Today, I am sharing why we drink raw milk. I will go into the health benefits, risks and our personal experience with drinking raw milk.
For Nine Years
We have been drinking raw milk in our family for over nine years now. When my first daughter, Ruthie, was 18 months old, it became clear to me that we needed to think through the whole milk thing. It’s funny how having a child makes you ponder health things more than anything else. I really should have been researching into all of this, when I was pregnant but you live and learn, right? I was pregnant with my second child already, so my milk supply was decreasing. By about 16 months, Ruth was no longer interested in nursing. Nowadays, it is pretty well known that soy milk is a bad idea. At the time, at least in the health circles I was in, people were still sort of recommending it.
I bought Ruth soy milk and gave it to her in a sippy cup. By the time she was about 18 months, I read into that a little more and decided soy was the last thing I should be giving her.
First Starting Out on our raw milk journey
If you ask your doctor, depending on where you live and who your doctor is, you are likely to get the eye roll and be told you are making a big mistake to drink raw milk. We were told this when we first started drinking raw milk nine years ago. I had one little girl, and I was asking my pediatrician about drinking raw milk. He thought I was crazy for even thinking about drinking raw milk. At the time, I had no experience with raw milk to back my desire to drink it. All I had was internet research. I was hoping we were not making a huge mistake. The first time I gave my daughter raw milk I was just hoping she wouldn’t die.
If you Google raw milk, you’re basically going to think that if you would give your child raw milk they’ll get sick immediately. If you ask your pediatrician, they will most likely say the same thing. So, needless to say, I was a bit hesitant to give my 18 month-old daughter raw milk.
I will go into my experience later, but now we have nine years behind us of raw milk drinking.
Raw Milk Why We Drink it and FAQ | RAW MILK DURING PREGNANCY
My Disclaimer
Before I jump into this blog post, I want to first say that this is just my opinions and my experience. I am going to talk a little bit about some research I have done over the years, but for you personally, anything I say, obviously make your own decisions and do your own research. I do have some strong opinions about this topic, but that does not mean that you necessarily should, or that you should take my word for it. Raw milk is a very individual decision, and can even be illegal based on where you live. More on that later.
“Dangers” of Raw Milk
I am going to be leaving all the links to the resources at the end of this post.
According to Chris Kresser, the risk of developing a serious illness, one that would require hospitalization is still 1 in 6 million (I found this stat from “Raw Milk Reality: Is Raw Milk Dangerous?”). So you are nine times more likely to get sick from raw milk, but still the relative risk of getting sick is extremely small.
This is off topic, but it is sort of similar with having a home birth and figuring out the relative risk difference between that and having a hospital birth. You always have to take the benefits and look at the risks in order to make your analysis. I fell like everything in the medical world is so fear based that we sterilize our entire environment. We do this with antibiotics, antibacterial soap and pasteurized everything! By sterilizing our environment, we are inadvertently creating more consequences and avoid natural remedies out of fear.
Where to purchase raw milk?
Now, something of course to consider is where you are getting your milk from.
Personally, I have toured the dairy farms where we purchase our raw milk. We have purchased raw milk from several different farms over the past nine years, based off of availability, distance, and price. I have also toured a commercial dairy. I have even toured some dairies on the East coast when I went there with Stonyfield. And so, I have seen an organic dairy, raw small local dairies, and commercial dairies.
I can tell you, based off of the smell and the living conditions, that I would not want to drink the unpasteurized milk from a conventional dairy.
Local Farms and Families
For us, we find local dairy farms to purchase milk through networking with friends and asking around in our local chapter Weston Price Facebook group.
Another great place to look is the Real Milk Finder. If you aren’t able to find anyone in your area who is on the farm listings, don’t get discouraged. A lot of times there will be families in your area who only want to take on one or two customers, so ask around!
When we first started buying raw milk, we were purchasing it from two local dairies and then we moved into our current farmhouse and are now purchasing milk from a family who owns a dairy cow. Even one dairy cow produces four gallons of milk a day.
Is raw milk safe?
There is that 1 in 6 million chance. I feel like I have to say there is a risk though. However, personally, I feel perfectly comfortable giving my kids raw milk.
Have you ever gotten sick from drinking raw milk?
No, we have not! We all drink about a quart of raw milk a day in the form of kefir smoothies, butter, sour cream, and yogurt. So far we have never gotten sick from it.
And, yes! I do drink raw milk while pregnant quite liberally. Probably about a quart a day.
Why Do You Not Drink Pasteurized Milk?
Good Bacteria
Pasteurized milk not only kills the bad bacteria, but it also kills the good bacteria that is healthy for our body, and helps to digest the proteins in the milk. The body was meant to utilize the probiotics and cultures that are in the milk to help digest the milk, and make it to where the body can use it. Without the good bacteria, the body cannot cannot digest it properly. Pasteurization kills the bad bacteria and pathogens, but it also kills the good bacteria that makes it a living healthy food.
Vitamins and Minerals
There have been studies that have been done that show the vitamin and mineral content in pasteurized milk just isn’t there. The process of pasteurizing, which is just heating the milk up to a certain temperature for an extended period of time, kills vitamin C.
Is Raw Milk Ethical?
Finding meat and milk sources that are local allow you to see the environment the animals are raised in. This, and the obvious health benefits, are the reason I go out of my way to source local pastured chicken, eggs, pork, beef and dairy. If the ethics are a concern to you, consider visiting a local farm and seeing it for yourself. I am sure you will find that you are quite pleased with how the animals are treated and how they are raised.
What About Raw Milk Alternatives?
A lot of health experts today suggest you drink cow’s milk alternatives, like almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, and rice milk. But after doing some research, I realized a lot of those kinds of milk were heavily processed, often times full of sugar. You cannot naturally get milk from almonds and rice. Milk in its raw state is a pure food, easy to digest and full or beneficial enzymes and bacteria.
How does raw milk taste?
I have not had pasteurized milk in so long, but I am quite convinced the taste of raw milk is one million times better! It is so creamy and rich. My kids love to drink the raw milk we buy from the farm. It has gotten to the point where they would just like to drink milk all day, and I need to tell them that they have had enough and need to drink some water!
Is raw milk legal?
In some states, raw milk is completely illegal. Some places you are allowed to pick it up from a local farm, and in some states it can even be sold in stores. In Missouri, raw milk is legal from local farms. It still cannot be bought in the grocery store.
Check this article to find out if raw milk is legal in your state.
What is the difference between A1 and A2 Milk?
There are two different kinds of protein in milk, A1 and A2. A1 is the protein often found in the common Holstein cow, while A2 is more prevalent in Guernsey and Jersey breeds. The reason people are sometimes sensitive to dairy is because they are unable to digest A1 milk. There have been many studies on the link between A1 milk and health conditions. If you are sensitive to dairy, make sure to ask the local farm if they have tested their cows for which kind of protein is in the milk. You can do this if you work closely with a local raw milk dairy.
Read more on A1 vs A2 milk here: You’re Drinking the Wrong Kind of Milk
Raw Milk Recipes
Raw Milk Butter- Coming soon!
How to Make Raw Sour Cream- Coming soon!
Sources
Raw Milk: Everything you Need to Know about Nature’s Perfect Food
Raw Milk Reality: Benefits of Raw Milk
A1 vs A2 Milk You’re Drinking the wrong Kind of Milk
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very nice blog, I liked.
I have been binge watching your YouTube videos. So wonderful to see a young family living the old fashion way. When I had my first child 37 years ago, I was not keen on breast feeding but my mother helped me make my formula with condensed milk. It was what she gave all of us. My pediatrician of course was not in favor of this but I did what I felt was right for me. My 2nd child could not tolerate this formula and I did have to use a soy based one. My thoughts have changed throughout the years and currently I am of the mind that I am not a baby cow, therefore, I don’t need cows milk. I have tried many milk alternatives and found hemp “milk” is the easiest to make myself. It is white like cows milk and no straining is necessary. One day I may even convert my husband. LOL! I boarder on a plant based diet but not totally vegan. I am really excited to try and make my on pet sourdough starter soon. Please never stop doing what you do! You are lovely 😊
I just listened to your newest podcast and heard you mention that you had made your Raw Milk video private. That makes me sad, it was a great video and very informative. A few weeks back I had tried finding it but no luck obviously. Then on the podcast you mentioned that you still have the blog post. I’m glad you kept this post up, I have been wanting to refrence back to it, so I thank you. I’d like to switch over to raw milk but my husband and I don’t drink enough of it so I’m worried it would go bad before we could finish it. Maybe once my daughter is old enough I’ll be able to make the switch.
This was informative to read – thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and research. I grew up on a farm and my entire family drank raw milk straight from the tank and didn’t switch to pasteurized until I went off to college. It’s been a number of years since then, but I’m now thinking of going back to raw milk for its health benefits and was delighted to have found your blog post and video on the topic. Thanks so much & BTW you and your family are gorgeous, eating real unprocessed food does show up in our skin, hair, and overall health and well being (inside and out). You’re doing a fabulous job for you and your family and the online community. Thank you!
Do you feel if you are trying to conceive you should avoid raw milk?
Hi, Lisa, I watch you on YouTube and used to comment some on Instagram but no longer have that AND have no way to comment on YouTube so I wanted to leave a comment on your blog (CAN do that!) and say you are so inspiring and such an outstanding voice for us hard working, old fashioned mamas of many children. People ask me all of the time how I get it all done (as they do you!) and I recognize in you that same “hit the ground running” and “here a little, there a little” when it comes to projects and getting ‘Er done! (After coffee of course, haha) so I just wanted to say hello and this post inspired me to comment bc we DO have a jersey momma and drink raw milk (even goat’s milk, as well…not as good tho, IMO) and there is nothing like it! Thanks for posting the benefits and yeah, I don’t listen to the medical world for the most part (even though we have two doctors in the family…have to walk on tip toes as one is a sister in law!) but tried and true, old fashioned ways of living!
Love, love what you are doing…congrats on the next baby (oh! One of my sons is Ezra..I was thinking that would be a nice name to go along with your biblical ones…:).
Can’t wait to watch the sour cream video as I have not made that yet with our raw milk! Have a great Sunday! ~Monica
Hello ,going off topic here .You are a stunning healthy looking family .Don’t believe one lie out of all the true comments .Plus why conform to the bully who says we need make up that we can’t have wrinkles as women and should be a certain size .I’ve been standing up to the bully recently ,so come on girls let’s tell it where to go .Thankyou for taking the time to research the minefield of health for us all so we don’t have to .Keep up the much needed good work.
I live on dairy farm. We drink milk straight from the tank. There is nothing better. Pasteurized milk just doesn’t have the richness that raw milk does. My husband grew up on it and now my kids have.
Im going to prob be hated by this but I really mean no offense. But I grew up with some people who drank raw milk, Rarely went to the Dr, ate nothing but food that is from scratch etc. You all have the same look. Like a tired washed out look. I don’t wear make up so that’s not what I’m talking about.. Maybe it’s a Pure look and we are use to the appearance of what all those preservatives etc do to our bodies. Idk. But I commend you for doing this. I do think it’s great!!
Well gee, that sure makes a gal feel pretty this morning. I just made a video with no makeup, because people say they like the authenticity, but I think I will delete. Such a broad assumption for knowing two ugly people who both happened to drink raw milk. Thanks for lumping us together based on appearance.
Lisa- you are beautiful and amazing! i was excited to see that you are involved with groups associated with Weston Price! So much good info. Thanks!!
You’re beautiful and so is your family!
Sone people you gotta ignore and they need to learn some manners. I love learning at my old age I’m almost 52 and I feel healthier thanks to your recipes and etc.😁🌻🌹
Megan-
That is unkind and insensitive. Why would you feel the need to comment that? Try to remember that how we look is NOT important. Like AT ALL. When we die and our friends and family are grieving they will miss who we actually are not what we looked like.
Also eating foods with “preservatives” doesn’t do anything for your skin or health. Maybe you are lucky genetically speaking with a great complexion.
I have pale skin and dark bags under my eyes and don’t drink raw milk.
All this to say I really think you should think before you speak (or comment) and also apologize for the hurtful things you said.
Lisa,
I’m so sorry someone was so rude! I love your videos, and think you look fantastic in them whether you’re done up, or not.
I mostly don’t wear make up, dont do my hair, and look tired (because I am!) I’ve had rude comments too, I think people are used to seeing others who devote a lot of time/money/effort to their appearances. I frankly have more important things to spend my energy on, and seeing other mamas embrace it too, makes me hopeful that my daughter will feel less pressure than we do to look a certain way.
Thank you so much Morgan!
I do agree that so much is just genetic. Thanks so much for your support, Ashley!
Yikes , what a terrible thing to say. Lisa, i have been hooked on your videos and ” introduced ” my husband to one of your videos this morning. This one was a close up of you and i said to my husband ” she is so calming and interesting to watch and isn’t she gorgeous? Where by he said yes for sure and look at her amazing eyes. I know many that drink Raw milk and have never thought they looked tired and washed out! I agree that if one wants to drink raw milk knowing your source and being able to observe their milking practices are so important. Udder health and cleanlyness is the upmost important! Don’t ever buy it from a source you dont know and the closer the better. Keep up your wonderful videos. I look forward to them. Your house is amazing by the way!
Wow! I was just thinking “how does she have that many children and still look that beautiful.” It’s refreshing to see someone on youtube/social media who isn’t overly made up and filtered! The fake look people consistently portray nowadays is so boring! There is also more to this woman than her looks! She has valuable skills and she is clearly focused on making her home and family beautiful inside and out.
Love your youtube and blog! Thank you for posting such valuable information instead of just superficial crap! Not sure why another woman would feel the need to make such a rude comment! You are clearly gorgeous inside and out!
The next time you successfully run a business and care for 8 kids without looking a little tired let us know. God love you Lisa, you are a model for the rest of us.
We began drinking raw milk 9 years ago. We follow all the same guidelines you do i.e. visit your farmer etc. My husband comes up with all the crazy ‘natural’ ideas. To the raw milk, I said “No way! We are going to get ecoli!”, and he said the words I have become all too familiar with from him “Read this.” haha. And so we started drinking raw milk and love it, and are sad because we only drink water (from our Berkey) right now because we live in the desert. Love (and live) your videos. Thank you for doing them. Now I’m off to clean my Berkey…
Hi Lisa! A friend introduced me to your site a few weeks ago and I am HOOKED! I’m currently pregnant with our first and what you said is SO TRUE lol about how kids make you examine everything differently than before. Anyways, I have maybe a dumb question but in this article you talk about how pasteurizing milk kills the bad bacteria… so does raw milk still contain the bad bacteria? If not, how do they get rid of it? And I saw your raw milk youtube video went to private… is there a way to watch that? Like if I promise not to comment anything mean? lol 😛
Hopefully the good bacteria, both in the milk and in your gut will kill/overwhelm the bad bacteria. When you start out with raw milk, until your gut has a chance to adjust, you want to limit your intake. Maybe just cream in your coffee once a day. The next week, add a cup a day and so on. My mother (elderly) drank a huge glass a day for several days. She had the runs for over a week. Like anything new, you have to ease your body into it. She was afraid to try it again, but I finally convinced her to try the milk one more time. This time, she paced how she consumed and has had no issues and is hooked! She buys a gallon at a time and freezes half. The Jersey cow milk is sooo rich and sweet. Absolutely no comparison to store milk. We even buy A2 milk from Braums, a dairy store, Their milk is the best around, so when we run out of farm milk, we buy from them. But farm milk is 1000x better! My daughter toyed with the idea of becoming vegan and did for a while, but when I brought home farm milk, she caved. She now eats local-humanely raised meat on occasion and drinks milk from the dairy. 😀
Thanks for sharing!
Raw milk is wonderful! We’ve been drinking it for the past 4 years. It’s a totally different product from pasteurized. No comparison!