Why is A2 milk better for you?

In 2016, after reading the book Devil in the Milk by Keith Woodford, the farmer became interested in A2/A2 cow’s milk. This interest arose from two experiences: (1) The farmer noticed that the calves fed A2/A2 cow’s milk grew faster and did not get diarrhea; and (2) The . farmer’s baby Hannah was quite unhappy and did not want her homemade formula until the family starting using A2/A2 cow’s milk. After switching to A2/A2 cow’s milk, she immediately took the bottle and was very content and happy!

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Cows Despise Hot Weather

Our cows are on a staggered birthing and milking schedule. The summer is when we produce the least amount of milk. Let me explain.

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Pay More Now, Spend Less Later

We all know it. Miller’s Bio Farm food costs more - certainly more than conventional food and sometimes more than organic farm food. We cost more because we produce the most digestible and nutrient-dense food possible. Every aspect of our farming practices is considered to grow the health of our soil, our plants, our animals, our environment, our staff, and our members and their families.

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Kefir Second Fermentation

Kefir is fermented milk. But, did you know that you can ferment it a second time to make a creamy, fizzy drink? Some call kefir the "champagne of dairy" for this reason. And, with a second ferment, it can become more palatable and nutritious, too. What you do is take kefir (doesn't matter if it was made from kefir grains or a freeze-dried culture) and add something with sugar to it. It could be fruit (like blueberry or strawberry puree) or a sweetener (like honey or maple syrup). Then, you let it sit on the counter for a short second fermentation (kefir ferments at room temp). Adding sugar gives more fuel to the fermentation process. The second fermentation is key here and changes the kefir in a variety of ways: Allows the milk kefir to further break down and become even more digestible. Increases the bacteria and yeast counts, making it more probiotic. Reduces the lactose content.Improves the flavor by making it less sour and taking the sharp taste away. Added vitamins and minerals from the fruit or sweetener.Increases certain B vitamins, like folic acid, and makes the calcium and magnesium more bioavailable, which means that your body can take it in and use it immediately.  Basically, a second ferment helps to "predigest" the kefir and packs it with great stuff for your body. I’m thinking of ordering some plain kefir to experiment with my own second fermented flavors at home. I’m thinking orange, vanilla and cinnamon, cocoa and maple syrup, and maybe even onion and garlic for a savory option. I will serve it to my family straight up as a drink with breakfast, as a dip with a snack, as a marinade for a main dish for dinner, or as ice pops for dessert. If you have any ideas for other flavors, please pass them along!

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Why and How Kefir Exists?

The farm’s grain kefir is particularly special, because the grains used to make the kefir have been passed from farmer to farmer for generations. Kefir is fermented milk. To make kefir, you need kefir grains, living organisms that come from nature. The kefir grains live off of the lactose and other nutrients in milk. They produce acetic and lactic acids (and other small by-products such as alcohol) that give the milk its new flavor and thicker consistency. Kefir grains are pretty mysterious, as no one knows exactly where they come from. It is said that the local people of the Caucasus Mountains of the former USSR discovered kefir several thousand years ago, believing it was a “miraculous gift" exclusively for them. The grains were treated like precious jewels in each family, because of their ability to preserve and enhance milk. To this day, it’s considered a staple food in Russia. The word 'kefir' comes from the Turkish language and means 'long life' or 'good life'. This is because kefir is extremely good for your body. It’s much more potent than yogurt, containing over 30 strains of bacteria and yeast. It is a dynamic source of probiotics that promotes a strong immune system and a healthy gut. Kefir is an acquired taste, like sardines or stinky cheese. It is pungent, with undertones of hay. You can, of course, add fruit like blueberries or a sweetener like maple syrup to make it a bit more palatable to a newbie’s taste buds. Besides being a powerful drink, kefir can be used in many ways. You can use kefir to make a salad dressing that’s poured over a plate of baby spinach, red onions, and blueberries. You can soak grains in kefir overnight to make blueberry pancakes the next morning. Or, my family’s favorite is to make popsicles with blueberry kefir, diced peaches, and honey. PS: You may be wondering about the difference between our grain kefir and powdered kefir. The grain kefir is made from living organisms passed down for generations. It produces a variable product with a strong taste. The powdered kefir is made from a lab-created freeze dried culture. It produces a milder tasting kefir that is very consistent week to week. Both preserve milk, are packed with probiotics, and are great for your body.

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The Amish Frolic

The farmer is remodeling the barn this summer to make new facilities for storage, fermentation, and general food and order preparation. This past Saturday he hosted a frolic to tear down the top of the barn. They got half done on Saturday and finished the rest yesterday. Hard work!

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Why and How Yogurt Exists?

According to many historians, yogurt dates back to the Neolithic peoples of central Asia around 6,000 BC. Now that’s a traditional food! Herdsmen would milk their animals and store the milk in containers (animal stomachs). The natural enzymes in the raw milk would cause it to curdle, essentially making yogurt. This allowed the milk to keep for a long time without refrigeration. It is also thought that people preferred the taste. Our yogurt is made in a more tamed way so that we can offer you a consistent product (although I highly recommend trying to make some wild yogurt at home for fun... a great experiment if you have some sour milk). We use two ingredients: raw milk and freeze dried powdered culture. The milk is warmed minimally, to about 100-110 F, creating a nice environment for the culture to flourish while still preserving the milk’s enzymes and probiotics. Then, the cultures are added, and it sits overnight, for at least 8 hours.  The secret to drinkable yogurt is that it is stirred before it completely sets, making it a smooth, drinkable consistency. Once made, fruit may be added for a flavor boost. For Greek yogurt, the whey is strained to make it thicker and spoonable. The end product is a super healthy food. You get a great dose of protein plus a variety of vitamins and nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, magnesium, and potassium. On top of that, our raw cultured yogurt is packed with probiotics (“friendly bacteria”) and enzymes (preserved in our raw dairy products). This living microbiology helps you fully digest the yogurt, maintain a healthy gut, and build a strong immune system. I personally go through a couple quarts of yogurt every week, and my babies love drinkable yogurt. I have these cool mason jar lids with a hole for a straw and some silicone smoothie straws. I bring them on the go for an easy and healthy snack for the kids (and me :).

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Why biodiversity is important to us

I watched the Netflix documentary What’s with Wheat the other day. It’s about how grain’s omnipresence in modern America has created a health crisis. Since you are already a Miller’s Bio customer, I may be preaching to the choir here. However, one part of the documentary really stuck out to me. The film explained how the best diet for humans to follow is the one they were eating about 150 years ago, just before the industrial revolution. It was a time when people thrived on biodiversity!

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What's a whole broiler, fryer, or roaster chicken? What's the difference?

I’ve been buying whole chickens from the farm for quite some time. I found out that this kind of chicken can actually have many names. I’ve always wondered, why are they called whole “fryer” or "roaster" or "broiler" chicken? So, I decided that it’s time to do some research.

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Better Never Than Late

We all know it. There are just some people that are chronically late. This doesn’t mean they are bad people. In fact, I believe that late people often have a lot going for them. They are usually optimistic and hopeful. They believe they can fit many, many tasks into a short period of time. They think big and don’t sweat the small stuff. And, they typically just enjoy life and take opportunities to stop and smell the roses. Late people, I get you.

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