: Milk from Conway Farm :

Is your farm Organic?

We do practice organic methods of management however; we have chosen not to become organically certified. We would be happy to share with you more specifics on our practices.

What do you feed your goats and do they have pasture and grass to eat?

Our does are fed the best quality eastern Washington/Oregon alfalfa hay and locally milled grain rations that do not contain inert ingredients. They have free choice minerals, baking soda (to keep balance in their tummies), and Kelp meal (for added selenium). We do not use feeds that contain hormones, additives or antibiotics. They have a spacious barn with wooded area and pasture access year round for grazing and browsing at their leisure enjoying a variety of grasses, woody brush and windfall offerings.

How often do you milk them?

The does are milked twice a day, every day. They all have a “dry” period (where they do not produce milk) for 60 days before they have kids. This rest period assures their continued health and allows their bodies time to prepare for production again.

Do you use antibiotics?

We are proponents of responsible health care of our animals. If they are ill and require antibiotic treatment, they receive it (very much the same way a child would), however we always practice discretion in treatment and adhere STRICTLY to label withdrawal times for milk. If an animal is ill and receives treatment, any milk produced from that animal is dumped, not just for the required period of time, but for an additional period of time to ensure all residual is gone. Our primary goal is for our animals to be healthy-the natural result of healthy animals is healthy milk!

What measures do you take to ensure the milk is safe for my family?

All of our animals are tested annually (as state law requires) for communicable diseases (TB and Brucellosis) and we do additional testing of our does annually, to assure their continued health. More specifics are available on the type of tests at your request, and we are always happy to share our test results with our customers.

Our modest methods radiate practical cleanliness. All of our does are milked into pristine stainless steel buckets in a simple six-stanchion milking parlor. We alternate between hand-milking and a simple mechanized bucket milking system when the “The Girls” are in peak lactation and producing heavily. In an adjoining room (called the milk processing room, which is separated by a swinging door) the milk is taken, weighed, recorded and then strained into a sterilized plastic half-gallon container. The milk is chilled immediately in an ice-bath cooler or our farmstead bulk tank to less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours to ensure the best-tasting product. After the milk is chilled, it is removed from the ice bath, labeled and placed in the refrigerator located in the farm store for customer pickup. We bottle milk to order, so if we have a customer coming to the farm to pick up 2 gallons of milk on Tuesday, we bottle two gallons of milk on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. This method ensures our customers get the freshest product and we recommend they use the milk within a week for the best taste. We take extreme care to ensure that all the milk that leaves our farm will exceed all state regulations and tastes wonderful!

How can I purchase milk from your farm and how much does it cost?

We have an on-farm standing order system, which means you must register with us prior to purchasing. Please contact the farm to inquire about space availability for the current year.

Do you sell your animals?

All of our animals must meet our milk production standards in order for our farm to remain financially viable. If they do not meet our high production standards, we consider selling our still-healthy goats to appropriate homes as family milk-goats. Please contact the farm if you would like further information.