Dear River Cottage Farm Family,
 
Happy New Year! We hope this message finds you well. We’d like to let you know about three important updates to your raw milk herd share: Recent improvements to our dairy operations, a new option for half gallons, and a price adjustment to non-subscription orders.

For 24 years, Brayden and I have run the dairy and farm, just the two of us. Brayden was the only milker prior to 2025. Milking cows each morning, regardless of the temperature, is demanding work, especially on Saturdays at 3:45 am before the market.

Brayden’s commitment is telling of one of the many reasons for the sharp decline in the number of dairy farms nationwide.  In 1970, more than 648,000 dairy farms in the US milked cattle; by 2022, only 24,470 were in operation, and a report last year showed that 65% of all milk produced in the US came from dairies with more than 2500 cows.

• We only milk 18 cows.

• We don’t feed grain.

• We feed the highest quality certified organic hay available in the US

• The cows are moved daily to fresh pasture.

• We follow all regenerative guidelines.

• We keep the calves with their moms.

• We test our milk monthly at a certified lab.

• The cows are milked once a day to reduce stress from being forced to produce unnatural volumes of milk.

  But even with those differences, it’s still a dairy, and unless we are at least somewhat profitable, we cannot sustain it.  

One key challenge we found that we’ll need your support with is that only 34% of our herd share owners buy milk weekly. Cows produce daily, and costs are constant. Last week, we had 50% fewer orders than the week before. Without the ability to accurately predict weekly orders, we keep people on the waiting list when we often have a surplus of milk to accommodate the sporadic ordering. We’d love to share the milk with families rather than giving extra to chickens. We are implementing three upgrades to enable a more sustainable flow.  

As part of the large project in the dairy barn, we separated our bulk tank and a new on-farm milk-testing lab from the milking parlor. We believe the shorter milk shelf life we had last summer was due to fluctuating temperatures. The bulk tank keeps the milk at 36-37 degrees, but the sustained high temperatures in an area that wasn’t climate-controlled put too much strain on the tank. This new room also houses our new on-farm milk-testing lab. It allows us to test milk between monthly lab tests and catch cows producing colostrum earlier than expected.  

New jug size

We now offer both one-gallon and half-gallon milk options. We understand that some of you need less than one gallon per week, so we hope this is a welcome addition.

New two-tier pricing

The subscriptions will stay at the same price: $15.00 per gallon and $8.00 per half gallon. The milk quantity can be adjusted week to week, and you can add other non-subscription items to the order.

You may also buy milk as needed at $18.00 per gallon, on a first-come, first-served basis. This will help us better plan production and reduce waste. If you are unable to pick up your milk, please have a friend or family member collect it. Any milk not picked up cannot be resold and is given to chickens.

Would you like to learn how to make yogurt? During the month of March, we will offer a yogurt starter to anyone with a milk subscription, along with instructions for making yogurt.

We are committed to providing you with fresh, safe, and delicious raw milk. Please share your questions or feedback when you pick up your milk or contact us at hello@rivercottagefarm.net. Your thoughts help us improve! These pricing changes will take effect on February 1.

Thank you for being a vital part of our farm community!

Warm regards,
Debbie, Brayden, Christina, and Treasure