Where does milk come from? In this video, Tennessee-based farmer, woodworker, and YouTuber Anne Briggs of Anne of All Trades demonstrates how she trained and milks her American Devon/Jersey Cross milking cow. She explains:
Having my own dairy cow is an important part of the permaculture principles on my organic homestead. She provides so much more than raw milk for our homesteading family and farm community through our raw dairy herdshare program, we use her milk to make cheese, to make yogurt, to make whipped cream, to make butter, and of course I put a little in my morning coffee too. Her milk also provides sustenance for our bottle baby lambs, for our pigs, and her manure provides clean, rich organic compost for the garden.
I’d never milked a cow by hand, but I’ve been milking my goats by hand for five years, so I knew I could figure it out. Having a family milk cow is wonderful. Reba has been incredibly patient with me and we have learned all the ins and outs of the milking parlor working together. Milking a cow by hand is a lot of work, but the relationship built with the animal and the rewards of that labor are many, bringing food from farm to table is the absolute best thing about homesteading.
Previously from Briggs: Green wood spoon carving.
Plus, watch these related milk videos next:
• How is ice cream made?
• How Dutch Gouda is made at this 100-year-old family farm
• Sesame Street’s Milk Song
• Powered by Poop at the Straus Family Creamery
Plus, don’t miss this video: The science of milk
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