What is a Dairy Herd Share?
A Dairy Herd Share is buying partial ownership into a herd of dairy animals then paying board for the care and maintenance of the dairy herd.
Why would I buy a dairy herd share? Maybe you live in town and cannot own a dairy animal but you want raw milk. Maybe you want to try raw milk before you jump into ownership of your very own dairy animal. Maybe you have experience with dairy animals or you have crunched the numbers so you know the time and expense involved but you still want raw milk. Whatever the reason, the end result is putting raw milk on your table from a local farmer.
So, first things first, establish ownership into a dairy herd share. This is done by paying the buy-in fee to the farmer. This is like purchasing a puppy, but sharing the cost with a few friends because you want to share the expenses and end product with said friends.
Once you are an owner/member of the Herd Share, you begin paying a boarding fee to the farm(h)er to care for and milk the dairy herd throughout the time you are a member of the herd share. In exchange, each Herd Share member is able to receive a share of the raw milk produced by the dairy herd.
Our Herd Share program serves members year round. These members are the first to receive shares every week of the year. There are several factors that affect milk production and who gets shares and how many are available. Some factors include: drying off a cow for her upcoming birth, health and weather issues, and farm(h)er error (spills a whole milk bucket on the floor of barn because the lid came off while lifting it into the back of the transport vehicle to the house after milking…ask me how I know!)
The number of herd shares you are able to sign up for is dependent on how many shares are available when you become a member. The total number of herd shares available is determined based on our season of the lowest production due to calving and calf sharing. If you need to decrease shares we are able to accommodate that a lot easier than adding more herd shares to your membership.
We provide jars and lids to herd share members. When picking up herd shares all members are required to exchange their jars from the prior week for filled jars. Empty jars with lids must be washed thoroughly and dried completely so they can be used for bottling that week. Failure to return jars cleaned and dried results in a $5 fee.
In August of 2023, House Bill 1515 legalizes the sale of raw milk to consumers in the state of North Dakota.
How does this affect health conscious consumers who want to support local farmers and our farm?
This move toward increased food freedom is for those who are unable or do not want to commit to a weekly pick up schedule, rather they want raw milk on an as needed basis because this is what works best for their particular situation.
For our farm, this gives us the opportunity to sell our excess raw milk when we are not raising pigs or meat chickens and during our peak seasons of milk production.
We will provide jars and lids for a fee. If you choose to provide your own jars and lids, they must be clean and dry before we will fill them with milk from our dairy herd. There will also be a specific day and time for you to come to the farm to get your personal jars filled.
Raw Milk
Raw Milk
Herd Share Member Subscription:
1 share = 1 gallon raw milk = $13
(total monthly cost for 1 share = $56.30)
Weekly delivery = $5 per week
Bi-weekly delivery = $5 per week
bi-weekly delivery is limited
Payment is required at the beginning of each month for the month. The total invoice will be prorated so that each month is the same price but it works out to being $13 per share per week.
Delivery will be adjusted the same way, so for each weekly delivery it is $22 per month and for bi-weekly delivery it is $11 per month.
Sold Out
Seasonal Raw Milk Subscription:
1 share = 1 gallon raw milk = $14
(total monthly cost for 1 share is $60.60)
Weekly delivery = $5 per week
Bi-weekly delivery = $5 per week
bi-weekly delivery is limited
Payment is required at the beginning of each month for the month. The total invoice will be prorated so that each month is the same price but it works out to being $14 per share per week.
Delivery will be adjusted the same way, so for each weekly delivery it is $22 per month and for bi-weekly delivery it is $11 per month.
Limited availability
We are in a season of low production so extra milk is very limited to those interested in only getting milk on an as needed basis.
On Farm pick - up on Tuesdays and Thursdays = no fee
Delivery to designated location at specified time = $5
Williston - Mondays 1 pm - 2 pm
Stanley - Wednesdays 11:00 am
Berthold/Minot - every other Wednesday 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Tioga - every other Wednesday 12:00 - 12:30 pm
times subject to change - these are estimates based on current deliveries
We value nutrition for our animals and ourselves
We understand the value of quality, nutrient dense food. We provide our dairy herd a diet that will support their health and nutrition based on their needs. In return, the dairy herd provides our family and our members with the best quality raw milk they can.
Converting human-indigestible forage into edible food for humans.
Forage first at our farm. The herd always has access to pasture, grass hay, or alfalfa hay depending on the season. They are supplemented with ground barley/oats blend and black oil sunflower seeds. A mineral tub or loose mineral is available during all seasons.
Clean Milk from Healthy Cows is Healthy Milk
We use a portable, bucket milking system.
The cows udders are cleaned with warm, soapy water and dipped with a teat dip prior to attaching inflations. When milking is complete they are dipped with a teat dip or a salve is applied.
Raw milk is chilled in a bulk chilling tank.
Equipment is cleaned with a clean-in-place system daily.
Raw milk is bottled in clean, sterilized, dry glass jars and reusable lids. It is stored in a dedicated milk fridge.
Chilled Milk tastes the best and has a longer shelf life
Keeping raw milk below 40F is very important for its longevity.
I prefer our dedicated milk fridges are kept between 35F -36F for the best tasting, longest lasting raw milk. Raw milk should be kept in the coldest part of the fridge with the fridge set to the coolest setting possible.
Our personal milk goes on the bottom shelf (closest to our freezer) and this fridge is set to 34F. We try not to put hot or warm food in the fridge next to our raw milk to avoid raising the fridge temperature. At meal times or when baking, we pour our raw milk and immediately place the glass jar of milk back in the fridge.
The key to a longer shelf life for raw milk is to keep it chilled all the time.
We transport raw milk in coolers and cooler bags with ice packs. We strive to keep regular pick up times and prefer members pick up their milk within the hour of delivery to ensure it stays chilled. Raw milk should be picked up and transported in your own cooler with ice to your fridge. It is very important to keep the raw milk below 40F at all times to ensure a longer shelf life.
