Many customers have questions about the dairy industry and consuming raw. Below are some of the more common questions, that the farm and business is asked. If you should have anymore questions, that you do not see answered below, please email Beth at kleinline1@aol.com.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS ORGANIC?

We are not organic, but do try to farm with the least amount of "conventional" methods as possible. What makes us non-organic is that we put one application of a herbicide/pesticide on the crops in the beginning of the growing season. We have very limited acrage and most, if not all, of the crops go into the silos and barn for feed for our animals. We have tried intense rotation in the past and are not able to harvest what we need to sustain our herd. We also will use anitibiotics on a cow with an infection after all other means of more "natural" cures have failed. The milk from that treated animal WILL NOT enter the food chain until she has been tested clear of the drugs. These two main reasons are why we are not considered organic.

DO YOU SELL 2%, 1%, SKIM OR CHOCOLATE MILK?

According to Pennsylvania law, the way we are set up to sell Milk here at the farm only allows us to sell RAW milk. Even if we had the opportunity to make different fat percentages of milk, we would not. Raw milk is the best.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR QUANTITY ORDERS OF MILK?

We offer discounts according to the # of gallons purchased. For 1 to 9 gallons purchased the cost is $4.25/gallon. Ten to 24 gallons is $4.00/gallon. Twenty-five to 39 gallons is $3.75/gallon; and 40 or more is $3.50/gallon.

WHY DO YOU USE PASTEURIZED MILK FOR SOME OF YOUR PRODUCTS AND RAW MILK FOR OTHERS?

Any dairy product intended to be used by the consumer right away must come from pasteurized milk. This is according to PA Laws. Any dairy product made from raw milk must age at least 60 days before selling. The only dairy product that can age 60+ days is aged cheeses. We pasteurize the milk for mozzarella and cheese spreads at 145 degrees for 30 minutes; this is the lowest temperature allowed by law insuring pasteurization. The ricotta and our yogurt both are made from milk that has been heated to a high temperature. This high temperature is simply part of the recipe when making these foods; thus pasteurization takes place during the making of that product.

DO YOU SELL A 1/2 OR 1/4 SIDE OF BEEF?

We only sell our beef in the store by the pound or package. We are not able to supply customers with large quantities of meat such as a 1/2 beef. There is also a $100 limit on beef purchases in the store. We try our best to be fair and have beef available for all our customers.

WHAT ARE YOUR COWS FED? ARE YOUR COWS GRASSFED?

Our cows are all Holstein-Freisian breed. These black & white bovines grow and produce milk best on a diet of 60% grass and 40% grains. They receive a daily diet of mixed hay, a blend of haylage and silage from feed stored in the silos, high-moisture corn, and a supplement of a soybeans & cottonseeds. They are in the barn during the day and put out to pasture every night in the spring/summer/fall seasons; and are out of the barn mornings in the winter for their exercise while we clean up and bed their stalls. We do not use rBST growth hormone. The beef that we sell in the store comes from our Holstein steers which are fed a diet of 70% grass and 30% grains. They are never treated with hormones and antibiotics. The beef animals go to Springfield Meat Co. in Bucks County. We receive our own packaged USDA inspected beef back to sell in our store.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR RAW MILK IS SAFE?

Our milk is tested at several different places and times, insuring safety and freshness. We use about half of our milk supply making cheeses, yogurts, and raw milk sales. The other half still is sold to a "dairy plant" the conventional way dairy farmers sell their milk. The milk that is received on that truck every second day is tested for bacteria, somatic cell, e.coli, and antibiotics. Our milk is also tested everyother week by an independent lab. This is required by PA Department of Ag to retain our license to sell raw milk. Our PA Dept. of Ag milk inspector also comes in at random times throughout the year and also collects samples for testing. These state tests look for listeria and campobacteria contamination.