About six months ago, when Thomas was beginning to wean from me, I started doing research on the health benefits of raw milk, especially for children. Combining that research with the observation of how healthy my mother, father, aunts, and uncles--who were all raised on raw milk--are, I decided to forgo pasteurized milk altogether and switch Thomas directly over to raw milk, or "the magic elixer," as Lance calls it. Although I have always wanted my own Jersey cow, I concluded that now was not the time to take on such a responsibility at Walnut Grove, especially since my mother has drawn the line at milking a cow. ("I'll feed the chickens, goats, and horses, when you're away, but I'm NOT milking a cow!") Okay, fair deal. So, I found a local "milk group," who gets raw milk from a small family farm in Abingdon Virginia--the Templeton Family Farm. Since it is technically illegal to sell raw milk in TN or VA, members of the milk group buy shares in the cow herd and pay the Templetons to board, feed, and milk the herd. They store the milk at their farm, and we pick it up once a week. Recently, on one of my pick up days, Thomas and I scheduled a tour of the farm and a "meet and greet" with the cows. His friend, Anna, and her mother, Inge, tagged along for the adventure.
And for those of you who are wondering...Thomas LOVES raw milk, and he has not shown even the slightest signs of having digestive complications from it. As soon as he started drinking it, he weaned completely from me. Needless to say, I cannot compete with a Jersey cow!
(Heading to meet the cows)
(Look, a cow!)
(The herd, including Stumpy, Meadow, and Bessie)
(Thomas and the cows)
(Thomas and the rock that was more interesting than the cows)
(The calves, including Lily and Thunderbolt)
(Cotton, the watch dog)
(Ribeye, the bull calf, who may or may not stay "intact")
(Pumpkin, the barn cat)
(Rodeo, the pony)
(Solomon, the bunny)
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