KODY HANNER: When Keeping a Family Cow Was Never in the Plans

 

When Keeping a Family Cow Was Never in the Plans

But Turned Out To Be Life-Changing for The Entire Family

By Kody Hanner—The Homestead Education

Like many people pursuing homesteading, we have a story. A story of the catalyst that threw us into an era of modern life that looks more like the days of our great-grandmothers rather than our peers, whom some of us have left behind. Without sounding too dramatic, we have seen a large portion of a generation dig in their heels and lead a massive cultural shift. One that says, “We were designed to put our families first.” And I am here for it!

Just over eight years ago, my husband and I, with our newborn son, traveled to our closest Veterans hospital, almost four hours away, to find out why he had been having some stomach issues. Never, in our lives, did we think that we would be leaving there that day with a terminal diagnosis. When someone is told they may only have a year to live at just thirty-six years old, it changes them. And their loved ones. In our case, the loved one was me. 

When my husband, Ron, was told he had end-stage liver cirrhosis with no known cause and little we could do about it, even to improve his quality of life, I hit the books. There was no way I was going down without a fight, and the only battle I could find to face was to clean every toxin out of our lifestyle. This meant giving his liver a break from toxins in our food, cleaners, and medications, while also supporting his body with protein-packed, clean meals. 

This was a massive endeavor for our entire family! We began homeschooling to spend more time as a family and make time to raise and grow our food. We bought a farm to dive into self-sufficient, clean living full time. As a born and raised conventional agriculturalist and trained food safety specialist, this was a mindset nightmare (one my husband said I’ll never get over). In one swoop, I had to change the way I had always known how to do everything. And, I had to do it while learning how to forgive the first love of my life, agriculture, for having a hand in taking the love of my life from me one day. 

So, when my husband, who had never farmed a day in his life, suggested we buy a family milk cow, I was pretty sure he was crazy! I was a beef girl through and through, and don’t even get me started on how terrible raw milk is. But I was desperate for anything that would help him, even if it was only in spirit. We drove several hours with five kids and me, six months pregnant, to pick up our cow: a Belfair (Jersey and Dexter cross), named Bailey, and her flat-nosed calf. We brought her home as excited as we could be, fully knowing we had no clue what we were doing.

This is when the magic began. Our blended family came together like we never had before, building a stanchion, learning to milk (and trying the milk straight from the udder), and using fresh milk. But, we originally decided to low-temp pasteurize our milk. This was for a couple of food safety reasons, like my pregnancy, Ron being highly susceptible to pathogens, and having a toddler who was still drinking lactose-free milk every night. 

We quickly changed our tune about trusting the beautiful superfood that Bailey provided for us each day. I dove deep into the science of safe milk handling and the nutritional benefits of drinking milk that had not been stripped of its essential nutrients. Seeing my son drinking real milk that didn’t have the sugar eating away at his teeth made my heart sing. After a lifetime of taking antibiotics, having my gut health restored was amazing. When lockdowns happened while I was in the NICU with my youngest child, my older kids, who were stuck forty minutes from town, had fresh milk every morning. But the best thing we could have asked for was when Ron’s liver doctor gave us the green light for him to drink raw milk.

Between the healing diet that included raw milk, I saw my husband coming back to me. His eyes were brighter, his mood was stable, and his metabolic labs were starting to come back better. This was also around the same time our twelve-year-old autistic son asked if he could start showing dairy heifers at our local fair. This marked the beginning of our Brown Swiss herd, and four years later, our son is running his own raw milk dairy.

I truly believe that the choice to bring home that first family cow was the gateway to healing foods, that our background and knowledge would never have been opened to us. It was the turning point for my husband, who now has a fully healed liver and a prognosis of a full and healthy life. Taking the bull by the horns (puns intended), it is necessary to take every opportunity in life. If you aren’t willing to do something different or to do the work, nothing will change for you.  

Is a family cow for everyone? No, it is not. And that is absolutely ok, because I do not have the discipline for keeping sourdough alive, and love that I can trade one precious food for another. If you are a family that wants to try raw milk, finding a raw dairy like ours is a great way to purchase milk without the commitment or investment. You may also have the opportunity to learn dairying practices from the farmer, too. 

This doesn’t mean that I don’t have some great information to share for anyone ready for some true self-sufficiency. 

✅ Do your research on breeds, milking equipment, and milk processing before you are faced with eight gallons of milk a day. Or even worse, a very encouraged cow who is uncomfortable and at risk for mastitis, a serious infection of the udder. Every breed is known for its own milkfat properties, affecting the flavor, butter, and cheesemaking properties. 

✅ Have a good reference book, a mentor, and make sure you are comfortable with large livestock and how to work closely with them. Your first few days with your cow on your property are the ones when they (or you) are most likely to get hurt because everything is new. 

✅ Take note that dairy animals can have very different veterinary protocols from other livestock. If they get sick and need an antibiotic, the withdrawal time listed on the medication bottle is often just for meat animals and is considered unsafe for dairy animals. There are no approved wormers or commercial fly sprays for dairy. This is not just from a holistic standpoint, but also for conventional animals. Learning alternative methods for parasite control is imperative for a healthy dairy animal or herd.

✅ I am all for calf sharing. Some herdsman will deter you from that option due to cleanliness and the cow holding back her cream. Either of these has yet to be a problem for us, allowing for a more flexible schedule and for the calf to stay with its mother.

✅ If you do decide to get the cow, have customers lined up, or consider raising pigs. They feed out great on raw milk. Otherwise, you may literally drown in the creamy goodness from your cow. 

Above all else, the choice to take control of your food is a powerful one. One that I will always applaud you for. And one that most do not regret. We live in a changing time that is racing back to what humans have done for thousands of years. Feed ourselves. 

About Kody Hanner

Kody Hanner is a homesteader, proud homeschool mom, and the creator of The Homestead Education, a company that provides educational resources that aim to teach children self-sufficiency through hands-on learning.

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