about our cows & our milk
We have a small herd of dairy cows including a few purebred Jerseys, a Brown Swiss, and a Normande/Jersey cross. All of our cows are tested and verified to be A2A2. At any given time, we are milking between 2 and 5 cows depending on which cows are “in milk” and which cows are “dry.” Our cows are milked once a day in the mornings using a closed-system vacuum pump milk machine. When the calves are under 6 months old, they are either with their moms all day and night, or they are separated from their mothers at night and are with them during the day. This is termed “calf-sharing,” meaning we are sharing our cows’ milk with their calves.
Our cows are Cowgirl (the very large, very smart cow on our home page), Granola (our highest producer), Curly Fry (our sweetest girl), Easy (a beautiful white brindled Brown Swiss), Waffles (a sweet and beautiful young Jersey), and Goldie (a little aloof, but very predictable). BG and Moose are young heifers that will be raised to be milk cows. Our steers (males) are Rocket and Hearty, and we will raise them to feed our family. Our cows know their names and come when called and they love their milking routine. At milking, they get a bucket of farm-made feed that includes Montana grown peas, wheat, camelina, and barley as well as an organic mineral, digestive enzymes, and amino acids. Their grain ration supports their milk production, gives them a “treat” during milking, and ensures they are adequately nourished. The rest of the time, the cows are grazing our pastures and/or eating grass/alfalfa hay.
After we milk the cows in the mornings, the milk is strained through a super fine milk filter and then immediately bottled. The milk filters allow us to inspect all of the milk every day as it passes through the filter. We then place the milk into our freezer to rapidly chill it before refrigerating it. This filtration process and rapid-chilling keeps the milk tasting sweeter and fresher, and leads to a longer shelf life of 10-14 days. Our cows are routinely tested for somatic cell count (an indicator of mastitis) using the home California Mastitis Test (CMT) and we keep a very close eye on the cows themselves, their udders, and their milk.
FAQs
what does a2a2 MEAN & why is it important?
1
A2A2 denotes the type of beta-casein protein present in a cow’s milk. There are 2 variants (alleles) of this beta-casein gene, A1 and A2, and a calf gets one allele from each parent meaning a cow can have a beta-casein gene that is A1A1, A2A2, or A1A2. Historically, all wild and domesticated cows were A2A2 meaning they had two copies of the A2 gene. Thousands of years ago, the A1 gene arose due to a mutation and then spread throughout the cattle population. As we have bred for high production cows (cows that produce the most milk), the A1 variant has become very common and it appears in high frequency in Holstein cows, the predominant milk cow in the United States and Europe. There is nothing inherently wrong with the A1 gene — the vast majority of milk on the shelves in the United States contains A1 milk. There is anecdotal evidence that some people who experience discomfort when consuming milk or dairy containing the A1 beta-casein do not experience this discomfort when they consume milk that is A2A2, meaning it contains no A1 protein. The research on the benefits of A2A2 milk is young but there have been studies that have shown that in addition to decreasing digestive upset, consumption of A2A2 milk increases the production of glutathione, an antioxidant, in the body. Proponents of A2A2 dairy argue that it is not only better tolerated by a portion of the population but that it is also more nutritious.
At Black Dog Micro Dairy, just like at our sister farm Black Dog Farm, we produce food that is nutritious, delicious, and ethical, from animals that live wonderful, happy, healthy lives. Our cows are A2A2 because we recognize the potential for improved nutrition and health, but we do not believe this is the only factor that matters. Clean, sweet, fresh, cream-top milk comes from healthy cows, clean milking practices, and intentional processing more than from whether a cow is A1A2 or A2A2.
how do you ensure your milk is clean, fresh, and safe?
2
Just like there is inherent risk in consuming lettuce because of the potential for contracting E. coli or Salmonella, consuming raw dairy carries risks. The consumer is responsible for being aware of those risks and vetting their dairy farm. We take cleanliness and safety seriously at Black Dog Micro Dairy. We use a high quality, closed-system vacuum pump milk machine which means that our milk does not have contact with the outside environment as it travels from the cow to the milk canister. Our cows are thoroughly cleaned and their teats disinfected before each milking. Each teat is “stripped” before milking, which means the first milk that comes out is discarded. This milk may have been sitting in the teat canal making it more likely to come into contact with environmental pathogens. All of these steps are designed to mitigate the risk of environmental contamination of milk.
After milking, our milk is immediately strained through a very fine milk filter. The filter will catch any contaminants including hair and dirt — though with the closed system milk machine there is little to no opportunity for debris to enter the milk. The filter also gives us the opportunity to inspect the milk; to make sure there are no chunks or lumps, anything off with the color, or any slow filtering which can indicate an increase in somatic cell count of the milk and be a potential indicator of mastitis. In addition to careful observation of the milk, teats, udder, and cows, our cows are routinely tested for mastitis using the California Mastitis Test (CMT). This is an easy, accurate, reliable, at home test that is quick to perform.
We often hear from our customers that our milk is the freshest, best tasting, longest lasting raw milk they have ever had. I believe this is due to the health of our cows and our closed-system milking, but also due to our processing. We not only immediately filter and bottle our milk, but we then chill the bottled milk in our walk-in freezer. I believe rapid chilling is an underestimated step in milk processing. The faster you can chill the milk, the longer it will last and the fresher & sweeter it will taste.
how can i purchase milk?
3
The majority of our milk is sold through 12 week subscription cycles. Customers pay up front for the 12 weeks and pick up milk on the same day each week at the farm or at our milk fridge at the back door of Genuine Ice Cream in Bozeman. We have customers that get anywhere from 1 to 8 half gallon jars per week. You can also add Black Dog Farm eggs to your weekly milk subscription. Our subscriptions are almost always full and current subscribers get first dibs at renewing for the next cycle before we open spots up to new subscribers.
When we have extra milk, we bring it to the farmers markets in Bozeman. The best way to stay informed is to follow Black Dog Farm’s instagram account and to sign up for our e-mails at the bottom of this page. This is where we announce openings in milk subscriptions and let you know when we’ll have milk at the farmers markets.
All milk is sold in glass jars by the half gallon. We ask that you please return our jars to us ASAP either at the farmers market, the farm, or by dropping them in our milk fridge at Genuine Ice Cream.
what’s the deal with yogurt?
4
For many years I have been making a long-ferment, thick strained Greek yogurt from our milk for my daily breakfast. This summer when I had a lot of extra milk, I decided to offer some of this amazing yogurt for sale. Well, you all went nuts for it and now are upset that I haven’t had it. Yogurt is something I plan to make when I have milk available. It therefore might cycle in its availability. Again, the best way to stay updated on yogurt availability is to sign up for our e-mails at the bottom of this page. If you have the opportunity to try it, please do and let me know what you think. I think it is pretty special!
have a question?
Please make sure to read through the FAQs before contacting us and make sure to sign up for Black Dog Farm’s emails for market milk availability. Our subscriptions are currently FULL and the next subscription cycle starts November 16th. Any availability will be announced via e-mail.