Why Goat Milk?

Cottontail Durbin - Feeling cute. Might go eat some rose bushes later. IDK.

Goat Milk in America

Dairy goats have been in North America since Spanish explorers brought them in the 16th century, Goat milk and products made from it has been used much longer in other parts of the world, and goat milk is even mentioned in the Bible (Proverbs 27:27).

I wondered why the mountain goats native to North America were never domesticated. . . . until I became a proud, though inexperienced, goat owner. Domesticated goats are fun and sweet and gentle and amusing and mischievous and hard-headed and stubborn and downright puzzling. I’ve read that goats are smarter than dogs. Our goats are incredibly smart, but they definitely are not interested in pleasing their humans. The first person to domesticate a goat was no doubt also the first person to say, “Here….hold my beer!”

In 1930’s America, goat milk was sought after as an alternative for people who were unable to tolerate cows’ milk, and one commercial goat milk operation in the U.S. supplied the market. Until then, dairy goats were only raised on small farms for the families’ own use. In the 1970’s, with the back-to-nature and homestead movements, raising goats became more popular. Goats are small livestock that are relatively easy to handle and house, and depending on the breed, they can produce fiber, meat, or milk. This makes them ideal for small farm operations.

Since the 1970’s the dairy goat industry in America has grown. Goat milk and goat milk products are becoming more appreciated—perhaps because of the foodie culture, or perhaps because of all those social media videos of adorable baby goats jumping around in pajamas. For me, both are applicable.

I find goats to be a constant entertainment, but the entertainment value doesn’t pay the bills. (Tell that to Francis the Talking Mule!) What are some other reasons one would want dairy goats?

Properties of Goat Milk

• Thicker and creamier than cow or plant milks

• Easier to digest

• Lower incidence of milk allergies than cow milk

• Improved heart health

• When used in soap, goat milk nourishes, moisturizes, and exfoliates skin

Nutrition Information for one cup of whole goat milk

• 168 Calories

• 9 grams Protein

• 10 grams Fat

• 11 grams Carbohydrates

• 11 grams Sugar

Goat Milk Provides

• Protein that is easier to digest and more available for the body to use than cows milk, almond milk or rice milk

• Calcium

• Potassium

• Phosphorus

• Magnesium

• Vitamin A

• Potential cholesterol reduction in arteries and gallbladder

Goat Milk at Durbinshire

With all those properties, what’s not to love about goat milk? At Durbinshire, we’ve learned to make four types of cheese, ice cream, caramel sauce, and soap, and we still have some left over to drink. If you like cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and soap, you may like it even more if it is made from goat milk. If you have tried goat milk or its products before and weren’t a fan, I encourage you to try again with the health benefits in mind. As goat milk becomes more popular in America, Americans have become adept at making wonderful, traditional goat milk products and innovating new products and recipes.

Fresh Chevre’ — our first batch

Ash Aged Goat Cheese - our first batch

Goat Milk Soap -our 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th batches

Oklahoma allows farmers without a certified and inspected dairy facility to sell a limited amount of goat milk, but the milk must be purchased at the farm, and must be sold raw and unpasteurized.

Proponents of raw milk believe raw milk is healthier than pasteurized because of its enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Milk you buy in a store has been pasteurized, a process that kills both beneficial bacteria and any potentially bad bacteria. People who choose to drink raw milk should do so only after considering why pasteurization is required by law for most milk sales, and making an informed choice.

I don’t have strong feelings over whether milk you consume should be raw or pasteurized; however, based on personal experience, we have been using and selling our goat milk raw for almost year with no adverse effects, and in fact, we feel quite healthy.

Durbinshire Farm falls into the un-certified and un-inspected category, and between May and January, we have a limited amount of raw goat milk for sale. We sanitize all milking equipment and utensils before and after use (so contamination by bad bacteria is unlikely), we cool it quickly, and sell within three days of production. While our goat milk at home never goes unused for two weeks, one of our customers mentioned that the milk she purchased from us was still fresh after two weeks in her refrigerator. Our un-inspected/un-certified category prohibits us from pasteurizing milk for sale, but if you prefer pasteurized over raw, the raw milk you purchase can be easily pasteurized at home by heating it 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds, and then cooling quickly.

Durbinshire Goat Milk

Check my blog posts for future articles about how to use goat milk, and if you buy goat milk at Durbinshire Farm, you can also meet the production team.

Flopsy Durbin - Hobbies include keeping others out of the barn on cold days and finding creative ways to wield her power. Moonlights as the Durbinshire file clerk and files everything under “M” for Miscellaneous. Plans to organize the labor into a union to demand more treats.

Mopsy Durbin - Enjoys modeling for photos and wreaking havoc. Defends her son, Benjamin, against all critics.

Beatrix Potter Durbin - Quite the intellectual, enjoys reading early 20th century stories about a family of rabbits. Refuses to admit to a strong streak of passive aggressiveness.