You say I’m crazy.
I say I’m smart.
You say it’s risky.
I say it’s safe.
What am I talking about here?
I’m talking about my family’s diet, but more specifically, how we incoporate raw egg yolks, raw milk, & raw cheese into it. Oh yes, we have all sorts of shenanigans goin’ on over here.
If you’re expecting a greasy-haired, crazy-eyed, abnormal family over here, I’m sorry to say we’ll disappoint you.
Other than the fact that we run an urban farm and milk goats everyday, we’re not all that much different than you. My husband and I have normal lives, drive normal cars, live in a normal house, and have some pretty normal kids. We both grew up in the city, attended public school, and played on the local little league teams. We’re both movie-buffs, and have an extensive knowledge of all things Harry Potter.
So why for the crazy diet? Why take a risk on all these sorts of “dangerous” foods?
Your Great-Grandma would love me.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to live on a farm. Happiness, to me, is waking up to a rooster crowing and spending my morning gathering eggs, milking a cow (or goat), and gathering fresh fruit & vegetables for a delicious farm fresh breakfast. Before the industrialization of food, everybody had farms. Raising chickens, pigs, goats, rabbits, cows, & sheep was the norm. It wasn’t an easy life and it took some dedication and big dose of patience, but it had its rewards, both physically & mentally.
Before we created our urban farm, we were living a life of processed food, and our health was suffering. From newly married college kids to new parents, we did what came natural, and sadly, that also included processed foods. I began to have some serious health problems, including crippling back pain and a vestibular disorder. My son, at age 2, began to suffer from severe asthma as well. We need a change, and I knew a big part of that change included getting back to our roots.
I wanted a traditional life for my family. I wanted fresh air, sunshine, and some dirt on my hands. I wanted fresh, real, traditional food. I wanted to feel nourished and satisfied, and dang it, I wanted to do it just like my Great-Grandma did.
Safety Measures or Scare Tactics?
One of the first things people say to me when they learn of my diet is…
“Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?”
To put it bluntly, no. I’m not afraid of getting salmonella from drinking raw milk, eating raw cheese, or eating raw egg yolks. Why?
Simple. Our ancestors have been eating this way for THOUSANDS of years. Raw milk & cheese are the foods they thrived on! Dr. Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration shows proof of that. His travels around the world studying traditional societies and the foods they ate shows that the human body does best on whole, traditional foods, which includes a good supply of raw milk! Raw milk is full of nutrients, enzymes, minerals, digestible proteins, and many other vitamins needed to supplement the human diet.
With the industrialization of food and the increase of factory farming, raw milk was no longer possible, as bacteria levels rose incredibly high as a result of keeping animals in confinement. More and more people are becoming intolerant to milk, and this is all due to the fact that the milk most people drink today is heated to extremely high temperatures.
“Pasteurization does not create clean milk; it just kills filthy milk.”
Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures
We’re told that raw milk is dangerous and that we are very likely to get sick from Salmonella and other bacterial strains. The data, however, shows a very different story.
Causes of Food borne Illness:
- Approximately 5,000 people in America die every year from a food borne illness.
- From 2009-2011, THREE outbreaks with products involving cantaloupe, peanuts, & eggs contributed to 2,729 sicknesses & 39 deaths.
- There hasn’t been ONE SINGLE DEATH associated with raw milk consumption since 1986.
- Today, green leafy vegetables are the most frequent cause of food-borne illness in the United States.
During the 2000 − 2007 period, there were 12 hospitalizations for illnesses associated with raw fluid milk. That’s an average of 1.5 per year. With approximately 9.4 million people drinking raw milk, that means you have about a 1 in 6 million chance of being hospitalized from drinking raw milk.
-Chris Kresser
Raw Milk & Raw Cheese Benefits:
Raw milk & cheese are in and of themselves are a complete protein, meaning they carry the full spectrum of amino acids. Raw milk & cheese carries with it important carbohydrates, as well as high amounts of saturated fat with low amount of poly-unsaturated fat. On top of that you’ve also got some great fat-soluble vitamins, which are vital for the assimilation of minerals. Not only does raw milk & cheese have the minerals calcium, selenium, & magnesium, it also has phosphate, which is needed for your body to absorb calcium. Pasteurization completely destroys phosphate which does NOT do your body any good if you can’t absorb calcium. It’s got plenty of B vitamins along with a nice healthy supply of live enzymes making it incredibly easy to digest.
Why raw egg yolks?
Uncooked, raw egg yolks can provide a good dose of simple, whole, and easy assimilated protein & fats, along with other nutrients and minerals. When we make smoothies, I ALWAYS toss in a couple raw egg yolks. In fact, many people use slightly cooked egg yolks as a first food for their babies. The reason we don’t eat raw egg whites is that egg whites contain avidin, a substance that can deplete our bodies of biotin. We stick with raw egg yolks, which contains most of the nutrients anyway.
**NOTE** I wouldn’t feed my family raw egg yolks unless they came from healthy, pasture-raised, organic chickens, like the ones we raise. Read more about finding healthy eggs here.
Finding raw milk & raw cheese that are both healthy & safe isn’t as hard as you might think. Read my previous post here on finding a good raw milk source.
So, what do you think? Have you joined the weird side? Do you feed your family raw milk, raw cheese, or even raw egg yolks?
Sources:
https://chriskresser.com/raw-milk-reality-is-raw-milk-dangerous
https://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/outbreak_alert_2008_report_final.pdf
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/06/11/553459/10036057/en/New-Studies-Confirm-Raw-Milk-A-Low-Risk-Food.html
Tammy Smith says
January 9, 2019 at 12:58 pmWe love your website! This is our GO-TO for information as we are a homeschool family with 5 children,2 milking goats and 4 laying hens…..and 3 dogs.We have a question here….We heard that goats milk can carry diseases and that we had to have their blood tested.We called our local vet and he said to do a TB test and that we should be pasteurizing our milk.We’d like to have your take on it and whatever you say,we’re doing.You have lived through all this and we trust your wisdom and insight to farming.
Bobbi says
January 10, 2019 at 7:26 amHi Tammy-
It sounds like you have a wonderful family and homestead!
DaNelle does not pasteurize her milk. If the animals you milk are kept healthy and live in clean conditions they will not produce unsafe milk. Also, as long as the milk is handled properly and kept in clean conditions it will not make you sick. The Weston Price Foundation has some great information about raw milk. You can check some of it out here: https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/151-is-raw-milk-safe/
Yes, it is possible for goats or cows to have TB and pass it on, however this is extremely rare, as typically animals with TB are noticeably sick and you would not milk them or consume their milk. This is an additional article from the Weston Price Foundation specifically on TB:
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/farm-ranch/the-risk-of-bovine-tb-from-raw-milk-consumption-with-a-focus-on-michigan/
Getting a TB test would insure that your goats do not have TB and there is no harm in doing the test. DaNelle tests her goats once a year (and before a new goat joins the herd) for various diseases. She explains much of it here: https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-diseases-signs-symptoms/
So choosing what to test your goats for and consuming raw milk is up to you and what is best for your family. I hope that helps! Best of luck with everything!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Cori says
April 22, 2018 at 7:15 amI just found a raw milk source, and tried making cheese, yogurt, and butter last weekend. It’s all so good! I will never go back to processed! We are also looking for local organic sources of other foods as well! I, too, believe this is a path to wellness for our family.
Debra says
June 20, 2017 at 6:51 pmFinally got out of the city and into a tiny house off grid on a beautiful 20 acres in Washington near the Columbia Gorge. No refridgeration. Solar. A well. Composting toilet. Blessed life!
I am not set up for goats or chickens, but have close friends with happy chickens who keep me in an abundance of eggs. I eat between six and 20-some half-cooked (I like the texture) yolks a day.
I also finally got a very parttime job at the local (raw) goat dairy today. Worked two hours and came home with five gallons. Heavenly!
I grow kale and have a sprout garden most of the year and eat lots of wild lettuce and yarrow, and a head of raw garlic blended with a lemon most mornings.
Lots of smoothies, juice…and coffee and beer. I like my vices too!
I’m 55 and running six-eight miles most days. I owe my great health to what I eat…mostly the raw yolks.
Kim says
May 27, 2017 at 6:59 amI drank raw milk for almost five years, until the scariest week of my life. In the middle of the night, my husband woke me up complaining of terrible diarrhea; he was rummaging in the dresser to get a clean pair of underwear. A couple hours later, his fever was 102.5. When I got home from work that day, he was almost completely helpless. That night, the diarrhea continued after every intake of fluids, with the addition of vomiting, and by the next morning, his fever was 103.2. He told me he felt like he was dying. He told me that every time he went to the bathroom, he felt like his body was trying to commit suicide and failing. The fever went down, but Imodium and Pepto had no effect. Every liquid intake resulted in and equal or greater amount of diarrhea, often bloody. We finally ended up in urgent care. Two liters of IV fluid, a CT scan, and a stool culture later, we were on our way with a bottle of Cipro. This is all very expensive for individuals without insurance.
I don’t know if the milk was the source of the confirmed campylobacter. I didn’t get sick, and neither did anyone else consuming milk from this farm. I know that nutritionally, raw milk is healthier. I know that our ancestors consumed it freely, without issue. The problem is, we’re not our ancestors. As a formula-fed infant who consumed mass amounts of processed food and chlorinated water and has gone through multiple rounds of antibiotics, my husband’s system is about as similar to his ancestors’ as it is to someone’s in Mexico or India. I don’t think many of us would willingly consume “raw” Mexican or Indian water, even if we did find out that it contained beneficial nutrients. What I realized, is that as much as a 21st century American body needs nutrition from a few centuries ago, that body might not always be able to handle what comes with it. I certainly want to nourish his body to health, but I now also feel strongly that it is my responsibility to protect him from infections like this, which means from now on, pasteurized milk.
Campylobacter is pretty difficult to pin down, given its 2-5 day incubation period and often isolated cases. It even passes routine tests, but still makes people sick.
https://www.campylobacterblog.com/campylobacter-information/raw-milk-can-harbor-campylobacter-even-after-negative-tests/#.WSl0otxya1s
When the health dept. called because the lab had reported the campylobacter case to them, my husband did not reveal information about his raw milk consumption or the farm we got our milk from. I was completely honest with our farm when I wrote and apologized for discontinuing our weekly milk deliveries. I don’t think anyone who has experienced campylobacter first hand could blame me for my decision, as it truly strikes terror into your heart.
DaNelle Wolford says
May 27, 2017 at 9:28 pmThanks for sharing, Kim. I appreciate the insight and you do bring up a great point!
Maddie says
March 25, 2017 at 1:06 pmHi DaNelle! First off, I love reading all of your posts and really enjoy your family’s adventures.
I do have one question related to this topic in particular. Do you do any blood/milk testing on your goats? I am super paranoid! Our goat, Dottie, is kidding for the first time and as much as I’m excited to try her milk, I’m also SO nervous about it. We have had her and a few other goats for about 2 years now and I know that everything we do at our farm is clean and safe. I’m just not sure about whether to test for things like tuberculosis, brucellosis, and stuff prior to letting my family drink it up! I have small children and I totally love keeping everything as natural as possible, just want to be safe while doing so!
Do you ever do any lab testing on your goats, or even when you first bring a new goat into your herd?
Thanks in advance!!!
DaNelle Wolford says
March 26, 2017 at 9:46 amHi Maddie! I do, I have all the details here: https://www.weedemandreap.com/goat-diseases-signs-symptoms/
divya sharma says
March 4, 2017 at 2:02 amI like it nice blog. You always post superb blog and i always read them with great interest.
Kumar says
July 18, 2016 at 2:02 amAll my reasons of excellent health are listed as follows: I’m 40, have a BP of 118/75, BMI of 26.,5 and no genetic problems like Diabetes etc.
* Raw food (milk and eggs)
* Llots of veggies and fruits (Again I prefer uncooked but washed properly)
* Daily exercise (usually walking but I like to play Golf or tennis)
* No smoking/alcohol
* Plenty of sex with my hot wife (She’s 28 now. We’ve been married for 12 years but like to get in the sack every minute).
Max Brown says
August 21, 2015 at 8:57 pmHere in japan we eat everything with raw eggs
everyone overseas finds it disgusting for some reason but, its what we grow up on haha
we eat rice with raw eggs, dip meat in raw eggs, you name it :p
DaNelle Wolford says
August 23, 2015 at 11:27 amHaha, wow, how interesting!
Elise Kelly says
March 13, 2015 at 3:17 pmRaw eggs certainly did not harm the 115 year old Italian woman who ate 3 of them everyday since she was a teenager.
Alaister Copland says
March 10, 2015 at 1:18 amHere in the UK in the 50s/60s I grew up on a dairy farm and of course drank raw milk daily. After living in Africa for twelve years, I returned to the UK and resumed drinking milk, only to find the supermarket variety no longer suited me, but I never realised why. I therefore started using dairy alternatives and for many years settled on soya milk, which we made ourselves. After my father died suffering from Alzheimer’s, I became interested in ways of avoiding a similar fate and discovered diet was a major contributor. Among other things, I learned how bad unfermented soy products were for our health, why the pasteurised supermarket milk made me ill and how raw milk was the answer. We’re lucky enough to live close to a source of raw, grass fed Jersey milk of excellent quality, so we started buying that instead – and it’s delicious! After accidentally discovering raw milk never goes off, we too now allow it to sit out in sealed bottles for days/weeks before separating it into a delicious and nutritious creamy cheese and whey. Up to now we’ve disposed of the whey, but I’ve just learned how to make ricotta cheese from it, so will start doing that very soon. We make raw milk Greek yogurt and kefir, both of which, but particularly kefir, are even more nutritious than the unfermented milk and even less likely to produce allergies. I’ve also started whisking two raw eggs – whites included! – into a glass of raw milk with a spoonful of raw honey and drinking this most days – reminds me of when we used to do this back on the farm – and it’s so good! We’re now looking towards making our own cheese, again from raw milk, and that’s how I came to find this site, a great resource.
Jenny says
February 8, 2014 at 6:38 amAlexis- I don’t think you need to be paranoid at all with things like that. We’ve been drinking raw milk for over a year now (including me while pregnant, and my 3 kids), and have never experienced illness from it- I think the only issue with leaving it out is that it will lose it’s fresh taste more quickly. Even when raw milk goes “sour”, it’s not dangerous like pasteurized milk is- you can actually leave it out on the counter to curdle and use it to make whey and cream cheese! I don’t plan on ever going back to “regular” milk 🙂
DaNelle Wolford says
February 10, 2014 at 2:15 amI agree Jenny!
Alexis says
January 25, 2014 at 9:23 pmLove your blog….love this post!!! Just this week we visited a small dairy farm for our first gallon of raw milk….there’s something I just can’t seem to get figured out…..are there things we can do in our home that will cause it to grow bad bacteria & kill one of us??? Example: do I need to be a paranoid freak that my 2 yr old stuck his fingers in the jar, or if someone doesn’t drink all of theirs right away & come back to it after 10 min.?? Or is it more on the side of the farm being a healthy place?? I really want my littles to have it, but It’s difficult to do the switch in your mind when it’s drilled in that its dangerous ya know!!
Jessica Powell says
December 2, 2013 at 12:38 amI loved this post! I’ve been looking a lot into raw milk and I’ve found a farm that has a cow share. The only problem I’m having is convincing my husband that it’s worth the extra money. I’ve read a ton from sources that support raw milk, and my husband wanted to see what the FDA says, and I learned that they say the complete opposite of the sources that support raw milk. I found it interesting that the FDA would give study results on the dangers of raw milk, but not show the results for the pasteurized milk on the same study. Everything I’ve read about raw milk has been completely transparent for both sides, showing that there have been some incidences with the raw milk, but not nearly as much as with pasteurized.
So what do you recommend for me to do to help my husband understand the health benefits outweigh the cost?
Simone says
October 10, 2013 at 1:11 pmHi I would like to say Yayyy you and I loved your article and fully agree with you!!!!
Here in Germany raw milk etc is pretty common!My 89yr old grandma has never consumed any other milk than raw…fresh from a local farmer!I buy milk from our local farmer as well,at first i thought I should boil it for my kids bc they werent used to raw milk 100% BUT of course kids do not wait until i boil the milk when they want some cold milk right now lol….nothing happend!Also my lactose intolerant teen was finally able to drink milk without a tummy ache!There are drinks with raw egg yolks and my grandma throws one in when she makes mashed potates or bechamel sauce…so its basically still half raw when you eat!Raw cheese of course always have!! my grandma has never had salmonella and I did once….when I lived in Boarding school!Oh and over here we let fresh milk sit in a bowl in the kitchen it turns sour and clumpy…sprinkle it with cinnamon/sugar its delicious!!
DaNelle Wolford says
October 11, 2013 at 5:22 amLove this story!
Carolina Villarreal de Hurtado says
October 7, 2013 at 12:54 pmI have a dilemma that hasn’t yet been answered from other sites. I make homemade mayonnaise with raw egg yolk and olive oil. I love it! But there’s only one question. Is it dangerous to include a raw egg yolk? I use the usual one bought at stores. And for how long will my homemade mayonnaise last on the frige? Thank you for your answer.
DaNelle Wolford says
October 11, 2013 at 5:36 amHere’s a great recipe! https://www.homemademommy.net/2012/02/the-best-homemade-mayo.html
Raia Torn says
October 6, 2013 at 6:48 pmOne of my earliest memories is all the puking I did after my brother and I contracted salmonella from pasteurized, homogenized, store-bought milk (circa 1985). My brother almost died. After that my mom switched us to raw, farm-fresh goats milk. We NEVER ONCE got sick from it. I also have a pretty nasty allergy to store-bought eggs. But free-range, organic ones = no problems at all!
Pretty crazy the stuff they try and make the masses believe out of fear and ignorance!
DaNelle Wolford says
October 11, 2013 at 5:43 amGreat story!
Jen-Eighty MPH Mom says
October 6, 2013 at 3:30 amVery interesting! I think it would be fun to live on a farm and have fresh eggs, milk, etc.
I remember eating lots of cookie dough when I was little (with raw eggs), but back then (in the 60’s) nobody worried about salmonella. I wonder if they just weren’t aware of it back then? I don’t remember getting sick from it.
Natalie says
October 4, 2013 at 8:33 pmI’ve only recently discovered talk about raw foods, and I must confess, it’s a bit of a minefield to understand – your post explains brilliantly. Thank you! Can you tell me, does raw milk, eggs, cheese etc taste different to pasteurised alternatives? Raw milk doesn’t sound appetising, but from your stats it is hugely popular !
DaNelle Wolford says
October 11, 2013 at 5:48 amI find that raw milk, raw cheese, & pasture raised eggs taste amazing!
Barbara says
October 22, 2013 at 4:22 pmMy family gets raw milk from jersey cows — it is like drinking ice cream. I never cared for milk at all before we switched to raw milk.
Abbby Adams says
October 3, 2013 at 10:15 pmI applaud your efforts to eat a healthy diet and I do enjoy your blog. However I have to respectfully disagree with this post. I sincerely hope your family never experiences Salmonella. Having almost died from it myself, I would never take the risk you are taking, especially for my children. But it’s your choice and I truly wish you health and happiness.
Jill says
October 2, 2013 at 5:29 pmI just bought some Organic Pastures raw milk from sprouts. Its $15/gallon! The 2nd gallon I bought (last week) got me very very sick. I drank the milk and had some w/ cereal and after felt a little off. The next day I did the same routine and again felt bad. I looked at the gallon and it had turned lumpy and clumpy despite having not reached its expiration. I tossed it and not too long after I had a full headache/bodyache and started throwing up and shivering. Ive been ttc unsuccessfully for over a year and really wanted to drink whole milk but now Im a little terrified. Anyone know where I can get some that is of better quality? Im in San Diego, CA. Thx!
felicity says
January 7, 2014 at 3:34 amUnfortunately, it probably wasn’t the milk that made you sick. We milk our goats, everyday, drink raw milk everyday and not once have we ever gotten sick. Raw milk never goes bad. Ever. unless it molds, but that’s an entirely different thing. We routinely leave milk on the counter to sour, to get those lovely chunks and make amazing pancakes and biscuits with it. We leave it in a sunny window until it separates and he sour whether on the bottom with the cheese on top, separate it, mix it withg fruit and spread it on toas
The biggest problem I’ve seem with raw milk, with myself mostly, is the handling. Leaving a lid off for more than the few seconds it takes to pour it, not having a completely sanitized jar to milk into, the goat puts her foot in the jar (its happened more times than I want to admit to) or even touching it without clean hands.
Raw milk in itself won’t hurt you if its from a healthy animal, its the practices from teat to consumption.
felicity says
January 7, 2014 at 3:36 amSo, this forum won’t let me go back and correct mistakes from my phone…not mobile friendly! lol please excuse my mistakes on the post. And I noticed whey was auto corrected to whether…
DaNelle Wolford says
January 15, 2014 at 12:29 amI agree!
Christy says
April 19, 2018 at 11:44 amTrue that !!!
Cait says
October 1, 2013 at 6:01 pmI love raw milk and am drinking it now while I’m pregnant and give it to my toddler, without fear. But I still haven’t done the egg yolk! I need to, because I know it’s so nutrient rich and I need more protein as well, but it’s still a mind issue for me. Raw eggs (I guess mostly the whites, now that I think of it) are so goopy and gross to me. I’m also one of those people that can’t stand cooked eggs – so I’m really missing out.
Is it really unnoticeable when you add an egg yolk to a milkshake or smoothie? I’d love to do it, I would just hate to waste it if the texture is unappetizing!
Rose says
October 1, 2013 at 11:26 pm@Cait – I add raw egg yolks to my homemade ice cream and never notice any kind of texture issue. It really adds to the richness of it all!
Julie O. says
September 30, 2013 at 6:25 pmWhile I applaud your way of life (l love your page!) (I wish I could do some of it). I am a bit on the other side of the fence, and I say this because I have had Salmonella from slightly pink chicken and almost died. I have a lot of health issues because of it…it was 20 yrs ago. I will never eat chicken again…and yes it is a mind thing, I know it, I just cant eat chicken. I do eat raw yolks on occasion, but they make me nervous. I love raw milk and am very cautious about where it comes from. Just my two cents.!
Emilie Toups says
October 22, 2013 at 6:16 pmThat chicken likely came from nasty dirty factory raised chicken…..
Lindsey says
December 21, 2013 at 2:10 amI understand! I had salmonella last year. I was hospitalized for a week. The source was never determined, but I’m afraid of so many things because of it. I haven’t been the same since then. I hope you can resolve some of the long term issues it’s caused you!
Amber Wright says
September 30, 2013 at 6:08 pmI second what Alecia says! I need a good, local food source here in Yuma. I used to go to the Super farm market every Thursday when we lived in Mesa, but they don’t sell raw milk and cheese!
C.Mallory Wyatt says
October 3, 2013 at 9:52 pmHave you gone out to Somerton or the Foothills to the farms there ? My nana has lived in Yuma since the mid 40’s
DaNelle Wolford says
October 11, 2013 at 5:52 amI haven’t heard of them, but I’ll have to look it up!
Alecia says
September 30, 2013 at 2:19 pmOk so I have a couple of suggestions for you, I read your ebook and keep rereading it because I love it so now you should write one about raising goats that would be fab, also I was wondering if it would be possible to do a post for us local Arizonans on where you buy your food, like the cheapest and best you have found. I am just getting started in the real food world and your blog has really encouraged me thanks!
Elly Kennedy says
September 30, 2013 at 12:22 pmYes, we have joined the weird side!! Found a great, close, source for raw goat milk. So glad we did, although it would be so much fun if we could have our own. We do have our own chickens and like you, put raw egg yolks in our smoothes. Thanks for being such a great inspiration.