Milk with dignity? Yup, that's us. What everyone does on the farm with pleasure.

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posted on

September 2, 2022

A customer recently shared the Milk with Dignity program with us. Although the farm won’t get this certification (we only get certified for what’s required), it did make me think.

Human rights is a big issue in today’s conventional farming world, especially the dairy industry.

Migrant and underpaid workers, unsafe or unsanitary working conditions, lack of breaks or housing, etc. are all sadly commonplace with conventional supermarket food (including certified organic). It’s a big reason that food can be as cheap as it is.

I spend a lot of time educating customers about what a wonderful life our animals live and how healthy the soil is and how what we do is sustainable and good for the environment and why eating farm direct food can nourish your health. But, what about the humans that work on the farm?

Miller’s Bio Farm is proud to be an awesome place to work. All of our 18 employees are treated with respect and have good morale.

All employees get lunch and work breaks, are paid fairly, and get bonuses for meeting their goals. It’s a safe and super clean place to work. If they don’t have transportation, the farm will provide it. And, of course, there’s plenty of time for socializing and having fun.

In addition to the most exciting day of the year - Farm Day - we also have annual staff events.

This year, we all went to Crystal Cave for a day in July for general employee fun and bonding. The cave was cool, but the wiffle ball games were epic. We also have a Christmas party in December with a white elephant gift exchange. And, of course, all of our events have amazing homemade farm food :)

Miller’s Bio Farm isn’t just a place to work, it’s a place to learn.

There are a gaggle of Amish girls (teenagers) who work part-time on the farm. They help with things like making raw pet dairy, stamping the boxes with our logo, packing orders, and cleaning.

There are also a few Amish boys (teenagers) who work part-time on the farm. They help with farm tasks like moving the cows or making hay. And they help with fulfillment tasks like moving inventory, bottling milk, and receiving or sending shipments.

In the Amish culture, kids go to Amish schools through 8th grade. Then, they work in their community and get educated experientially. Their farm job is part of their educational journey.

The first year of high school, the Amish go to school one half day per week. The rest of their high school time, they’re not sitting at a desk, they are working and learning hands on.

The idea is that they’re getting real world experience. They are able to hold different types of jobs and figure out what work they’d like to do as an adult. It’s experiential education.

Side note: The Amish have fought with the US government over this, and the current education model is the result of a compromise between both parties.

The farming side of the business is managed by Amish men.

Although we still call him “Farmer Aaron”, Aaron doesn’t really do much farming anymore. He manages the business. He makes sure everything is running smoothly and that we’re upholding our standards. He lends a hand wherever and whenever it’s needed.

Daniel and his wife Rebecca and their 4 children live on the main farm, in one half of Aaron’s house. He tends to our 50 cows and does the milkings. He also tends to the pastured and the turkeys and the chickens and whatever else the farm’s growing.

Aaron is the oldest of 11 children, and his brother David runs our second dairy farm. He has a herd of 45 cows in Bird-in-Hand, on the farm where Aaron grew up.

If either of our farm managers need help, they get it! Aaron will take over farm tasks for Daniel. And, David lives down the road from his parents and can call on his brothers for help when he needs it. They’ll just run down the road.

And, then there’s the fulfillment management, which is done by a mix of Amish and English men and women (“English” is the Amish word for a non-Amish person).

Cameron (who’s English) manages the freezer and meat inventory. Kevin (also English) manages the packing team and orders the dairy. Lena (who’s Amish) manages the paperwork, non-meat inventory, and so much more. Rich and Justin (a husband and son team who are both English) are drivers and deliver our Farm Driver Home Delivery orders.

Sara and I (both English) work remotely. We do the email customer service, manage the website and social media, write the newsletters, and basically take care of the farm’s online presence.

Miller’s Bio Farm has a pretty good thing going. And as we grow, so does our team. It’s such an exciting place to work!

You don’t have to believe me. I just did an employee survey, and you can see the results and some comments from staff below.

It was wonderful, although not surprising, to get overwhelmingly positive results :)

Do you have a note of appreciation to pass to the farm team? Everyone on the team works so hard, and I’m sure they’d love to feel appreciated.

I’d love to hear from you. Comment at the very bottom of this post (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us . I'll make sure everyone's messages are relayed to the farm team.

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Employee Survey Results

How do you rate your overall employee experience?

91% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

9% ⭐⭐⭐⭐

0% ⭐⭐⭐

0% ⭐⭐

0% ⭐

The company work environment is safe and comfortable.

82% Strongly agree

18% Agree

0% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

Teamwork and collaboration are encouraged and practiced.

82% Strongly agree

18% Agree

0% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

The company encourages and supports a healthy work/life balance.

66% Strongly agree

17% Agree

17% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

I receive adequate opportunities to interact with other employees.

82% Strongly agree

18% Agree

0% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

I feel welcome at company events, meetings, and social interactions.

91% Strongly agree

9% Agree

0% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

I love working at Miller’s Bio Farm.

73% Strongly agree

27% Agree

0% Neutral

0% Disagree

0% Strong Disagree

Please give us an open review of your work at Miller’s Bio Farm. How has the experience been, or what have you learned?

Here are some of the responses:

I am grateful to have so many opportunities to learn new things and be paid for that experience! -Lena

I appreciate the experience of getting to know all the amazing girls @ Miller's Bio. -Linda

Miller's has been such an amazing company to work for. No drama and a smooth-flowing team-oriented workplace makes every day enjoyable and one to remember. Over the past year I have learned so much about this industry and can't wait to continue learning! -Cameron

My experience has been amazing and I have learned to try to communicate clearly with other people. -Barbie Lapp

I am very thankful for my experience working for Miller's Bio Farm. I have not only learned ways to improve my own health but I have also learned skills I can take with me for the rest of my life. It is a special place! -Sara

Opinion

Farming Practices

Raw Dairy

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Milk with dignity? Yup, that's us. What everyone does on the farm with pleasure.

Human rights is a big issue in today’s conventional farming world, especially the dairy industry.

Miller’s Bio Farm is proud to be an awesome place to work. All of our 18 employees are treated with respect and have good morale.

Miller’s Bio Farm isn’t just a place to work, it’s a place to learn.

In the Amish culture, kids go to Amish schools through 8th grade. Then, they work in their community and get educated experientially. Their farm job is part of their educational journey.

The farming side of the business is managed by Amish men.

And, then there’s the fulfillment management, which is done by a mix of Amish and English men and women (“English” is the Amish word for a non-Amish person).

You don’t have to believe me. I just did an employee survey, and you can see the results and some comments from staff below.

Do you have a note of appreciation to pass to the farm team? Everyone on the team works so hard, and I’m sure they’d love to feel appreciated.

Employee Survey Results

How do you rate your overall employee experience?

The company work environment is safe and comfortable.

Teamwork and collaboration are encouraged and practiced.

The company encourages and supports a healthy work/life balance.

I receive adequate opportunities to interact with other employees.

I feel welcome at company events, meetings, and social interactions.

I love working at Miller’s Bio Farm.

Please give us an open review of your work at Miller’s Bio Farm. How has the experience been, or what have you learned?

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566