I posted this in the Southeast Permies group, but I thought I'd throw the idea out here, too.
I live in the north Gilbert area (Baseline & Greenfield), and was wondering if anyone would be interested in a milk "cow-op." The idea is that we share a milk cow. This means we share the cost of a cow & setup (we have the space), share the milking and cleaning duties, and share the product, which is raw, non-homogenized milk. It would work something like this:
Benefits:
- Raw milk and cream from your own cow.
- You only get the milk you use, and don't have to deal with excess.
- You only milk once or twice/week, according to your needs.
- The costs are shared by all "members."
- You can have a cow and milk even if you live in a subdivision.
- You get training on how to milk the cow.
- You don't have to be a cow expert. Most of the care, breeding, calfing, etc. would be taken care of for you.
Duties:
Each contributor would be assigned times to milk & clean, based on their membership.
Costs:
- There would be a "membership" cost, to fund the initial setup, including the cow.
- There would be a periodic (monthly or quarterly) payment to fund supplies, maintenance, replacement costs, breeding costs, etc.
I don't know what all this would add up to yet, but it will definitely be less than keeping a personal cow. If there's enough interest, I'll research the costs to see if it's feasible.
The way we're thinking about this, the membership can be sold, so the initial funds can be recouped if you decide not to continue.
If you're interested or have any questions, please respond to this post or email me at FarmAndGarden@i4ie.com.
Replies
Buy one of my cute little goats ;)
They are cute! :)
So far, I've read the entire Title 3 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (agriculture) and found nothing relating to milking of cows or goats for personal use. Butchering, yes, but milking, nothing. I'll keep looking, but so far it's looking hopeful.
I wonder how our grandparents survived....
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