Check out this New York Times article on traditional dairy farms coming back into vogue.
“ANNE SAXELBY had what she calls an “aha moment” a couple of years ago when she drove upstate to try the cultured butter made by Evans Farmhouse Creamery in Chenango County. Ms. Saxelby, who owns Saxelby Cheesemongers in Manhattan, said that for all the butter she had eaten in her life, “I had really never had butter before — this is butter.”
More and more people across the country are being treated to the same aha experience as they find a burgeoning variety of fresh dairy products made in small batches on little farms and in small creameries. And it’s worth the extra money. “
Finally small dairies are making a comeback! I feel lucky to be able to buy Ronnybrook Dairy’s milk–it comes in a returnable glass bottles, it’s non-homogenized, and it’s local. But sadly, it’s not raw. New York state allows the sale of raw milk from farms only, not stores. I had a quart of raw milk once that tasted so amazing and lasted longer that pasteurized milk. Since your focus is on traditional food ways, you might be interested in looking at the Weston A. Price Foundation and their campaign for real milk. They do research on the health benefits of traditional foods. I just got my March issue of Saveur and it’s entirely devoted to butter! By the way, I took a peek at The Art of Simple Food on your news gator where they talk about which food magazine are worth archiving. I wish I could get the Art of Eating and Gastronomica!
Ronnybrook Dairy products a great, but I agree, raw is better. In Santa Monica, where I grew up, the farmers market has a stand that sells raw dairy products including milk, cheese, butter (it’s amazing), and yogurt. The taste difference is incredible! I never bought it routinely because of price, but for a once in a while treat it was very special. I can’t wait to check out the Weston A. Price Foundation. I didn’t realize there was such a movement around raw milk until recently, so this will be a great place to do some catch up!