Raw Milk Reduces Respiratory Infections and Fevers

A study of 983 European infants looked at consumption of raw milk, pasteurized milk, and ultra-high temperature pasteurized milk alongside occurrence of respiratory tract infections, rhinitis (runny nose), otitis (ear infections), and fever. This study was published in January 2015 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology [1].

Every week from age 8 weeks to 53 weeks, the infants’ health outcomes and dairy consumption were tracked. “The main finding of this analysis was an inverse association between consumption of unprocessed [raw] cow's milk and rhinitis, RTI [respiratory tract infection], and otitis.” There was also an inverse association between raw milk and fevers.

In layman’s terms, an “inverse association” means that as one increases, the other decreases. This study thus found that, as raw milk consumption increased, the incidence of runny nose, respiratory tract infections, fevers, and ear infections decreased. The researchers concluded that, “The protective effects of raw cow's milk on infections were comparable to those of breast-feeding, suggesting similar anti-infective properties of bovine and human milk.”

Additionally, C-reactive proteins were measured in the infants at 12 months old. C-reactive proteins are a measure of inflammation in the body. The study found that “raw farm milk consumption was inversely associated with C-reactive protein levels at 12 months.” The researchers concluded that consumption of raw milk led to a “sustained anti-inflammatory effect” in the body.

It is clear from this research that raw milk consumption is correlated with improved resistance to respiratory tract infections, ear infections, fevers, and overall inflammation.

References

[1] Consumption of unprocessed cow's milk protects infants from common respiratory infections. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2015; 135 (1): 56-62. Loss G, Depner M, Ulfman LH, Joost van Neerven RJ, Hose AJ, Genuneit J, Karvonen M, Hyvärinen A, Kaulek V, Roduit C, Weber J, Lauener R, Pfefferle PI, Pekkanen J, Vaarala O, Dalphin JC, Riedler J, Braun-Fahrländer C, von Mutius E, Ege MJ; PASTURE study group. https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2814%2901274-3/fulltext

NEW Raw Milk Research: Suppression of Pathogens in Properly Refrigerated Raw Milk

We are pleased to announce that a new peer-reviewed paper has been published about pathogen growth in raw milk.  The paper is "Suppression of pathogens in properly refrigerated raw milk" by primary authors Peg Coleman and Dr Tom Oscar. 

This paper documents the results of a pilot study aimed at gaining insights into how well pathogens can grow in refrigerated raw milk. This study was commissioned by the Raw Milk Institute, with pathogen growth tests being performed at Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), an independent 3rd party lab.

Inapplicable Data Has Been Used to Vilify Raw Milk

Some of the data cited by Government agencies against raw milk includes pathogen growth studies where it was found that pathogens multiply greatly over time.  However, these studies are not actually applicable to carefully-produced raw milk because they were performed in nutrient-rich broth instead of milk, they used tremendously high amounts of pathogens (such as 10 log 7, which corresponds to ten million pathogenic colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria per mL), or they did not account for cold temperature storage.

Pathogens Were Purposely Added Into Raw Milk

In this new pilot study, samples of well-produced raw milk were purposely inoculated with the four main pathogens of concern for raw milk: E coli 0157:H7, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. The raw milk was inoculated at two levels (high and moderate counts per mL).

Pathogen Growth Was Measured Over Time

The objective of this new pilot study was to document growth characteristics of these pathogens in carefully produced raw milk over a period of 14 days when stored at the refrigeration temperature recommended by FDA and USDA: 40°F (4.4 °C). The number of pathogenic bacteria present in the raw milk were counted on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 14.

Study Found No Growth of Three Types of Pathogens

The study authors concluded that:

"The major finding of the pilot study is statistical evidence of no growth at 4.4°C for the major foodborne pathogens causing illness associated with raw milk in the US (Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella). For listeriosis, rarely associated with illness from raw milk, the pilot study documented evidence of pathogen growth in 8 of 12 replicates (P = 0.001 to P = 0.028, significant by ANOVA in the second week of refrigerated storage)."

These results indicate that, when stored at the recommended refrigerator temperature, moderate to high counts of E coli 0157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Campylobacter spp. did not multiply over time in raw milk.

Listeria monocytogenes exhibited some growth in the second week of refrigeration. It is important to note that a recent systematic review found that the risks of severe listeriosis were greater for pasteurized milk than for raw milk.

Challenging Incorrect Assumptions of the Past

Although more data is needed, the results of this pilot study serve to provide an initial basis for challenging incorrect assumptions of the past that overestimated the growth of pathogens in clean, cold raw milk produced for direct human consumption by careful, trained producers.

Special thanks to Peg Coleman and Dr Tom Oscar for their work on this statistical analysis and paper.

You can read the full paper here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0289249

Albuquerque New Mexico: Another Victory for Raw Milk Legalization

For many years, raw milk has been legal throughout the state of New Mexico with one exception: Albuquerque, the largest city in the state.  Nearly 560,000 people live in Albuquerque, and it is home to over a quarter of the population of the entire state.  Families living in smaller cities all across the state such as Las Cruces, Silver City, Santa Fe, Taos, and Los Alamos have been able to buy raw milk in grocery stores. Yet the families of Albuquerque were denied easy access to raw milk and had to drive outside city limits in order to get this most essential of foods. It was time for change.

Enter Lissa Knudsen, a cheesemonger and breastfeeding advocate with a passion for creating healthy foods. Lissa set out on a mission to legalize raw milk in Albuquerque. As a Public Health graduate student focusing on lactation, Lissa recognizes the innumerable immunity boosting benefits of raw milk. She also supports local artisanal cheesemaking as an important part of building local character with nourishing, unique foods.

For over half a year, Lissa worked diligently to build the connections and support needed to bring raw milk legalization to fruition. She advocated for raw milk with the City Council and Mayor Keller, enlisted the help of the Raw Milk Institute, organized public support, and kept pushing to bring raw milk legalization to the forefront. The Mayor’s office went all in, with Diane Dolan (Government Affairs Manager) working to overcome the longstanding opposition to raw milk within the city government.

Because of the diligence of Lissa and Diane, Albuquerque’s new Raw Milk Ordinance was introduced to City Council in the Finance and Government Operations (FGO) Committee in October 2023. The Ordinance removes Albuquerque’s raw milk prohibition, allowing for easy access to raw milk in grocery stores and farmers markets. Local raw milk dairy farmer Erica DeSmet stole the show by joining the web-meeting while being out in the pasture with her favorite cows. The Ordinance barely squeaked through the FGO Committee on a 3-to-2 vote, and then it was off to the full City Council for consideration.

De Smet Dairy operates just south of Albuquerque in Bosque Farms, NM (image from New Mexico Magazine)

Finally, this week, the Albuquerque City Council was slated to vote on the Raw Milk Ordinance. Five hours into the meeting, after 10pm at night, the City Council finally reached the Raw Milk Ordinance agenda item.  Lissa and The Mouse Hole Cheese Shop gave compelling comments alongside Mark McAfee and Sarah Smith from Raw Milk Institute, all urging the City Council to allow raw milk in Albuquerque. There was only a small show of opposition, from a vegan City Council member, and then it was smooth sailing to victory with a 7-to-2 vote! The final step to enactment is for the Mayor to sign the Bill; we are encouraged by the fact that it was the Mayor who proposed this legislation to the Council.

The barriers to raw milk in Albuquerque have now been broken down. Just as in other places where raw milk has been legalized, it required diligence, persistence, and passion in order to make it happen. No longer will Albuquerque be a raw milk desert. Instead, families and farmers can mutually thrive with low-risk raw milk.

Welcoming 6 Farms to RAWMI Community in Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, and New York

The Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) sends a warm welcome to six more farmers who have completed our Listing program! RAWMI offers free mentoring to all dairy farmers. Whether they are milking one cow, a handful of goats, or a large herd, the principles of safe raw milk production form a foundational toolset that benefits all dairy farmers and their customers. 

Some of the farmers we mentor choose to keep it casual, and are satisfied to just ask us a few questions before continuing their raw milk journeys. There is another set of farmers, though, that is not content to just dip their toes in the water; they want to dive right in and take their entire milk process to the next level. 

For these farmers, we offer our (free) RAWMI Listing program, wherein we assist farmers in developing their own unique on-farm Risk Analysis and Management Plan, documenting their processes with written Standard Sanitary Operating Procedures, and identifying the Critical Control Points that are essential to their production of safe raw milk. RAWMI Listed farmers test their milk at least monthly for ongoing assurance that their processes are working well to produce low-risk raw milk. RAWMI Listing is the gold standard for raw milk producers.

Six farms have recently completed the RAWMI Listing process, and we extend them a warm welcome into our growing community!

• ACM Grace Hill in Washington, Iowa

• Flowered Cow Dairy in Penfield, Illinois

• LanaRosa Dairy in Leicester, New York

• Shady Paddock Farm in Paige, Texas

• The Lucky Star in Iowa City, Iowa

• Whispering Willows Farm and Dairy in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee

ACM Grace Hill – Washington, Iowa

ACM Grace Hill is operated by Andy and Christy Meader in the historic Grace Hill community. Their home is the original Grace Hill store, mentioned in the book Iowa Outpost written by Katherine Buxbaum who grew up in the home.

Since 2006, the Meaders have used raw milk for their own family and found it helpful for many of their health concerns. They started out with a small hand-milked herd of goats, but have now moved into machine milking with cows. They believe in the importance of quality local nutrition and produce A2 raw milk from registered Guernsey cattle. They are proud to follow the RAWMI framework for producing the best quality raw milk products.

You can learn more about ACM Grace Hill here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#acm

Flowered Cow Dairy – Penfield, Illinois

Flowered Cow Dairy is operated by Elizabeth Hesterberg on her family’s farm in Illinois. Elizabeth grew up on her family’s farm and originally started producing milk for her own family before growing her herd to provide milk for her community.  Elizabeth is very passionate about providing healthy, clean, low-risk raw milk for her community and bridging the gap between farm and consumer. Coliform and Standard Plate Count tests are run twice per week in the on-farm lab to ensure milk quality and safety.

Each of the Jersey cows in the milking herd at Flowered Cow Dairy is given a floral name to reflect the beauty, femininity, and individual personality of the cow. The small herd is rotationally grazed on pasture throughout the growing season and supplemented with a small ration of non-GMO grain at milking time.

You can learn more about Flowered Cow Dairy here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#flowered

LanaRosa Dairy – Leicester, New York

LanaRosa Dairy is operated by Lana and Wayne Scofield on their 100-acre farm in New York. Wayne and Lana have a scrap metal recycling facility and Lana has transitioned to working full time on the farm. Lana originally sought raw milk to help with healing her health problems, and they decided to get a Jersey cow since there were no local sources for raw milk. Once their community saw the cow out in the pasture, people were clamoring for raw milk so their herd grew from there.

Lana and Wayne decided to take the step of becoming permitted by the New York Department of Ag and Markets in 2022 and just celebrated their first year in August 2023.  They are happy to share delicious Jersey milk with their community. They are a boutique dairy which only allows them to serve a limited number of consumers. 

You can learn more about LanaRosa Dairy here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#lana

Shady Paddock Farm – Paige, Texas

Shady Paddock Farm is operated by Tammy and Dennis Gallagher on 13 beautiful acres in Central Texas. Tammy is a former Registered Nurse and Dennis is a retired Marine. After originally producing raw milk and cheese for their own family, Tammy and Dennis fell in love with Nigerian Dwarf goats and the farming way of life.

The Gallaghers believe that the very best food products come from healthy, happy, and stress-free animals. With this in mind, their animals are raised with a compassionate care philosophy. They are excited to share delicious and creamy goat milk provided with their community. 

You can learn more about Shady Paddock Farm here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#shady

The Lucky Star Farm – Iowa City, Iowa

The Lucky Star Farm is operated by Susan Young on a 20-acre diverse homestead in Iowa. Susan is an educator and her family started their farm back in 2011.  Susan milks Nigerian dwarf goats and her customers appreciate the delicious sweet milk, high in protein and butterfat.

The goats are machine milked once-a-day and milk is tested weekly in the on-farm lab to ensure all milk is up to RAWMI standards. Susan is committed to producing the highest quality raw milk possible for her community and dedicated to sharing local food, education and farm experiences with others.

You can learn more about The Lucky Star Farm here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#lucky

Whispering Willows Farm and Dairy – Thompson’s Station, Tennessee

Whispering Willows Farm and Dairy is operated by Jennifer and Brad Wilson in middle Tennessee. Brad was a management consultant and Jennifer was a PhD biophysics researcher prior to homeschooling and starting the farm.

Whispering Willows originally started out as a rabbit farm, but that soon grew to include chickens, goats, and cows. The Wilsons are passionate about providing nutritious foods for their community. They produce both cow and goat milk, as well as raw yogurt and a variety of hard and soft cheeses.

You can learn more about Whispering Willows Farm and Dairy here: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/listed-farmers/#willows

New Raw Milk Research From the 2023 IMGC Symposium

A Farmer’s Takeaways from the 2023 Symposium of the International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC)

“If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.”

Introduction

Well…I was in the right room at IMGC with a huge opportunity to learn and grow. Just like all prior years.

The 20th International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC) Symposium was held on September 6-8 2023. This was the 12th year that I have attended the IMGC Symposium. For the last several years, the Raw Milk Institute has been an official Bronze Level Sponsor of the conference. These conferences have taken me all over the world, including Cork Ireland, Quebec Canada, Aarhus Demark (twice), Sydney Australia, and UC Davis in California several times. I am nearly always the only farmer in the room filled with dairy processing scientists, PhD students, dairy science professors and university professors, and other milk researchers.

Over 12 years, I have made some great friends and created some important collaborations and alliances. I am approached by PhDs, especially after I speak at the microphone after a particularly engaging presentation that begs questions. They say things like, “Keep on asking those great questions!”  I am the only one that can ask those questions because everyone else would potentially lose their NIH or industry grants if they dared to asked those kinds of questions.

Time and interest are ushering in a new generation of open-minded PhD researchers, many of whom are women. They all want to talk about raw milk and its bioactive elements. Raw milk is truly a miracle of nature.  Being an event sponsor has allowed greater access to insider information about all things milk.  Below are my main takeaways from three intensive days of meetings, interactions, meals and dinner parties, and presentations in Cork Ireland at the University of Cork.

Raw Milk Institute was a Bronze Level Sponsor of the 2023 IMGC Symposium

Raw Milk Nourishes, Protects, and Directs

Raw milk is incredibly complex and perfectly designed to nourish, protect, and direct. We all know that raw milk is designed as the first food of life for babies to thrive and grow, yet as researchers continue to study raw milk, they discover many more benefits.

For instance, raw milk serves as a delivery system for immune-bioactive proteins. Peptides (which are chains of amino acid proteins) are protective of the baby by not allowing pathogens to cause illness. These functional proteins serve many roles, including protection of the baby.

Other specialized-proteins in breastmilk include natural mRNA, which provide the genetic information to direct cellular metabolic processes in the baby.  Breastmilk also contains stem cells for repair of damaged cells or tissues.

Raw milk also contains everything needed for its digestion. Raw milk has proteases, peptidases (for digesting proteins), lipases (for digesting fats), and bacteria that make lactase (for digesting lactose).

Additionally, when people drink milk, over time there are changes in the composition of the gut bacteria that make milk digestion easier. Lactase-producing bacteria found in the gut become the probiotic and as they feed on lactose, that becomes their selected prebiotic (food that bacteria chose to digest or eat). Over time the populations of these lactose-loving probiotic bacteria increase when they are fed lactose from dairy products.

The various milk proteins, immunoglobins, enzymes, fats and sugars are “qualitatively similar” between human breastmilk and cow milk. However, they are “quantitatively different” and appear at different levels and amounts in cow milk versus human milk. The same would be true for other bovine milks. The similarities are why humans can drink raw milk from cows, goats, and other animals. 

Milk’s Benefits Can’t Be Extracted

Many raw milk researchers are focused on finding ways to extract beneficial elements from raw milk. However, these elements are designed to work together with the full complement of many different macro- and micro- nutrients, enzymes, probiotics, etc in whole raw milk.

New products made with bio-actives extracted from raw milk will likely be met with suspicion, as well they should. The health benefits from whole, raw milk are the result of a complex interplay of bio-actives. Outside of the whole food matrix, those bio-actives are incomplete and not as effective as in their natural state.

Milk Fat is Essential to Its Beneficial Properties

Butterfat in milk is an essential part of milk’s overall beneficial properties. This fat is known to benefit brain development, immune system development, intestinal development, and the composition of the gut microbiota.

Butter fat globules are three-layer thick capsules that come in different sizes. The three-layered capsules are used by the gut as fiber; they also provide butyrate and butyric acids which are highly beneficial and healing to the lower gut. 60% of the bioactive elements found in raw milk are “carried on or inside” the fat globule. This says so much about skim milk, which has lost much of its beneficial value with the removal of the fat.

Researchers discovered that the fat globules in the milk are smaller in cows fed a high energy diet with high stress levels, such as cows being kept in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The smaller fat globules in the milk do not contain bacteria inside that could ride through the stomach to the lower gut.

In contrast, the fat globules are larger in cows fed a low energy diet and under low stress levels (such as cows in pasture-based operations).  These larger fat globules carry bacteria inside of them. It is thought that the fat cell may act as a protective carrier vessel to carry bacteria though the stomach acid environment into the lower gut where they may be beneficial.

Pasteurization Damages and Denatures Milk

Pasteurization damages milk such that it becomes oxidated, highly allergenic, and hard to digest. It is a common protocol to pasteurize milk up to 3 or 4 times to achieve longer shelf life and assure that the milk is completely dead, with no regard for the essential and beneficial bio-actives that are destroyed in the process. 

Raw milk contains everything it needs to digest itself. Raw milk contains enzymes and bacteria that help create more enzymes to digest raw milk and all the sub elements. Milk maldigestion has been over simplified. It is not just lactose; it is the proteins and fats that also need help with digestion.

After pasteurization the bioactive elements needed for milk to digest itself are missing! Fats, proteins, and sugars all need digesting, but their enzymes and digestive bacteria are denatured or dead.  Without active enzymes, digestion of fat (via lipase) and proteins (via protease) is inhibited. This results in maldigestion in some consumers. 

Whereas raw milk helps to build immune system strength, pasteurized milk does not build up the immune system. Heat denatures the functional proteins and does not allow cellular direction. This can result in cellular confusion and chaos.

Raw whey proteins are highly anti-inflammatory and have many health benefits. The raw whey health benefit findings are consistent with other researchers in the Netherlands, including Dr. Ton Baars’ research on whey proteins showing that they stabilize MAST cells, control histamine release, and reduce allergies.

However, all whey is required to be pasteurized in the USA as per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. Whey proteins are destroyed by processing and are highly sensitive to heat. One researcher has been frustrated in trying to extract the beneficial components from pasteurized whey. The heating of whey makes the components “sticky” such that they plug up the ultrafiltration micropores. Therefore, ultra filtration cannot be used to extract whey components from pasteurized whey.

New Pasteurization Technologies Cause Less Damage Than Traditional Heat Pasteurization

As an alternative to heat-based pasteurization, researchers are studying other methods such as high pressure (HPP), ultrafiltration, and ultraviolet (UV) light. These methods are effective at inactivating bacteria and less harmful to milk than heat-based pasteurization. For instance, both high pressure processing and ultraviolet processing preserve some of the bioactive milk proteins better than heat-based pasteurization.

Nonetheless, milk processors in the USA are resisting the use of these new technologies. In some other countries, UV and HPP are being successfully used, but in the USA the FDA continues to represent processors’ interests and thereby block the ability to innovate with these alternatives to heat processing. This failure to innovate with HPP, UV or Ultrafiltration is creating a loss of consumer interest in pasteurized milk as people continue to suffer from maldigestion when consuming pasteurized milk.

In Studies, 20,000+ Kids Drank Raw Milk With NO Milk-Related Illnesses

The pioneering PARSIFAL and GABRIELA studies of more than 55,000 kids in Europe really set the international high bar for studies on raw milk. The overall findings included reduced rates of asthma, eczema, respiratory illnesses, fevers, allergies, and ear infections in children who drank raw milk.

At the symposium, it was emphasized that during all of those studies and over twenty years of research, there was never a “red flag event.” A red flag event would be a reported illness from raw milk consumption. The studies included data from more than 20,000 children who drank raw milk, and there was not a single red flag event!

Yet, at the end of each of the peer reviewed and journal published articles, there is a disclaimer that says something such as, “even though there are health benefits to consuming raw milk, the researchers can not recommend raw milk because of the risks of raw milk consumption.” This disclaimer was included because peer review and journal publication political pressures demanded it, despite the fact that there was no basis in the research data.

Dr. Markus Ege MD and Mark McAfee, in Cork Ireland at the IMGC symposium 2023

Raw Milk Provides Sustainability for Farmers and Superb Nutrition for Consumers

Farmers have been denied fair markets for their dairy products for more than a century. All of the value-added efforts are happening after products leave the farm. Milk processors continue to ensure that farmers are paid low prices for their milk, resulting in the loss of thousands of family farms. However, raw milk provides a pathway to sustainability and life satisfaction for dairy farmers.

Raw milk presents a unique farmstead product that brings all the added value back to the farmer with an incentive to work on quality. By selling directly to consumers, raw milk farmers are able to obtain greater financial rewards for their work, while consumers benefit from the improved flavor and nutrition. It’s a win-win for farmers and consumers!

Raw milk that is carefully and intentionally produced for direct human consumption is a low-risk food. This type of raw milk is wholly different from raw milk being produced in unhygienic conditions. Raw milk intended for direct human consumption is produced in sanitary conditions, with much care to ensure that the animals are healthy and that the milk is clean. This type of raw milk is tested often and held to rigorous standards to ensure that it is being produced in a way that discourages pathogen growth.

By combining nature’s blueprints, the bio-actives found in whole raw milk, standards for good production practices and modern testing systems, RAWMI Listed farmers are nourishing consumers safely. Congrats to all of the RAWMI Listed pioneers! 

Texas Raw Milk Training: For World-Class, Low-Risk Raw Milk!

Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) recently taught a full-day intensive farmer training class on Production of Low-Risk, World-Class Raw Milk in Mount Pleasant Texas. RAWMI President Mark McAfee and Vice President Sarah Smith traveled to Texas to teach this class in collaboration with Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC).

There were 25+ attendees from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Attendees included farmers who are already producing raw milk, prospective farmers considering raw milk production, and students who were interested to know more about raw milk.

RAWMI presented our full 5-hour training presentation in the NTCC Ag Complex classroom, complete with catered snacks and lunch from local businesses.

A Texas state dairy inspector also presented and answered questions about Texas raw milk laws. She provided invaluable information about Texas’ Raw for Retail statute as well as the allowance for herdshares in Texas.

Following our classroom presentation, we took the students for a farm tour at Udder Delight Dairy, which is a raw milk micro-dairy that is operated by Tom and Brenda Ramler. Their dairy is currently working through our free one-on-one mentoring process to become a RAWMI Listed dairy.

Overall, this class was a resounding success! The students were engaged and appreciative of the opportunity to learn more. Several farmers who attended the class have expressed interest in becoming RAWMI Listed as well.

RAWMI extends special thanks to Tom Ramler, Jimmy Smith, and Northeast Texas Community College for sponsoring and coordinating this important step for safe, low-risk raw milk in Texas!

Managing the Increased Risks of Calf-Sharing on Raw Milk Farms

Calf-sharing, i.e. allowing a cow’s offspring to nurse directly from its mother, is a common practice on small dairy farms.  Many farmers and consumers think that calf-sharing is ideal for the health and well-being of both the cow and calf, and it does present an idyllic picture of farm life. Calf-sharing can also reduce the workload for farmers, who don’t have to bottle-feed the calves.   

However, farmers who are producing raw milk need to be aware that calf sharing increases the risk of pathogens being present in the raw milk. The same is true for kid-sharing with goats.

Pathogens, Calves, and Kids

You may wonder: Why do calf-sharing and kid-sharing increase the risk of pathogens in raw milk?  Just like human babies, calves and kids explore the world with their mouths and can then directly transfer harmful bacteria to the udders as well as to the inside of the teat canals. Calves and kids have immature immune systems and are therefore more likely to harbor pathogens themselves.

Although pathogens in well-produced raw milk are rare, they are still an important consideration and we encourage all raw milk farmers to take pathogens seriously.  Pathogenic bacteria that can be carried by calves and kids include E coli 0157:H7, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Illnesses from these pathogens can be serious or even fatal. 

Many scientific studies have verified that calves and kids are more likely to carry pathogens than their fully-grown counterparts. Below are a couple of the studies; additional studies are listed in the references section at the end of this article.

• A longitudinal study of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) prevalence in three Australian dairy herds -

  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811359900173X?via%3Dihub -

  "In concurrence with previous studies, it appears that cattle, and in particular 1–14-week-old weanling calves, are the primary reservoir for STEC and EHEC on the dairy farm."

• Age related differences in phylogenetic diversity, prevalence of Shiga toxins, Intimin, Hemolysin genes and select serogroups of Escherichia. coli from pastured meat goats detected in a longitudinal cohort study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7391229/ - "Overall, virulence genes and STEC [virulent e coli] were detected in isolates from goat kids in higher proportions than adult animals. Additionally, isolates with 2 or more virulence genes were significantly higher in pre-weaned and goat kids around weaning than in adult goats."

Illness outbreaks from petting zoos provide further confirmation that calves and kids can transfer pathogens in real-world conditions.

• Animal petting zoos as sources of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae -   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33382208/ - “Animal petting zoos and farm fairs provide the opportunity for children and adults to interact with animals, but contact with animals carries a risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria... Of 163 faecal samples, 75 contained stx1, stx2 or stx1/stx2 genes, indicating the presence of STEC. Samples included faeces from sika deer (100%), sheep (92%), goats (88%), mouflons (80%), camels (62%), llamas (50%), yaks (50%), pigs (29%) and donkeys (6%)…”

This information makes some farmers and consumers uncomfortable, yet it is still important to consider in developing a plan for minimizing the risk of pathogens from raw milk.   

Staph aureus, Calves, and Kids

In addition to pathogens that can cause human illness, calf-sharing (and kid-sharing) can increase the chance that Staph aureus will be widespread in the dairy herd.  Staph aureus is a type of bacteria that colonizes inside the mammary tissue, thereby increasing the risk of recurrent mastitis. The presence of Staph aureus can also cause scar tissue in the udder, which may result in lower milk production over time.  Cows and dams can transfer Staph aureus to suckling calves and kids, such that Staph aureus can become widespread in the dairy herd.  

Bottle-Feeding Has the Lowest Risk for Pathogens

At the Raw Milk Institute, our goal is to help farmers better-understand the potential risks in raw milk production so that they can then take steps to minimize the risks.  We are not the raw milk police, and we do not forbid anyone from calf-sharing. However, we want to make sure that farmers are aware of the risks and can then plan for how to reduce the risks.  

To achieve the lowest risk-profile, calves and kids would be bottle-fed.  It is nonetheless very important to ensure that the calves and kids receive the colostrum in order to help build up their immune systems. Be aware that the manure from calves and kids can also be a source of pathogens.  

Studies and farmer experience have shown that early separation (within 24 hours of birth) reduces the stress of the separation on both calves and cows. Leaving the cow and calf together for longer periods increases the stress related to separation.

• Effects of early separation on the dairy cow and calf: 2. Separation at 1 day and 2 weeks after birth - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11179551/ - “Behavioural observations were conducted on 24 Holstein dairy cow-calf pairs during the first 24h after separation. Before separation, cow-calf pairs were generally inactive. After separation, cows from the late-separation treatment group showed higher rates of calling, movement and placing the head outside the pen, than cows in the early-separation group.”

Calves who have been separated from their mothers will do best if they are kept with at least one other calf rather than in isolation. 

• The effect of individual versus pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period on measures of health, performance, and behavior up to 16 weeks of age - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33358809/ - Pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period helps meet the natural social needs of the calf and has been shown to improve growth and starter intake during the preweaning period as compared with individual housing.

Raising calves can be time-intensive, so some farms choose to instead have their calves raised offsite at farms that specialize in calf-rearing.  

Managing the Risks of Calf-Sharing

For farms that choose to calf-share or kid-share, below are some risk management strategies that have been employed successfully in small dairy farms that have participated in the Raw Milk Institute’s Listing program.  

• Apply extra diligence to udder preparation and stripping.  Ensuring that the teats are well-cleaned, pre-dipped, and stripped prior to milking will reduce the chance of pathogens being present. (See our Udder Prep for Raw Milk article for more information.)

• Closely monitor the calves/kids for any signs of illness.  If the calves/kids are ever showing signs of illness (such as diarrhea, runny nose, etc.), the milk would potentially have a greater risk of pathogens.  The milk should then be either diverted and not used for direct human consumption or the calves/kids should be separated from the herd until the illness has cleared.

• Perform regular milk culture testing of your herd for Staph aureus to make sure it is not present. Staph aureus can show up intermittently so one test does not necessarily clear the herd.

• Have a "nurse cow" or “nurse dam” to feed the calves or kids, whose milk is not used for human consumption.  This method needs to be utilized carefully, as too many calves/kids per nurse cow/dam can result in a loss of body condition and health problems for the nurse cow/dam.

• As they grow to a few months old, some calves/kids can be especially hard on the teats when nursing.  This can result in damage or injury to the teats. If this occurs, it is best to separate the offspring from their mothers.

It is also worth noting that calf-sharing (or kid-sharing) will reduce the amount of milk that is available to sell to customers. This can become especially problematic as the calves/kids reach 5+ months of age.

Choosing not to calf-share or kid-share is a good option for farmers who want to have the lowest risk of pathogens in their raw milk.  However, calf-sharing and kid-sharing can be done successfully when farmers acknowledge and manage the risks. The techniques listed above will reduce the likelihood of anything going wrong, for the benefit of both the customers and farmers.

A less-detailed version of this article was published in the June-July 2023 issue of Graze Magazine.

References

1. Age related differences in phylogenetic diversity, prevalence of Shiga toxins, Intimin, Hemolysin genes and select serogroups of Escherichia. coli from pastured meat goats detected in a longitudinal cohort study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7391229/ - "Overall, virulence genes and STEC [virulent e coli] were detected in isolates from goat kids in higher proportions than adult animals. Additionally, isolates with 2 or more virulence genes were significantly higher in pre-weaned and goat kids around weaning than in adult goats."

2. Role of calf-adapted Escherichia coli in maintenance of antimicrobial drug resistance in dairy calves - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14766551/ - "The prevalence of antimicrobial drug-resistant bacteria is typically highest in younger animals, and prevalence is not necessarily related to recent use of antimicrobial drugs. In dairy cattle, we hypothesize that antimicrobial drug-resistant, neonate-adapted bacteria are responsible for the observed high frequencies of resistant Escherichia coli in calves."

3. Antibiotic resistance and transferable antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from Swedish calves 5 and 30 days old - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1094406/ - "In comparison with the 30-day-old calves, the 5-day-old calves had significantly more strains with transferable antibiotic resistance (95.8 percent as against 63.4 percent)."

4. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infections in Newborn Calves: A Review -

   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7130746/pdf/main.pdf - "Diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is an infectious bacterial disease of calves that occurs during the first few days of life. The Escherichia coli that cause the disease possess special attributes of virulence that allow them to colonize the small intestine and produce an enterotoxin that causes hypersecretion of fluid into the intestinal lumen. These enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli are shed into the environment by infected animals in the herd and are ingested by newborn calves soon after birth."

5. Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in range beef calves at weaning -

   https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/prevalence-of-escherichia-coli-o157h7-in-range-beef-calves-at-weaning/EBD00C9EB16D36476F75D825C05139B0 - "This study was designed to determine the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection of beef calves at weaning, prior to arrival at the feedlot or mixing with cattle from other sources. Fifteen range cow-calf herds, which weaned calves in October and November, were sampled in Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota... Thirteen of the 15 herds (87%) were found to have at least one positive isolation of E. coli O157:H7 in faecal samples...This study indicates that E. coli O157:H7 infection before weaning, prior to entry into feedlots, is widespread. Furthermore, serologic evidence suggests that most calves (83%) and all herds (100%) have been exposed to E. coli O157.

6. Diversity, Frequency, and Persistence of Escherichia coli O157 Strains from Range Cattle Environments -

   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC152399/ - "The number of XbaI-PFGE subtypes, the variable frequency and persistence of subtypes, and the presence of identical subtypes in cattle feces, free-flowing water sources, and wildlife feces indicate that the complex molecular epidemiology of E. coli O157 previously described for confined cattle operations is also evident in extensively managed range cattle environments."

7. A longitudinal study of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) prevalence in three Australian dairy herds -

   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811359900173X?via%3Dihub -

   "In concurrence with previous studies, it appears that cattle, and in particular 1–14-week-old weanling calves, are the primary reservoir for STEC and EHEC on the dairy farm."

8. Comparison of Diversities of Escherichia coli O157 Shed from a Cohort of Spring-Born Beef Calves at Pasture and in Housing - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1065151/ - "Overall, there was no demonstrable difference in shedding between calves when housed and at pasture. However, when shedding occurred, the rate of shedding was greater among calves in pen S (0.025 < P < 0.05) and pen N (0.05 < P ≤ 0.10) than when at pasture"

9. Persistence of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in calves kept on pasture and in calves kept indoors during the summer months in a Swedish dairy herd -

   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11407548/ - "The objective of this part of the study presented here was to examine the persistence of VTEC O157:H7 in calves that were kept on pasture and indoors, respectively, during the summer...The faecal samples from the calves kept on pasture were negative during the whole period...This suggests that calves on pasture may be less exposed to the bacteria or that they clear themselves. In the pen group, there were between one and six culture positive individuals per sampling occasion. One of the calves that was housed indoors was positive in faecal culture on four consecutive samplings." (One big limitation on this study is the very small sample size. There were only 6 calves in each group, which is a very small number so that makes this data somewhat less able to be used to draw widely-applicable conclusions.)

10. Animal petting zoos as sources of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae -   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33382208/ - “Animal petting zoos and farm fairs provide the opportunity for children and adults to interact with animals, but contact with animals carries a risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animal faeces from six animal petting zoos and one farm fair in Switzerland. Furthermore, hygiene facilities on the venues were evaluated. Of 163 faecal samples, 75 contained stx1, stx2 or stx1/stx2 genes, indicating the presence of STEC. Samples included faeces from sika deer (100%), sheep (92%), goats (88%), mouflons (80%), camels (62%), llamas (50%), yaks (50%), pigs (29%) and donkeys (6%), whereas no stx genes were isolated from faeces of calves, guinea pigs, hens, ostriches, ponies, zebras or zebus. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Stourbridge (S. Stourbridge) was detected in faecal samples from camels. A total of four ESBL-producing E. coli strains were isolated from faeces of goats, camels and pigs... This study provides data that underscore the importance of hygiene measures to minimize the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens and MDR, ESBL-producing E. coli to visitors of animal petting venues.” 

11. Investigations on Transfer of Pathogens between Foster Cows and Calves during the Suckling Period - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8469241/ - “The present study aimed to compare the pathogens detected in the mammary glands of the foster cow with those in the oral cavities of the associated foster calves and to evaluate the resulting consequences for udder health, calf health and internal biosecurity... Transmission of P. multocida and S. aureus probably occurred during suckling. For S. sciuri and Sc. suis, environmental origins were assumed. Transmission from dam to foster cow with the suckling calf as vector could not be clearly demonstrated.”

12. Effects of early separation on the dairy cow and calf: 2. Separation at 1 day and 2 weeks after birth - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11179551/ - “Behavioural observations were conducted on 24 Holstein dairy cow-calf pairs during the first 24h after separation. Before separation, cow-calf pairs were generally inactive. After separation, cows from the late-separation treatment group showed higher rates of calling, movement and placing the head outside the pen, than cows in the early-separation group.”

13. The effect of individual versus pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period on measures of health, performance, and behavior up to 16 weeks of age - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33358809/ - Pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period helps meet the natural social needs of the calf and has been shown to improve growth and starter intake during the preweaning period as compared with individual housing. 

Sept 23rd TEXAS Training: Producing World-Class Raw Milk

On Saturday September 23rd in Mount Pleasant, TX, the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) will be presenting a full day workshop on Producing World Class Raw Milk.

Whereas farmers producing milk for the pasteurized market often struggle to make ends meet, raw milk farms are thriving. Raw milk presents a unique opportunity for farmers to move into an expanding market by implementing intentional practices and higher standards to produce low-risk, delicious raw milk.

Raw milk is an exceptional farmstead product that brings all the added value back to the farmer with an incentive to work on quality. By selling directly to consumers, raw milk farmers are able to obtain greater financial rewards for their work, while consumers benefit from the improved flavor and nutrition. It’s a win-win for both farmers and consumers!

About the Training

This training workshop will be presented by the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) in conjunction with Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC). This class will be from 8am-4pm Central Time, and it will count for Continuing Education (CE) credit, too!

This RAWMI presentation will focus on:

• History of raw milk

• Why raw milk farms are thriving

• Health benefits of raw milk

• Benefits of selling raw milk

• Safety and risks of raw milk

• Grass-to-glass raw milk risk management

• Raw milk testing

• Building a successful raw milk market

We'll spend the morning and early afternoon at the NTCC Agriculture Center at 2886 FM 1735, Mount Pleasant, TX. Then we’ll head over to a raw milk dairy on campus for a hands-on experience.

How to Register

The registration fee is just $25, which will include the full day of training plus a boxed lunch!

You can register here: https://dynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com/Submit/Start/6250b435-49b6-49a6-b6d9-f200b00c9eb3?SSO=N

THRIVING with Raw Milk Webinar: FREE Video Seminar with Focus on Iowa

Whereas farmers producing milk for the pasteurized market often struggle to make ends meet, raw milk farms are thriving. Iowa’s new law presents a unique opportunity for farmers to move into an expanding market by implementing intentional practices and higher standards to produce low-risk raw milk.

Raw milk presents a unique farmstead product that brings all the added value back to the farmer with an incentive to work on quality. By selling directly to consumers, raw milk farmers are able to obtain greater financial rewards for their work, while consumers benefit from the improved flavor and nutrition. It’s a win for both farmers and consumers!

Watch Our FREE 1.5 Hour Seminar

Below is our 1.5 hour video seminar, Thriving with Raw Milk, presented by:

• Mark McAfee - Raw Milk Institute President and Founder

• Sarah Smith - Raw Milk Institute Vice President

• Joseph Heckman, PhD - Raw Milk Institute Board Member and Soil Scientist from Rutgers

• Esther Arkfeld - Iowa Dairy Farmer and Advocate for Raw Milk Legalization

• Fred Hall - Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Field Specialist

• Senator Jason Schultz - Legislative Sponsor of Bill to Legalize Raw Milk in Iowa

This Raw Milk Institute seminar focuses on:

• Iowa’s new raw milk law

• How raw milk farms are thriving

• Health benefits of raw milk

• Benefits of selling raw milk

• Safety and risks of raw milk

• Introduction to raw milk risk management

• Building a successful raw milk market

August 12th FREE Iowa Raw Milk Webinar

Raw milk is now legal in Iowa! Whereas farmers producing milk for the pasteurized market often struggle to make ends meet, raw milk farms are thriving. Iowa’s new law presents a unique opportunity for farmers to move into an expanding market by implementing intentional practices and higher standards to produce low-risk raw milk.

On Saturday August 12th at 11am Central, the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) will be presenting a free 1.5-hour Iowa Raw Milk seminar. This presentation will be livestreamed online, so farmers from across Iowa will be able to conveniently attend from their own location.

Raw milk presents a unique farmstead product that brings all the added value back to the farmer with an incentive to work on quality. By selling directly to consumers, raw milk farmers are able to obtain greater financial rewards for their work, while consumers benefit from the improved flavor and nutrition. It’s a win for both farmers and consumers!

About the Training

This 1.5 hour webinar will be presented by the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) in collaboration with Esther Arkfeld (RAWMI Listed farmer who was instrumental in the legalization of raw milk in Iowa).

This RAWMI presentation will focus on:

• Iowa’s new raw milk law

• Why raw milk farms are thriving

• Health benefits of raw milk

• Benefits of selling raw milk

• Safety and risks of raw milk

• Introduction to raw milk risk management

• Building a successful raw milk market

We'll be providing lots of practical tips for farmers who are interested in switching to raw milk as a sustainable business model.

How to Register

This webinar is open and free for farmers in Iowa as well as elsewhere.

SORRY, we had to close registration for this event at 100 attendees. Let us know if you missed this but want to attend a future event.