Herdshare (Shared Ownership)

 Sales of raw milk in Ohio is illegal.  ORC 917.04.  We do not sell raw milk under any circumstances.  

Although direct-to-consumer raw milk sales are illegal in the state of Ohio, herdshare boarding agreements that comport with Ohio contract law are legally recognized.  Carol Schmitmeyer vs Ohio Department of Agriculture September 2006. 

Herdshare boarding contracts are private agreements between individuals who collectively own the animals in a dairy herd and the farmer hired to manage that herd.   If you purchase shares in a bovine milking herd and sign a boarding contract to pay for the care and management of your portion of the herd, you may be entitled to receive a corresponding amount of the herd’s milk production.  We do encourage you to do your homework and decide if ownership in a Bovine Milking Herd is for you before making a commitment.  Here are a few resources to assist you.

 

What defines Certified Organic?

USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Certification is separate from all other certifications.  The Certified Organic Certification is managed through Third Party Management Companies.  Our Third Party Certifier is:

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, OEFFA

41 Croswell Road

Columbus, OH  43214

We are producer number  1782

According to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Standards rules passed on October 22, 2002, certified organic livestock, including beef, must come from a fully verifiable production system that collects information on the history of every animal in the program, including its breed history, veterinary care, and feed.  Further, to be certified as organic, all cattle should meet the following criteria:

  • “Produced without genetic engineering, use of ionizing radiation or sewage sludge
  • Allowed continuous access to the outdoors except in specific conditions such as inclement weather
  • Fed feed and raised on land that meets all organic crop production standards
  • Never receive antibiotics
  • Never receive growth hormones
  • Never receive prohibited substances such as ureamanure, or arsenic-containing compounds
  • Managed organically from last third of gestation onward

This is the short definition.  Behind this are hours and months of record keeping and standard fulfillment that can be inspected at anytime.

Our Herd

Brown Swiss

Brown Swiss are considered the oldest dairy breeds in existance as well as one of the largest.  We have selected them for their strength, cold tolerance, and high protein milk.

Jersey

Originally from the Channel Isle of Jersey.  They are considered one of the smallest of the diary cattle.  We have selected them because they produce the highest butterfat of all the dairy breeds.

This is Anna, one of our Brown Swiss Eating Grass

Rotational Grazing Systems are Good For Cows and Farm

Grazing in the Spring

Grazing in the Fall

Rotational Grazing improves our herd, plant, and soil health as well as sequesters carbon.    So if your into the Climate Change narrative, we are way ahead of the herd and have been for a while.

Sweeter more Digestible Milk Genetically

We have been breeding for A2A2 genetics since 2006.  We test each generation to ensure the A2A2 genetics are being expressed.

What is A2A2 genetics? A2-A2 milk carries the A2 type of β-casein. Most commercially available milk contains both the A2 and A1 protein. The A2-A2 gene is the oldest casein protein and can be found primarily in the heritage breeds, such as Jersey, Brown Swiss, and Normande

The A1 gene was a mutation that eventually became widely spread among dairy breeds, and is predominantly found in Holsteins.  But, even among cross breeds of heritage bovines, the A1 gene is still found.  That is why we test each generation.

  • The A1 mutation causes a change in a single amino acid in the a-a chain, the amino acid at number 67 is histidine in A1 and proline in A2 milk. This polymorphism leads to a key conformational change in the secondary structure of expressed β-casein protein.
  •  Digestion of A1 milk yields a compound called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM7). No such compound in the digestion of A2 milk.
  • In hydrolyzed milk with variant A1 of beta-casein, the BCM-7 level is 4-fold higher than in A2 milk.
  • New Zealand researchers claimed that A1 milk contains beta-casein which is harmful to human beings. The results of the NDRI research also indicated that A1 milk that is served to infants and old age people damages the immune system.

Dairy Gallery