This week I had the pleasure of connecting with one of the farmers from our local Trinity Valley Farm. Brandon Brown is one of the brawn & brains behind this beautiful, functional, eco-friendly and highly efficient dairy farm, which has been a part of his family's history and tradition for over 5 generations! Here are some of the highlights from our chat all about #MILK.
What sets your dairy farm apart from all others?
Brandon: We freely roam 100+ cows in our farms' pastures from April until November, and allow our Holstein and Brown Swiss cows to eat non-GMO crops that we plant ourselves.
Are there any specific methods that you use?
Brandon: We just started this past spring and are really getting into no-till farming. We took courses at Cornell where we learned how to better protect our land and not disturb our grounds. Top soil is a really big issue, and ecosystem where the organic matter mostly sits; and although it's only ~6 inches deep, the rain washes it all away. We want to take better care of our land, which involves keeping the earth more intact, including a more solid root system, filled with earthworms, who help aerate the ground for better vegetation and growth. In 3-5 years, our ecosystem will be thriving, without the need for any pesticides or herbicides!
We planted rye last year and were very impressed with how it smothers the ground, keeping it moist and preventing other unwanted stuff from entering the topsoil. Our focus will be to switch over to all rye fields, and will start next year preparing more fields this way. Top two goals are 1) to protect the environment, and 2) create more sustainable farmlands for economic feasibility.
How come so many people drink your milk and LOVE it?
Brandon: If you were asking in terms of testimonials, we literally have hundreds. People with true lactose intolerance are able to better digest our milk due to its' high quality, and since we put extra care into it's preparation; from our cows in the grass all the way to the milk in your glass. (Keep in mind that those with an actual allergy to the bovine protein in milk may still have a hard time digesting all milk.)
When it comes to quality, we would never overheat our milk. We believe in protecting the naturally occurring digestive enzymes and proteins in the milk itself, which account for easier digestibility, even in those with lactose intolerance. Next, we use a process called low-temperature vat pasteurization, where the milk is held at 145 degrees for 30 minutes and then cooled as quickly as possible. Compare this to the standard, that uses high temperature over a short period of time (165 degrees for 15 seconds of pasteurization). Keep in mind that 145 degrees is lowest temperature allowed by FDA!
The danger in using too high a temperature to pasteurize is that over 150 degrees, the threshold is broken and the actual naturally occurring digestive enzymes, including lactase which is needed to break down the lactose sugar in milk, get destroyed. Our milk contains the goodies needed for efficiency of digestion!
How come your milk tastes so deliciously creamy?
Brandon: We are very proud of our products. We live milk. Working from 3:30am until 9pm is a VERY long day, everyday... but you better have some passion behind it or why else would you work these crazy hours?! Our milk is creamlined, which means we don't homogenize our milk. This keeps it as wholesome, fresh and natural as possible. Other farms homogenize for aesthetics, but we believe in taste and quality first and foremost. Also, we prepare our milk in batches vs continual flow (as found on standard farms) to keep milk in its' most natural form.
What's the deal with fat % content in milk?
Brandon: We take pride in caring for our animals, and allow them to produce whatever milk they can, without the use of any growth hormones or rBST. Usually, their milk is 3.7-3.8% butterfat, while the standard for other brands is only 3.25%, so that alone right there accounts for a difference in texture and flavor. Plus, the delicious top layer of energy-rich cream in every bottle! We do not standardize our milk, and cannot go higher than this %, but there is indeed a science to it.
Why put the effort into doing it all this way?
Brandon: Our good farmer friend in the Carolina's changed his ways 8 years ago since he didn't want to alter the goodness of his milk in any shape or form. We have now followed in his footsteps. We believe that milk is the best -- it contains all the essential vitamins and nutrients in one wholesome beverage -- and we don't want to mess with a good thing, especially a product as wholesome as it comes naturally from our own cows.
I'm so thankful for Brandon's time, and that he is able to share his passion for his farm and delicious milk with all of us. During this Fall season, Trinity Valley Farm offers hay rides, pumpkin patches and fun for families of all shapes and sizes. They even have a store where they sell freshly prepared goodies and much more. YUM!
Hope you love it as much as we do ;) If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!