I live in the north Gilbert area, 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:

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.

 

Duties:

Each contributor would be assigned times to milk & clean, based on their membership.

Benefits:

  • Raw milk and cream from your own cow.
  • You only get the milk you use, and don't have to deal with excess.
  • 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.

If you're interested or have any questions, please respond to this post or email me at FarmAndGarden@i4ie.com.

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Replies

  • Hi Sherrie!

    Lost your number.I have a car now. Please contact me 480-622-1350 c,480-947-0231 home.

    Michelle Hawkins

  • interested as well, like many others would like to know more details before hand.

  • I'm interested. Sent friend request.

  • What happened to the cow co-op?

    • Things are going very well with our sweet cow. We've been through a very steep learning curve, and have enjoyed meeting many great people, too! We have a steer from her whose name is Sir Loin (for obvious reasons) and he's a sweetie, too. If all goes well we'll have another calf in June.
      We opted not to do a share because of the complexity in managing it. We're handling things in other ways that are very beneficial. Shoot me a mssg for more detailed info. :)

    • I'm very interested as well.  I sent  a friend request so we can send messages and hear more- I'm very interested in getting some milk like you described above.

      Thanks!

      -Trevor

    • I'm interested.  I sent you a message.

  • Great idea Sheri!!  Wish you lived more like a 'mile' away from me than what...'20 miles'...haha!  Hope this cow co-op works out.

    • I know, Chris. You need to move. ;)

  • I might be interested.  It will  depend on the schedule, what we will be feeding the cow and the cost of it all.

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