. What's going on? Should milk drinkers be worried?

There's a lot of scary headlines about bird flu recently. Is it real? Is it hype? Let's look at this with a level headed approach. The main thing is that there is zero evidence of viral transmission of blue flu through milk (even raw milk). This blog post has more info about transmission, our dairy herds, unanswered questions that make me wary, and links to sources.

Read more

Why spring grass milk is the most healthy, creamy, yellow, and delicious.

Ahhhh, spring grass fed milk. It’s just the best milk of the entire year. You can see that it’s yellower and creamier. You can taste its full flavor and earthiness. In your gut, you just know that this milk is good for you. It’s simply the best. With modern testing, we can quantify that we’re not crazy for believing this or feeling this within our bodies. It’s scientifically true. Spring grass fed milk is the healthiest milk. Let’s explore.

Read more

A2 beef vs A2 dairy. What's the difference? One doesn't even exist in the US.

Every once in a while, a customer sees that we offer A2/A2 dairy and asks, "Do you sell A2 beef?" When this happens, I let them know that A2 beef isn't a thing... at least not in the United States. But, A2/A2 dairy is. The dairy vs. beef classifications are based on two completely separate things. One has to do with marbling in meat, and the other has to do with the type of protein in milk. Here's the explanation of both.

Read more