What is a Herdshare, and why can’t I just buy milk?
In the state of Ohio, it is essentially illegal to sell raw milk by the gallon. One way around this is what is known as a “herdshare;” essentially, people wishing to buy raw milk must first buy into the farmers’ herd and sign a contract. Once someone has bought into the herd, they can legally buy raw milk from the farmer, with “per gallon” fees being accounted as herd management/boarding, bottling, handling, etc. rather than for milk itself. Basically, buying a herdshare is like buying a cow and hiring someone else to milk her so you don’t have to.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!What is special about Kilkea Farm’s milk?
Our goat dairy herd is grass fed, rotationally grazed. Our goat breed’s milk is more nutrient dense than standard milk in terms of both butterfat and protein, on average running about a 7% higher in the raw state. During conventional processing, fat is further reduced and proteins are deformed in the pasteurization and homogenization processes. Raw milk also contains numerous enzymes and beneficial bacteria that both aid in digestion and act as general anti-pathogens for the fluid milk itself. Pasteurization deactivates many of these enzymes and kills many of the beneficial bacteria rendering the milk harder to digest and a more easily colonized substance for harmful bacteria.
Herdshare Membership:
Our one-time herdshare buy-in is $50. After that, we charge $7.00/pint for boarding. We can schedule a routine time to pick up your product. To request a herdshare membership, please fill out and submit this form. Thank you!