Local Raw Goat Milk

After much searching I finally found a small local farm with raw goat milk for $6 a half gallon. Abita Springs Farm is a a half acre farm of 7 goats located in the heart of Cully neighborhood in Portland. Previously to finding Abita Springs Farm I was buying pasteurized goat milk from New Seasons Market for $9.99 for a half gallon. I picked up a half gallon today that was produced just last night and met a couple of the goats themselves. Lyra is in love is now bringing me her water and asking for milk instead.

I was raised on raw goat milk and didn't really think twice about it when it came time to move our daughter off the breast and to the sippy cup. Some people ask "Why goat milk? Why not regular cow milk?" For one goat milk does not contain the same complex proteins that stimulate allergic reactions. It also takes 20 minutes to digest goat milk and can take up to 24 hours to process cow milk (Natural News).

There is also the issue of the milk being raw. Again, I didn't even think about it. However, my husband had never in his life drank a non-pasteurized milk product. His first question was "Is it safe?" Fair question with all the horror stories we hear in the media. Raw milk has many benefits that pasteurized milk does not such as enzymes and nutrients that are often destroyed in the pasteurization process. However, raw milk should be drank within a week and if you can get it from small, local and clean farm then you reduce any risk factors tremendously. Raw goat milk has a much better safety record than that of raw cow milk historically speaking. 

As far as the allergy factor goes. I was raised on organic raw goat milk and have no known food allergies. My husband was raised on traditional pasteurized cow milk and has all kinds of food allergies. Now many allergies can be genetic and it may have nothing to do with our foods growing up, but what is the harm in trying?