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All About Cream : Part 1

04.07.2022 by Raelene Bradley // Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever wondered “What can I do with raw milk?” well then this series, wherein we explore all the delicious possibilities raw milk provides, will be right up your alley.

We’re starting with cream because, well, cream is my favorite.

Like eat-it-with-a-spoon-favorite.

“I have too much cream” – said no one ever.

And yet, when you get almost a quart of cream to every gallon, and your cow is giving 3-4 gallons a day, that cream adds up fast.

If this is you and you’ve got more cream than you know what to do with, this two-part series all about cream is for you.

What is cream?

Cream is the fat of the milk.

I am constantly amazed at the magic a milk cow conjures as she transform grass – nearly inedible for most species and certainly incapable of sustaining life and reproduction – into one of the most delicious, nutritionally balanced, super foods with oodles of beneficial bacteria, probiotics, enzymes, and glorious, delicious fat.

Rising To The Top

You’ve heard of the idiom “cream rises to the top,” yes? The essential idea is that the best ideas, the most skilled people, are the most noticeable because they “rise to the top” and stand out. There’s a good practical wisdom in that idiom because cream really is the best part of the milk, if you ask me.

When you let raw milk sit for 12-24 hours, the cream (or fat) will rise to the top. For some breeds of milk cow (like Dexter), the fat globules are very small and so it takes longer for the cream to separate and rise (closer to 2-3 days).

Fun (slightly unrelated) fact: the fat globules in goat’s milk are even smaller and so the cream never separates at all. Therefore, goat’s milk is naturally homogenized, meaning the cream/fat is evenly distributed throughout the milk.

Heavy Cream

The cream at the very top of the jar will be what is often known as “heavy cream.” It is thick and dense. You can almost stand a spoon upright in it.

My kids like to call this creme de la creme and that’s exactly where that particular idiom comes from: heavy cream is literally the cream of the cream, the best of the best.

Important: If you want to make whipped cream, you must use heavy cream.

Heavy cream will also produce the highest yields when churned to butter.

Light Cream

The light cream settles below the thick heavy cream at the top, but still above the liquid milk. You’ll notice that it’s not as thick and doesn’t stick to your ladle or spoon as thickly/stubbornly as the heavy cream at the top.

Remember – light cream cannot be whipped. It has too much liquid and won’t properly set up into soft peaks.

But it’s great for ice cream! And it will still make great butter, even if the yield is a little less than when you churn heavy cream.

Skimming Cream At Home

Skimming (or separating) cream refers to the process of removing the cream from the milk. For me (and most homesteaders), this is done manually with a ladle or spoon.

I like to use extra-wide-mouth gallon jars for all my milk because it makes skimming cream easier and more efficient and I am alll about maximizing my cream yield.

I use a stainless steel 1/2 cup kitchen ladle to manually skim each gallon, and scoop one ladle at a time, transferring it to another jar (fitted with a stainless steel wide mouth funnel to minimize the mess).

A Great Tip for Skimming Cream

Run the ladle under warm water just before skimming – the thin layer of water lets the cream slide off the ladle better and prevents a really thick buildup of cream.

Separating Cream Commercially

Commercial dairy processing systems use a mechanical cream separator (really cool, but generally cost-prohibitive for the average homesteader), and use centrifugal force to extract all the cream from the milk.

Because each cow gives a little different percentage of cream, each vat of milk will vary slightly in its cream fat percentage.  A cream separator equalizes every vat of milk by removing all the cream no matter how much it had to begin with.

The cream is later added back to the milk in the volume required to meet the mandated percentages for each product (3.25% (whole), 2%, 1%)

The Bottom Line

When you have more milk than you can use, always keep the cream.

Skim the cream and make butter.

Freeze the butter to use during her dry period.

Make self-stable ghee for your pantry.

Make lifelong friends of your neighbors by giving that yellow gold away.

Make gallons of ice cream and host a party.

Make cream cheese and cheese cake.

But always keep the cream.

Skimmed milk can go to the pigs. 1 gallon of skimmed milk or whey is all the protein a pig needs in a day and you can substitute milk pound for pound for their grain ration with no loss in nutrition.


I know. You’re gonna want to know how to make all these things. And more. I gotcha.

In part 2, we’ll talk about all the delicious ways you can use that abundance of cream.

The possibilities are downright delicious.

Stay tuned.

Categories // Blog Post, MilkCow 101 Tags // eat like a farmer, family milk cow, home dairy, homestead, milk cow

How to help your milk cow adjust to Daylight Savings Time

03.16.2022 by Raelene Bradley // Leave a Comment

Over the last several weeks, Sandy and I have both been loving the pure early sunlight streaming into the milking parlor each morning.

But with Daylight Savings and the sudden and unceremonious thrust of morning milking back into the dark, we’re feeling the absence of those lovely rays of hope and spring.

Each morning as I’ve come to the barn for milking since the time change last weekend, I’ve found Sandy still laying snug and warm in the straw, barn cats curled up next to her warm side, no one quite ready for the day to begin.

“I hear you, love. It’s a rough week for all of us.”

Milk cows thrive on routine.

It’s no secret that a milk cow can get downright cranky if you’re even 15 minutes late to milking.

She’s engorged and uncomfortable, looking for a treat and impatient with your tardiness.

She may express her annoyance with a particularly well-timed slap with her tail, she may be particularly shifty and restless, or she just may poop right in the parlor, leaving you to frantically scramble to rescue the milk pail out from under her.

So how do you deal with the sudden, unforeseen, and rude adjustment in her milking routine that is Daylight Savings time?

Adjusting The Milking Schedule

The seasonal time change is often a difficult week for all of us. But remember, you’re the farmer. You get to take into account your cow, her temperament, and her needs and then make decisions about what will work best for your cow and your schedule.

And if the decisions you make turn out to not work out great, you’ll get another go in six months.

Here are a few ways to approach the adjustment to a seasonal time change.

  • Introduce a gradual adjustment

I’m almost certain you know first-hand (or can imagine in vivid detail) what it’s like to try to soothe a cranky toddler whose nap time routine has been bungled by the onset of Daylight Savings. It’s not a pretty sight.

If I were the type of parent to think and plan ahead, I may have tried to prepare said toddler by putting him down for a nap 15 minutes earlier each day for a week or so in advance, thus gradually adjusting his body clock to the new time change.

I never did this as a parent. Didn’t have the foresight or patience to make it happen.

But as a milk cow owner? You betcha.

So one way to ease the transition into Daylight Savings time is to milk 15 minutes earlier than your regularly scheduled milking time.

Do this over four days, milking 15 minutes earlier each day so that on day 4, you’ll be milking at the new earlier milking time.

Vice versa for the end of Daylight Savings. Just milk 15 minutes later than your regular time and four days later, you’ll be right “on time.”

Then just monitor how your cow reacts. If you find that she’s still super cranky, perhaps at the next time change you can adjust milking time by 15 minutes for two days to give her a little longer to adjust, then another 15 minutes the next two days and so forth so that after 8 days, you’re “on time” with the seasonal time change.

If you’re into less planning and foresight, less thinking and adjusting, then this next option may be for you:

  • Go cold turkey

This is, admittedly, my preferred method. It’s abrupt to be sure, but the time change is difficult for everyone and it always feels better to just get it over and done with.

Also, I’m not great at planning ahead. #fulldisclosure

Milk cows are experts at adapting. They adapt to changes in schedule, changes in demand, changes in feed, changes in weather. Of course, some changes MUST be introduced gradually (like introducing a new feed), but when it comes to the milking schedule, I feel that a change of an hour once in spring and again in fall is best accomplished all at once.

Just rip the bandaid off and move forward.

So on the morning of Daylight Savings when I’m feeling groggy and sleep deprived (more so than usual that is), I get Sandy up early and we milk an hour early. And again an hour early in the evening, fully adjusted now to the new time.

She may very well be a little cranky. And that’s to be expected. You probably are too. So give her a little grace – and yourself too. Brew an extra strong cup of coffee and love on her a few extra minutes for those first few mornings.

Moderation is a Virtue

Instead of going cold turkey, or taking a week or more to nurse your cow into the time change, you can absolutely follow a little more moderate route as you make the adjustment and combine elements of both these approaches.

  • Adjust over 2-3 milkings

If you normally milk at 7am, on the morning of Daylight Savings, milk at 7:30/7:40am (that would be 6:30/6:40am on the previous time, about half an hour early for your cow).

Then in the evening, milk at 7:15/7:20 (that would be 6:15/6:20pm on the previous time, 40-45 minutes earlier than her normally scheduled milking time).

And the next morning (the day after the time change), milk at 7am.

With this option, you’ve moderated the change over 2-3 milkings so she’s had a chance to adjust, but it hasn’t been too much trouble or needed too much advanced planning on your part.

Win win eh?

Daylight Savings is a rough transition for all of us, but with a plan in place, you can weather the rough patch and know just how best to serve your cow so she can happily keep doing what she does best: liquid sunshine to feed the whole farm.

KEEP LEARNING IN MILK COW 101

Keeping a milk cow is beautiful, but can be intimidating and overwhelming. Even simple things like the seasonal time change can throw you for a loop and make you feel off kilter. I’ve been there; I know exactly what that feels like!

So if you’re dreaming of keeping a family cow and have a zillion questions, join the waitlist for Milk Cow 101. You’ll be the first to know when enrollment opens and you’ll be ready to learn everything you need to feel confident and prepared to care for, feed, milk, and love your very own family milk cow.

Categories // Blog Post, MilkCow 101 Tags // Animal Husbandry, family milk cow, milk cow

What is A2A2 Milk?

03.03.2022 by Raelene Bradley // Leave a Comment

There has been a recent surge of interest in A2A2 milk. You may have heard about it in commercials, in the media, on store shelves, in health and nutrition articles and advertisements. One thing I find so fascinating about much of the literature surrounding A2A2 milk is that nearly all of it is marketing-based. That is, the main purpose of much of the available information is to try to convince you one way or the other and so you really have to read closely when it comes to A2A2 milk (as is often the case for many trending food and health topics).

As a dairywoman and milk cow owner, I’ve done a lot of research, have tested my own milk cow’s genetics, and am here to offer clear info and a balanced real-life perspective.

What is A2A2 milk?

The labels A1 and A2 refer to the type of beta-casein protein in a cow’s milk. Those beta-casein proteins are labeled either A1A1, A1A2, or A2A2.

A2A2 milk is milk that comes from a cow with the genetic code for A2A2 beta-casein proteins. A cow with A1A1 or A1A2 will not produce A2A2 milk.

How is it different from “regular” milk?

A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins are genetic variants of the beta-casein milk protein and differ by only one amino acid.

Studies have found that the digestive enzymes that process proteins within the human digestive tract interact with beta-casein proteins exactly at the location where the amino acids differ, and so A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins are each processed differently within our digestive system.

Is it healthier/better for you than “regular” milk?

There is no medical evidence to suggest that A1 milk is in any way harmful. And conversely, no medical studies suggest that A2 milk is inherently better.

There is, however, anecdotal evidence that does suggest that A2 milk is easier to digest and thus can cause less discomfort for those who experience lactose sensitivities or intolerances.

Some studies suggest that around 25% of people are sensitive to the proteins released upon digestion of A1 milk. It may well be that a portion of those who believe they have a lactose intolerance may actually be sensitive to A1 beta-casein.

One human study did show that more gastrointestinal discomfort occurred following the consumption of A1 milk compared to A2 milk.*

How do you get A2A2 milk?

A2 beta-casein proteins are a genetic variant; whether the cow has A1 or A2 proteins depends entirely on her DNA.

There’s nothing you can do to change or affect that in any way. It doesn’t matter what or how much she eats, where she’s housed, where or how much she grazes.

It’s simply in her DNA.

What kind of cow has A2A2 milk?

Cows of every breed can potentially have the genetic variant for A2A2 milk. Holsteins have the lowest probability of the A2A2 gene at 35%; Jerseys and Guernseys have the highest probability at 57%-65%.

This table, published by Canadian Dairy Network Excellence in 2016 shows the percentage of cows by breed who were tested and shown to carry the A2A2 genotype.

Canadian Dairy Network Excellence, “Beta Casein, A2 Milk and Genetics,” Dec 2016.

How do I know if my cow is A2A2?

You’ll need to test her DNA.

This winter, I pulled a couple dozen hairs (roots intact) from Sandy’s tail switch and sent them to a lab for DNA testing. It had nothing to do with her health or well-being, I was just curious.

The results came back; Sandy does indeed have the A2A2 genotype.

Does it matter if my cow is A2A2?

The best way to answer this question is: it depends.

If you are already drinking raw milk, all of the natural enzymes, probiotics, and beneficial bacteria remain intact and are already working to make the milk easier for your digestive system to process, enabling better nutrient absorption and less discomfort. In that case, A2A2 may not make much difference.

If you experience lactose intolerances or sensitivities, you may very well find that A2A2 milk is easier to digest and allows you to enjoy dairy products you’d thought no longer available to you. (hellooooo, ice cream).

If you run a dairy or a herd share, A2A2 cows may be more valuable since A2A2 milk can bring higher prices as more consumers consider it a more desirable product.

Someone asked me recently if I was excited to get the results of Sandy’s A2 genetic test. I wasn’t quite sure how to answer.

Sandy is producing the same milk she always did. It’s just as creamy and delicious as it was before the test. It is neat to know and it may make her valuable for those looking specifically for A2 milk.

But for me, nothing has changed except to confirm that she does indeed produce nature’s most perfect food with its incredible combination of essential nutrients, proteins, and healthy fats.

It just also happens to be trending.

Have more questions about A2A2 milk? Let me know in the comments!


*Sources Cited

Canadian Network for Dairy Excellence, “Beta Casein, A2 Milk and Genetics” https://www.cdn.ca/document.php?id=461. Accessed 3 March 2022.

Categories // Blog Post Tags // family milk cow, home dairy, milk cow

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I drove down to the vet’s to pick up meds for a sick heifer and since it takes me right through Amish country, I couldn’t resist stopping at a farm just off the road to pick up 10 quarts of small but luscious berries (the small ones are sweetest, I think).
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Harvested rhubarb from the garden and a couple hours later : strawberry rhubarb jam.
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Morning milking is a balm to the soul. . I used to Morning milking is a balm to the soul.
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I used to be a die hard night owl and use the quiet of a dark house late at night to get all the things done. I’d put the kids to bed and start a whole ‘nother shift of work into the wee hours.
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Having a milk cow changed all that. 
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You want to make real honest-to-goodness cheese at You want to make real honest-to-goodness cheese at home. Make the most use of that liquid gold you’ve got coming in by the pailful. Fill your family’s bellies with nutrient-dense protein-packed cheeses grown right in your backyard, stirred by your own hands, aged in your own home.
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But cheese? That sounds/feels/looks so intimidating, am I right?
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Here I am, standing on my box, to tell you that it does. not. have. to be that way. Our great-grands didn’t have sterile kitchens. Or commercial supplies. Or a degree in biochemical engineering. But they made cheese. And fed families. And thrived.
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My friend Kate’s ( @venisonfordinner ) new course “Cheesemaking Without the BS” will get you where you want to be in your Cheesemaking journey. She’s got a houseful of kids, a homestead to run, and cows to milk. Making cheese is just one of the things because she’s learned how to make it work, without overwhelm, and she’ll teach you to do the same.
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This time of year I worry about too much grass gro This time of year I worry about too much grass growing too fast before I can get the cows over to eat it down and make the most of it.
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That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩. . Those firs That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩.
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Those first few weeks hand milking can be disheartening. Dribbles and squirts, milk running down your wrist, sticky fingers, and sore forearms. 
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Milking is a skill. No one is good at it right away. It takes practice. The more you practice, the better you get. The faster you get, the more sure and even your squirts.
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  • All About Cream : Part 1
  • How to help your milk cow adjust to Daylight Savings Time
  • What is A2A2 Milk?
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