I had the privilege of visiting the Netherlands last weekend. Of course, I wanted to visit a farm. I was in luck! I found a Dutch farm that sold raw milk AND welcomed visitors. This farm was mechanized. Robots were everywhere.
My kids asked me this week, “Why is an egg white clear?” They followed that question up with another, “Why does an egg turn white when it’s cooked?” Great questions! So, I researched.
The farmer is a raw milk farmer, and safety is a top priority. According to the CDC and FDA, drinking raw milk puts you at risk of exposure to a wide range of bacteria including Brucella, Campylobacter, Tuberculosis, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. So, what does the farmer do to verify that his milk is safe?
Miller’s Biodiversity Farm goes deep. The farmer doesn’t simply trust a product label or offer short answers to his customers. He finds fellow farmers and companies he trusts and provides accurate and transparent information about his products. Every detail counts. Sure, the farmer feeds his animals a natural diet and makes sure they live an active lifestyle. No, he doesn’t give vaccines or routine antibiotics. No, he doesn’t use chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. No, he does not feed or sell GMO crops. But those farming practices are the broad strokes. He goes deeper.
This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day. This is undoubtedly a human holiday, but I’d like to reflect on all things that bring life into the world. This includes something slimy and delicious and somewhat mysterious… kombucha! Kombucha originated around 2,000 years ago in the Far East. It is a bubbly tangy fermented beverage with tremendous health benefits for your brain, your heart, and especially your gut. The active culture in kombucha is called a SCOBY (which stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). My kids like to call it the “kombucha mommy”.
Spring is here. The grass is growing. You know what that means. It’s time to make hay! I had the pleasure to visit the farm this week. The sun is shining. The grass is certainly green and at least two feet tall. Yup, it’s time to make hay. Hay is integral to agriculture. It’s how you can sustain animals in the colder months. And, you need to plan ahead. As the saying goes, you need to “make hay when the sun shines.”
The farmer launched a GoFundMe campaign last week to raise money for a bottling machine so he can lawfully bottle and sell raw milk in Pennsylvania. And, it was a big success! The farmer surpassed his $15,000 goal! The farmer will use these funds to purchase a bottling machine, build a wall (which is also necessary for the bottling permit), and pay off some of his outstanding bills (of which there are many). Once his permits and licenses are in place, the farmer will be able to reopen his store to new customers (more on that in the coming weeks).
The farmer is proud to announce that he now has a Raw Milk Permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture! The Raw Milk Permit allows the farmer to lawfully produce and sell raw milk for human consumption in the state of Pennsylvania. It means that the farm has been inspected and follows all regulations under the Milk Sanitation Law:
If you are an active member with us, you may have noticed that many of our meat products disappeared in the past month. What’s up with that? Let me explain. The farmer has been under intense scrutiny recently, and one of the agencies looking into his practices is the USDA. The farmer’s ethical and regenerative farming practices are certainly on point, but the USDA had concern with his meat processors.
It’s been a while, and we are so happy to be sending out our weekly news again :) Spring is here. It’s a time for re-birth, for coming out of hibernation, and for joy, despite any hardship you may be facing. As Ann Bradstreet said, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."
OUR MISSION is to be an amazing and reliable source for farm direct, nutrient dense food.
OUR VISION is to end sickness by enhancing health, nutrition, and happiness.
OUR PURPOSE is to inspire a generation of healthy children and reduce healthcare costs.
Contact us. Send a note to hello@millersbiofarm.com. Call us at (717) 786-7895.
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