Our Milking Procedures
**We are certified by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture as a raw milk producer.
Our cows are milked with patience, care, and a whole lot of respect.
For us, it all starts with healthy cows, a clean, dry barn, and equipment that’s cleaned with care every time. This is our milking procedure.
1.Bring cows into the barn. They go into the same stall almost every time by themselves. .
2. Sanitize & Rinse all stainless steel milking equipment with soap and 180 F water. We also follow the state's sanitation protocols to keep the stainless steel from creating milk protein build up.
3. Wipe cows’ udders with a warm, wet rag. Teats are then individually cleaned using specially formulated antiseptic teat wipes. Thoroughly clean the teats, making sure to get all dirt/manure out from every crevice. If cows defecate or urinate before they are milked, they are cleaned again.
4. Strip each teat - this supports cow health, milk quality, and milking efficiency.
a. Check for mastitis
b. Remove bacteria
c. Stimulates milk let down
5. Attach the milker to the cow and milk until no more comes out.
6. Turn on the bulk tank and agitator.
7. Pour the milk into the bulk tank through a filter.
8. Milk is cooled to 38-42 F within 20 minutes.
9. All milking equipment is cleaned thoroughly with hot water, soap, sanitation sopa, and hung to dry.
10. Bulk tank is washed and rinsed after each milking.
11. Parlor area is washed down after each milking.
Our Bottling Procedures
The same high standards of cleanliness and accountability apply during the bottling stage of our milk. This is how we bottle our milk.
1.Grab the jars that are going to be filled.
2. Rinse each jar and lid with hot water.
3. A funnel and filter are used to fill the jars. Each jar is filled by hand. Place the funnel and filter into a jar.
4. Slowly pour the milk over the filter and into the jar.
5. Label the jars with the date.
6. Immediately put jars in a refrigerator that is cooled between 33-38 degrees.
7. Milk is ready for pickup.
Milk Sampling & Testing
Milk is randomly sampled and tested once a month.
The state of South Dakota requires raw milk for human consumption must, at a minimum, be tested monthly for bacteria, coliform bacteria, somatic cell counts, drug residue, and pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., and shigatoxin producing E. coli) at an accredited laboratory approved by the department.
Standards. Raw milk for human consumption must be produced and handled to conform to the following standards:
Temperature: Maintained at 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) or less;
Antibiotics: No positive results on drug residue detection methods that are currently validated by United States Food & Drug Administration-Center for Veterinarian Medicine (FDA-CVM) or any other drug detection methods, as deemed necessary by the department;
Bacteria Limits: Not to exceed 30,000 per ml;
Pathogen: No pathogenic bacteria present.
Somatic Cell Count: Not to exceed 750,000 per ml in cow milk.
Also, our cows are blood tested by a licensed veterinarian every year to be verified free of the following zoonotic diseases:
Bovine tuberculosis - zero tolerance
Brucellosis - zero tolerance