Milk, raw and pasteurized

As a dairy farmer I think there are things consumers should know.

Store bought, pasteurized milk does not contain antibiotics. Maybe it did years ago,but I don't know about that, I do know it does not now.
As a commercial dairy farm my milk is tested before it ever gets off the tanker. The hauler takes a sample of each farm with him to the lab, but then the processor takes a tanker sample to test for quality and antibiotics before they let him drop off his milk. If the tanker of milk  were found to be unacceptable, the farmer who contaminated the tanker would be buying a lot of milk. Each farm is regulated for these things daily, any farm not in compliance will be shut down if they can't fix their problems in a fair amount of time. Once the milk is pasteurized, all the bacteria, good or bad is killed making it safe for human consumption, because of this, there can be a bit more variables in the quality of the raw milk.

Raw milk on the other hand is a totally different creature. Raw milk contains living organisms and is not all equal. If you drink milk from a sick cow or milk that hasn't been cooled quickly as well as kept clean, you are setting yourself up for disappointment as well as the chance of getting sick. The quality of raw milk starts with the health of the cow and continues not just into the bulk tank, but the trip home and while it is at home. Like raw meat, you don't leave it in your hot car for 3 hours while you do your other shopping. You don't leave it on the counter the entire time you cook and eat breakfast. It needs special care because it has not been pasteurized.

My choice is to drink raw milk. I drink raw milk for several reasons, the first being that I know mine is clean and safe. The second reason is because I am just inclined to stay away from over processed foods of any sort. I don't make my biscuits from a can or a mix (not even if they are organic), I make them with flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, lard and my raw milk. I eat meat that I raised because it has never seen a growth hormone. I don't eat anything with extra preservatives, artificial flavors, or high fructose corn syrup (okay, I sneak a candy bar once in a great while). But my point is that I personally think eating what I raised or made from scratch just plain tastes better and I think it must be better for you.

What ever your choice is, make sure you are buying something safe and of high quality.