A few days ago I poured 2 ounces of whole cow milk into a cup, thinking it would be a quick refreshing drink.
I took a sip…blech!!!!
Several thoughts crossed my mind. The milk did not taste right. It tasted metallic. It seemed processed.
Then I realized I had not tasted store bought milk in several years. I do not drink milk often, it mainly goes into soap and lotion. When I do put goat milk up for myself, I filter and drink it raw, ice cold.
What a difference!
It was like comparing the taste and texture of a fresh summer garden tomato to a store bought hot-house tomato purchased in the middle of January!
How I would love to be totally self-sustaining on the farm. I would love to grow every ounce of our own food.
Can you imagine how much healthier we might be if we shrugged all processed foods?
I have been nibbling on protein bars here and there, helping me to fill in the gaps between meals. Reading the labels on the boxes tells me, “You can do better than that, lady!” I would be better off drinking 4 oz. of fresh milk. It would work the antibodies up in my blood, not to mention lower cholesterol, amongst other helpful things.
What do you think, have you had dreams of being self-sufficient, or at least nearly so?
Do you think we, as a whole, could be much healthier without the chemicals and processing of our food?
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
OMG, yes we would be soooo much healthier! I notice the difference in myself since moving to a more natural lifestyle 6 years ago.
We drink spring water from our own well. Our air is clear and unpolluted. We eat no junk or processed food. We eat our own vegetables.
We have not visited the doctor in 6 years, that must say something!
Hello, Ann!
You really would know, living where you do, growing vegetables, even throughout the winter. And your olive oil…there are not too many people that can say they make it fresh.
Not visiting the doctor because you don’t have to…amazing.
Have a wonderful day.
Store bought milk is Nasty!! Its salty and watery too.. not to mentio leaves that film in the back of your throat.. I am missing the goats milk even though the raw cows milk is a good second..
If only!! I would love to be able to produce everything we eat but its a work in progress.. Still some things I wouldnt be bale to do here on 5 acres. But I can at least have some fresh veggies, eggs, milk and some meat!
I stayed with a couple this summer whose place is off-grid in Montana and absolutely loved it. Prior to the visit, I knew a self-sufficient lifestyle would be in my future. Now, I’m sure of it. And yes, I think we’d be healthier for it.
This year, I’ve taken up veggie gardens, canning and freezing. I buy groceries in bulk, and would love to get it down to a once-a-month grocery trip – that’s my goal, anyway. We burn wood, and have for years. Eventually, I’d like to go solar. But first, I want to de-clutter and live with only what we need in a smaller house.
If we worked as hard for our life-sustaining values, opposed to the almighty dollar, we might be better off. Many of us wouldn’t be scratching our heads wondering where the next loaf of bread was coming from!
simple living… sometimes i think we’ve forgotten where we came from.
Well, Tonia, that is a start (on the 5 acres). I didn’t know the store bought had salt in it!
Lynnanne: “simple living… sometimes i think we’ve forgotten where we came from”
I remember visiting my great-aunt’s farm when I was younger. She would cook up a feast, too much food for a large group of people. Everything on the table came from her garden, or from her farm. Amazing.
What amazes me is people that do not understand raising animals for food. We give the animals shelter, love and care, and sometimes they serve another honorable purpose.
The same people that get mad because you send the bull to have him butchered, will buy 50 pounds of ground beef at the grocery store! It is beef, regardless of where it comes from. If it comes from home, I know what I have put into it, hay and grain.
Anyhow…Lynnanne, perhaps we do need to concentrate on the life-sustaining things in life, not the dollar. We might find a much better path.
Well, I guess it is true. Great thoughts and ideas occur to numerous people at the same time.
You need to read the latest post by Throwback at Trapper Creek . She had these same musings on her blog just minutes ago.
Check it out!
Thanks, Donna, I will check it out!!
Our society is so detached. We have our coop’s roosters in the freezer. We’ll have a hog by December in there as well. My son harvests deer, with one in there from this year’s season. I use the freezer quite a bit, not to mention the bulk everyday stuff.
I’m with ya on knowing what’s in our foods. I’d love to have a milk goat. I tried fresh, raw goat’s milk this summer and much to my surprise, it was wonderful!
I think the most shocking thing I’ve heard recently was when my cousin’s wife was seen opening a package for their young child… a pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Go figure.
In my case it is about prioritizing, getting better at it. Putting the self-sustaining needs first.
Not only do I love seeing my pantry lined with canned goods, I feel good when I do it. It is therapeutic. That type of work never hurt a soul.
It sounds like you are working at it Lynnanne, I am with you on it. Keep nudging me. I am heading there.
I think we would all be better if we left processed foods behind. It’s funny how you mention the taste of milk. The milk in different sections of the country taste different. I noticed that milk in S.C. tastes so much creamier than NY milk. I guess it’s all in what the cows eat too.
Delores, interesting how you say milk tastes different in different parts of the country. I did ask my husband last night, he does not drink goat milk (used in cooking only), if he thought the cow milk tasted good. He loved it. There is a big difference, and I think it is the processing.
Yes, I have.
And most definitely! We would be much healthier. I have slowly been working on getting more self-sufficient here on our farm.
I once visited family at a dairy farm in Missouri. There we drank fresh cow milk. At first it tasted funny, kinda rich. When we returned home, that first taste of store bought cows milk tasted terrible. But I became reaccustomed to it. I love milk!
YES YES YES!! I so wish I could be totally self-sufficent. We are in many ways-but I so wish I had the room and money for the rest : )