The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” – Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 15, 2023

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. (The Bill of Rights became law on this day in 1791, following ratification by the state of Virginia.) We encourage our American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud.

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The Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull was killed by Native American policemen who, with others, were attempting to arrest him near the Grand River in South Dakota.

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The 15th of December, 1923, was the birthday of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas). According to Wikipedia, he was “…born in Weimar, Germany. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine where he changed his name to Uziel Gal. In 1943, he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was pardoned and released in 1946, serving less than half of his sentence.” He is, of course, remembered as the inventor of the famous Uzi submachine gun and the short-lived Ruger MP9 (an improvement to the Uzi). Uzi Gal is not to be confused with Israel Galili, the chief weapons designer for Israeli Military Industries (IMI), who along with Yaacov Lior designed the Galil improvement to the AK-47.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Practical Rain Catchment, by Javelina

I think everyone agrees that water is an absolute necessity, regardless of the situation at hand. Catching what nature provides can be as simple as a bucket or tarp or as complex as multi tank systems with complete purification systems. I am no expert, nor is this meant to be a technical article but a simple guide to get started harvesting rain. As always consult your local codes and permit requirements. The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) is a great place to start. The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) is also a source of installation information as well. Your state may have a similar publication – a Manual on Rainwater Harvesting.

Getting started – How do you want to utilize the harvested water? Are you interested in watering plants, maintaining your garden and/or building a potable water system? All can be accomplished with the right resources and motivation.

First, determine if your roof is suitable for harvesting rain. A wood or shake shingle roof is no go. Normal asphalt roofs are not great due to weather- and age-related breakdown, but being the most common type of roof system, I would not rule it out. Metal or tile roofs are the best option.Continue reading“Practical Rain Catchment, by Javelina”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at some rumored ammunition price increases. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

The big swings in the precious metals markets are continuing. After hitting an all-time last week, spot gold took a dive back into the high $1,980s range, on profit-taking. When I checked on Wednesday morning, spot gold had recovered to $2,020 per Troy ounce and silver was at $23.45. The silver-to-gold ratio has also seen big swings. As of Wednesday, it stood at 86.1-to-1. So we are approaching another good juncture to ratio trade out of gold into silver, if you have the vault space for the bulkier metal. In my estimation, a 90-to-1 ratio should be your “make the switch” signal.

I must also mention that platinum and palladium are presently also looking undervalued. However, the difficulty with those white metals for physical investors is that the dealers’ premiums are quite high. Paying $1,188 for a 1-ounce Platinum American Liberty — containing $938 worth of platinum — seems painful. – JWR

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Radomski, at Gold-Eagle.com: The Clearest, Biggest, and Most Important Reversal in Gold.

o  o  o

Here’s why silver is stalling; Can it break out in 2024?

Economy & Finance:

Signs of the times: Dollar General to open 800 stores in 2024; Q3 tops Street.

o  o  o

Reader H.L. spotted this: Jeep employees learn of mass layoffs just over one month after UAW strike ends.

o  o  o

Hasbro Lays Off 20% Of Company On Plunging Toy Sales.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: The Markets Are Front-Running The First Rate-Cut.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 14, 2023

One of the greatest figures in the history of polar exploration was Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who left Norway for Antarctica in June 1910 and on this day in 1911 became the first person to reach the South Pole.

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This large property listing on SurvivalRealty.com with five natural gas wells caught my eye: 587 SE Kentucky Acres – Defensible – Ridges and Streams, Spectacular Views.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 3, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

More milk cows

Cows are no trouble at all if they have what they need: plenty of grass to graze, hay during the winter, a little grain at milking time, minerals, plenty of fresh water, good fences, shelter, and no predators.

I should tell you that I obtained more milk cows and there’s a reason for that.  Once I weaned the calf, my Jersey’s milk production started to drop until she was giving half a gallon of milk a day.  This happened over a few month’s time.  She was about 8  months post-calving when she decided she was “done”.  She was not yet “bred back”, although she had been artificially inseminated (A.I.) a couple of times.  I kind of panicked, as I had read that a cow who dries off and is not bred may have hormonal issues that prevent them from becoming pregnant again.  I was also dismayed at not having milk for the house.  I contacted the farmer who I purchased her from to see if he had any more milk cows and he had a beautiful Guernsey cow who had just calved a bull calf.  She was also A2/A2, health tested, and was a registered Guernsey.  He sold her to me for the same price, and delivered her to me.  She was not as sweet and good-natured as the Jersey, terrified of her new surroundings, and man was she a kicker!  To make matters worse, I had her calf banded (castrated) on the trailer before he got off.  She lost her mind hearing her calf bawling, and the bull calf never forgave me for that.Continue reading“Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 3, by SaraSue”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we further examine the risk of solar flares and extreme solar storms.

A Timely Update, Thursday PM:

MAJOR X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: The sun just unleashed the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 (so far), an X2.8-class explosion from unstable sunspot AR3514. The blast caused a deep shortwave radio blackout over the Americas and may have hurled a fast CME toward Earth. Follow this developing story @ Spaceweather.com

Extreme Solar Storms More Frequent Than Had Been Thought?

Over at Forbes: Extreme Solar Storms May Be More Frequent Than Previously Thought.  This article begins:

“An international team consisting of scientists from nine countries has published a detailed study on a lesser-known solar storm—named Chapman-Silverman event after two astronomers who collected the first data—that hit Earth in February 1872. Their findings confirm that solar storms powerful enough to directly impact our infrastructure are more common than previously thought.

Coronal mass ejections or flares are powerful outbursts of charged particles traveling towards Earth. When such a flare hits Earth, it can cause a solar storm disrupting the planet’s magnetic field.”

Solar Storm From 1977 Reveals How Unprepared We Are

Solar storm from 1977 reveals how unprepared we are for the next ‘big one’.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 13, 2023

On this day in 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman sighted South Island, New Zealand, and later, mistaking the strait north of the island for a bay, believed he had found the west coast of a hypothetical southern continent.  Tasman was the greatest of the Dutch navigators and explorers. He was the first European to sight Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Fiji Islands.

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December 13th is the birthday of Sergeant Alvin York.

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Wow!  GunMag Warehouse (One of our affiliate advertisers) is running a pre-Christmas special: ETS GEN 2 9mm 32-Round Magazines for Glock Pistols (Black only) for just $6.49 each! (Normally $14.99 each.)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1.)

My first cow and calf 

I spent the next few months getting to know my cow.  I was terribly intimidated by her size.  In fact, I was afraid to go into her pasture.  I would cut up apples and feed them to her over the gate.  She would eat them out of my hand while I called her by the name I had given her, and I would tell her what a sweet cow she was.  I’m convinced this is what endeared her to me.  When my excited grandchildren visited, they would also feed her cut-up apples through the gate.  They got to feel the rough tongue of a cow, see how large she was, and learn her name.  The cow got used to a bunch of excited kids shrieking near her.

Once a week I would call her over, feed bucket in hand, to the milking area.  I would give her a little grain, lock her head in the head gate, and let her know that I could touch her all over without her being afraid.  I was told to not overfeed her while pregnant, and that a fat cow will have difficulties birthing.  I could only give her one quart of dairy ration, once a week.  She had plenty of grass, but she found the stash of hay in the barn, figured out how to open the gate to it, and buried her nose in that fresh hay often.  So, that’s how it went for a few months.Continue reading“Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 2, by SaraSue”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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First up, at WND: Young Americans lead population in prepping for disaster. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)

o  o  o

Tucker Carlson interviews Alex Jones in a lengthy (1.5-hour), wide-ranging, and insightful conversation, on X-Twitter.  It is good to see that Elon Musk subsequently reinstated Alex Jones to Twitter.

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Reader C.B. mentioned this new video from Texas contractor Matt Risinger: Building in the Country – Everything you need to know.

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Pentagon may let AI drones kill humans autonomously: Report.

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To follow up on my previous mention of his passing, here is a link to an obituary for my brother in Christ, Bob Griswold.  Rest in Peace, my friend!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Mr. President, the small progress we have made after four or five weeks’ close attendance and continual reasonings with each other—our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes—is, methinks, a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those republics which, having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution, now no longer exist. And we have viewed modern states all round Europe, but find none of their constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this assembly, groping, as it were, in the dark, to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, sir, a long time, and, the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed, in this political building, no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.” – Benjamin Franklin, from Volume 5 of The Debates in the Several State Conventions.

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 12, 2023

On December 12, 1915 popular singer Frank Sinatra, who also achieved wide success as a film actor, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey.

And on December 12, 2019, the British General Election was won by Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party in a landslide win with an 80-seat majority. The same day, the Scottish National Party also won 48 of 59 seats in Scotland.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $305 value)
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $850,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 110 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 1, by SaraSue

Trends in Homesteading

It’s become very popular to have a homestead milk cow.  I can see why!  No running to the store for milk.  When my children were little, milk was the item we were always running out of.  I love being able to open the “milk fridge” and see gallons of milk sitting there.  I love being able to make cream cheese, or ice cream, or whipped cream, or yogurt without having to run to the store.  Chocolate milk is a treat and is easily made when there’s plenty of milk.  In years past, I would have never drank “raw milk” as I was told it was dirty and full of bacteria.  Now I know better.  Raw milk doesn’t go bad like pasteurized milk does, unless it becomes contaminated by something outside of itself.  It just changes into a cheese like substance (which is, believe it or not, fully edible).  Raw milk would have to sit for a really long time to actually go putrid.  After having milk cows for a couple of years, I can see why the family milk cow was considered an asset.

I have a neighbor who comes to my house every week to pick up milk.  He is an older gentleman who likes to tell me the stories of how he grew up, and even gave me a tour of his property.  Oh to have a barn like they have!!  He said that the milk truck would come through the countryside picking up milk from various farms for the “city folk”.  They would set out large cans of milk for the milk truck and would get paid for their milk.  It was a small source of income for their farm.  When I had work done on my property, one of the gentlemen stopped to discuss my dairy cows after he had finished working.  He told me that he had worked in a dairy long ago and that his granny had a milk cow.  I sent milk home with him.  I have discovered that many people in this area had milk cows a generation or two ago and remember the fresh, delicious, taste of raw milk.  I can tell you that a Jersey cow’s milk can taste like a vanilla milkshake.  It’s that good.  A Guernsey cow’s milk, often called Golden Milk, is sweet, rich, and buttery.  A Brown Swiss cow’s milk is crisp and refreshing.  Seriously, the milk is that good.  I don’t think I can drink store-bought milk again, even if you paid me.Continue reading“Milk Cows on the Homestead – Part 1, by SaraSue”