NEW minimally pasteurized organic A2/A2 milk and kefir! CHECK THEM OUT.

Useful and sharable resources for animal-based foods... that aren't scary

When did you go down the rabbit hole and learn about the benefits of eating clean, animal-based foods? For me, it was when I was pregnant with my first child. I thought I was eating healthfully... but then my eyes were opened to so much more than is taught in health class and is accepted as "common knowledge" of the time. And, come on, the internet can be such a scary place to learn about food. Eggs definitely give you high cholesterol. Drinking raw milk will definitely kill you. Lucky Charms are definitely healthier than grass-fed beef(anyone else see that NIH study about the new Food Compass rating system? Ugh). Who funds this stuff?But once you find trusted sources (you know, the ones backed with unbiased research and typically not served to you by Google), you can't unlearn it. And, the more you learn, the more you want to learn. And, once you gain your food confidence, you want to share it, too!Heck, if you're daring, maybe you even want to convert your friends that love fast food, are always on the latest trendy diet, or are vegan (gasp!).Diet can strangely be a tough topic of conversation. After all, what you choose to put in your body is such a personal choice. And once someone makes that choice, they often have strong convictions that are hard to break. In my personal experience, anything contrary to someone's reality will be received as a "conspiracy". But, hey, that doesn't mean you shouldn't start the conversation if you want to!And an important note: At Miller's Bio Farm, we support each person's food choices! It's something that you and only you can decide. And we hope that you transfer that same respect to others, even if your viewpoints differ 😊So, this week, I started an amazing resource for you (and maybe even your friends) ----- ANIMAL-BASED RESOURCE LIST MILLER'S BIO FARM BLOGOur blog is full of great animal-based articles. However, they're mostly about farming practices, the nitty gritty on food ingredients, and cooking techniques... not necessarily health (as those claims can be risky for a company to make). Here's a quick list of our most popular blog posts about health: The PUFA Predicament: A Look Into Healthy FatsWhat is milk kefir? How's it made? What are the health benefits?The Art of Fermentation: Exploring the Health Benefits of All-Natural SalamiWhat is bioavailability? How to get what you need to be healthy.How are primal carnivore urges affected when you're surrounded by tons of food?Heart health and dairy fat are linked in a very good way. WEBSITES Realmilk.com (raw milk specific)Raw Milk Institute (raw milk specific)Weston A. Price Foundation Global Food JusticeDr. Kiltz SOCIAL MEDIA Lindasy - @animalbased bae (IG)Rachael Elizabeth - @ribeyerach (IG)Sustainable Dish (IG and FB)Weston A Price Foundation (IG and FB)Chris Irvin - @theketologist (IG)Dr. Gabeiwlle Lyon (IG)Dr. Bill Shindler (IG)Dr. Paul Saladino (IG)Nourishing Our Children (IG and FB)Strong Sistas (IG)Ancestral Health Society (FB)Joey Jurgovan - @joeysorts (IG)Lineage Provisions - @lineageprovisions (IG)Olivia Robertson-Moe, NTP - @revolveprimalhealth (IG)Judy Cho - @nutritionwithjudy (IG)Liz Haselmayer - @homegrown_education (IG)The Primal Bod - @theprimalbody (IG)Lily Nichols RDN - @lilynicholsrdn (IG)Animal Based Nutrition - @freddie_alves (IG) PODCASTS The Regaissance Podcast BOOKS Nourishing Traditions CookbookThe Untold Story of Raw MilkPottinger's Cats: A Study in NutritionEat Like a HumanThe Carnivore CodeThe Plant ParadoxSoil, Grass, and CancerThe Big Fat Surprise ----- Ok, I know I'm missing a lot here. Please, help! What animal-based, real food resources do you love? Have any suggestions to add to our list? Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us!

Separating cream at home. Here are some options and advice for success.

Want to separate the cream from your non-homogenized milk at home? Maybe you just want to have some fun in the kitchen. Maybe you want to learn about how to make homemade dairy products at home, like the olden days. Or, maybe you want more self sufficiency (which can sometimes be more affordable, too) and make as much as you can with your own two hands. Here are the 4 most common ways to separate cream at home, with tips for success.

Uncover the USDA-Approved Natural Alternatives to Chemicals on Meat

There's a myth in the natural food community that, if meat is certified USDA, it's covered in yucky chemicals. Sure, that's likely true if you're buying from the supermarket or from any mega-company that prioritizes profit over ethics. But, when you buy from small farmers and small businesses, this myth is not necessarily true. Can you be USDA and be natural, too? Yes, if you push for change from within.

Why does our raw milk last longer than most? It's our cleanliness and safety standards.

Back in the day, nearly 10 years ago when I first became a customer, things were a lot different at Miller's Bio Farm. The barn was old and outdated, the packing facility was in a garage, we had a shipping container as a cooler and freezer, the equipment was older, and there were no firmly set processes. And, the milk would start souring after just a few days in the fridge.Since then, Aaron the owner has changed things A LOT. It seems like it happened overnight, but it took a few years. He updated the barn and facilities and equipment (if you've visited then you know how oddly sparkly it is... at least for a farm). And, he created procedures to ensure the quality and safety of his milk. He's always improving. Aaron's goal is for Miller's Bio Farm to produce the best natural dairy that's yummy, highly nutritious, and also ultra low risk.  We take cleanliness and milk safety very seriously. It's the reason why our RAW A2/A2 MILK lasts up to 2 weeks before it becomes too sour to palate, which is at least 25% longer than raw milk for most other farms. You see, raw milk sours because of the living microbiology within. The bacteria naturally present in milk are lactic acid bacteria. This means they eat lactose (milk sugar, which is sweet) and produce lactic acid (which is sour). The more lactose they eat, the more the milk sours.  You can't stop the souring process, but you can slow it down. The cold fridge slows it down, and the freezer almost stops it. And, controlling and limiting general bacteria counts (especially bacteria from outside of the cow) slows it down, too.  Naturally occurring healthy microorganisms are present in raw milk. They are a good thing and a big reason why raw milk is touted for its health benefits. But, not all microorganisms in raw milk are good.  We don't want manure in the milk! We don't want potentially harmful pathogens in the milk! And, in the rare chance a cow falls ill, we don't want that in the milk, either! Controlling and limiting bad or extra bacteria is the key to making milk safer and last longer. How do we ensure an ultra low risk product that lasts such a long time? We do this in so many ways, for both our RAW A2/A2 MILK for humans in PA as well as our raw milk for cats & dogs everywhere else! Here are the most important things we do: We are certified by the State of Pennsylvania for raw milk production. That requires regular farm inspections every 2 months as well as periodic testing for: General bacteria counts (2x per month - within set limits)Salmonella (2x per year - zero tolerance)e.Coli (2x per year - zero tolerance)Listeria (2x per year - zero tolerance)Campylobacter (2x per year - zero tolerance)Brucellosis (1x per year - zero tolerance)Tuberculosis (1x per year - zero tolerance)We test every batch of milk on site for general bacteria counts. This is above and beyond required testing, and our counts are always well below what's required for pasteurized milk! This means that we can catch any slack in cleaning (or the rare case of a sickness) immediately. You can view the test results since 2018 here.We have meticulous sanitation practices for milking and bottling. This involves A LOT of cleaning of the cows, the barn, and the equipment (other farmers think we're crazy for this). You can read the details about the process here. And, here are things we do that most farms don't:Clean the udders and teats with great care, and that includes removing all manure from small divots on the teats.Spread gypsum under and around the cows to effectively keep the milking environment free of urine, manure, and the moisture it may leave behind.The milk is cooled to 38-42F in under 10 minutes.Wash equipment with water that's at least 180F. The high temp helps the cleaning process significantly, and we know this because of the on site testing. When delivering your order, we keep the frozen frozen and the fresh fresh. We maintain optimal temps for the best quality products. We have worked hard to figure out how to pack milk for mail shipping, delivery in our refrigerated vans, and pickup at our locations. Why? Why do we put this extra effort in? Why are we so serious about milk safety? There are 2 big reasons: Your safety is our priority. We want to be a reliable source for real food. Do you value milk safety? What practices do you look for when shopping for milk? Or are the government regulations enough to make you feel comfortable? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) orcontact us.

Are there sneaky additives in your natural cheese? We just removed 3!

Cheese has sadly become complicated and somewhat artificial, deviating from its simple and completely natural origins. The scary part if that, even the smartest food shoppers don't know it. Are there additives in cheese? Yes, there are. But you can't know it just by looking at the label. Here are some things NOT required on cheese labels, what the concerns are, and what Miller's does to go above and beyond. We just removed 3 additives from our cheese made with beef rennet!