Is raw milk safe to drink?

It is a common misconception that raw milk is inherently dangerous. Raw milk actually contains numerous bioactive components that

• Kill pathogens in the milk (lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, leukocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, antibodies, medium chain fatty acids, lysozyme, B12 binding protein, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria);
• Prevent pathogen absorption across the intestinal wall (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, mucins, fibronectin, glycomacropeptides, bifidus factor, beneficial bacteria);
• And strengthen the immune system (lymphocytes, immunoglobulins, antibodies, hormones and growth factors).

You can read more here: https://www.realmilk.com/safety/

What sort of testing do you do?

Our cows are tested once a year for brucellosis, and our milk is lab tested twice a year for somatic cell count (white blood cells indicating infection), standard plate count (overall bacteria quality), and total coliform count (environmental contamination). We also regularly perform an on-farm somatic cell count test for mastitis prevention. We have been producing raw milk for our family since 2015, and selling since June of 2021, and have never had an incidence of sickness due to raw milk consumption by us or our customers.

Do you vaccinate your cows?

We have a minimalist vaccination program. We vaccinate our young calves once, not long after birth, with a 7 or 8-way clostridium vaccination, depending on availability. We have had a major outbreak with two strains of clostridium, and this has prevented further loss of animals for us. Our heifers, between 6-12 months old, are vaccinated against brucellosis. The state of Montana requires the vaccination for selling animals over state lines. That is the extent of our vaccination program! We will never vaccinate our cows with an mRNA vaccination.

Are the milk cows grass-fed? What do you feed the milk cows?

The milk cows are not grass-fed, and we do not plan to go grass-fed for the milkers. The cows are currently fed free-choice grass/alfalfa hay, molasses/protein lick tub (MLS #1), and natural minerals (Redmond Garlic Salt and Conditioner). They are also given a grain ration of 4-8lb, depending on the cow, at each milking. We are working to source a non-gmo grain ration, but we haven't been able to implement that change yet.

Is your beef grass-fed/finished?

Unless clearly stated otherwise, all of our beef is grass-fed and grass-finished.

How does the delivery system work?

Orders must be placed through the website. You will have a choice to select which drop point you would like to pick up at. You can see details for what times and days we are at each location at: blackcoffeeranch.com/locations. The order window for Mondays opens on Thursdays, and the order window for Thursday opens on Mondays. When you place your order, you will be able to choose to pay at pickup with cash, or to pay with a card online. There is a $1 fee for all credit card transactions. You will meet us in the parking lot of the location you chose at the time frame we are there during the chosen day. If you click on the locations link above, then click on your desired location, there will be a description of where we park at that location at the bottom of the page.

You do not need to print out anything to bring, just provide us with the name the order is placed under, and we will have a reference sheet to make sure you get what you ordered!