Raw Milk Dairy - First Steps

Our dairy goats have two young kids, and the milk is flowing like a river. As a person raised in a large metropolis (Minsk, Belarus - two million people), I was mildly conflicted about such an act of intimacy as drinking milk from my own goat.... I had had plenty of fresh, still warm, cow's milk as a child, spending summers in the countryside. But I did not know the cows, or milk them, I just drunk the sweet and wonderful milk. Well, now it is different. I am involved in this magical process of extracting milk. I feel like I am part of some kind of a human-goat constellation, a guild in which I am not just a participant, not just a caregiver, but an inseparable element. It is a very interesting experience!

7 am, first morning of milking - I felt very proud of myself. I filtered the milk, chilled it (all by the book!), put it in a clean jar, tightened the lid. Time for coffee, and there is still some store-bought Half&Half in the refrigerator. I force myself to use goats milk instead... In my coffee?! I try it with the determination and loyalty of a goat owner. It tastes fabulous!!! What a miracle! So the degustation begins. In the following days delectable cheeses and yogurts are made. All reservations are removed. It is ambrosia, heavenly, sweet and fresh substance, made of our plants and weeds, daily. The milk is flowing like a river, and I am there, on the receiving end of it, tasting, culturing, sharing, making new friends, trading milk for things I want - such as honey, garden help, and (how strange!) - the use of our neighbors truck! Milk for gasoline - now, try this at home!