Dairying for the Small Farm & Homestead: Drink Real Milk!

Did you know that the number of small dairy farms has declined by 80 percent in the last 30 years?  We are losing the traditions, knowledge and common sense needed to provide ourselves with healthy, wholesome milk.  Most milk purchased in the supermarket has little in common with the amazing substance produced by a healthy, grass-fed cow or browsing goat.  Supermarket milk often comes from cows fed corn and soy, medicated with hormones and antibiotics, homogenized and pasteurized – killing nutrients, enzymes and probiotics important for our health and digestion. It is time to regain and reclaim the age old practices of raising healthy dairy animals and providing healthy milk for our families. 

In past sessions we have looked at the basics of goat and cow dairying, how to feed animals for health and milk production, the legal climate surrounding small dairy, and how to keep your animals healthy.

This final session will look at

Course Curriculum:  Each Saturday session includes both discussion and hands-on field learning.

• April 13: Welcome, tour of farm, why goats are great, seasons of dairying, breeding, pregnancy, kidding, weaning, the lactation cycle, and the art of hand-milking.
• April 27:  Keeping your goats/cows well-fed, growing fodder crops, forage, edible and poisonous plants, cuttings, rotational pasturing, lessons of the goat-herder.
• May 11: The legal climate for small farm dairy, herd-share programs, recent legislative efforts e.g. the Home Dairy Raw Milk Safety Act, the Commercial Dairy Code, Section 32901, controversy regarding raw milk and the case for the health benefits of raw milk.
• May 25:  Keeping your goats healthy.  Preventing mastitis, healthy hair and hoof, worming, vaccines, mold issues, castration and disbudding.  Natural health, herbal and homeopathic remedies.
• June 8:  The wonders of fresh milk.  Learn and practice simple home recipes to make cheese, yogurt, kefir and other delicious dairy products.
• June 22:  How to design and build a good home.  Barn, barnyard, paddock, stanchion and milk room.  Tour of local backyard dairies. 

Cost:  $25 per class. Scholarships and work-trade are available.
Instructors:  Sara Grusky, Tia Lawrence & Loraine Wilder
Site: Green Uprising Farm, 2301 East Hill Rd., Willits
Co-sponsors:  School of Adaptive Agriculture & Green Uprising Farm,
For more information contact:  office@adaptiveagriculture,org or call 707 216-5549

Register here for the whole six week session, or RSVP to office@adaptiveagriculture.org for individual classes (you can pay at the classes).