General FAQ's:

Greenwood Farms Raw Milk FAQ’s:

Q: How long have you been farming?

A: We've been in farming for over 20 years, but we've only been selling to the public since 2001. The first Greenwood Farms was a 100 acre homestead near Salem, Missouri, where we lived from 1981-1989. That was the farm of Julie and David's youth and our first farm as a family. Steve grew up raising and training Arabian horses on a ranch near Springfield, Missouri then had a sheep farm near Rolla in the 1970s. Holly grew up in the Rolla area and her family had a small farm near Rolla during her youth.

 

In 1989, Julie and David went off to college and Greenwood Farms I was sold. Steve and Holly bought the current farm in 1994, intending it to be a nature preserve. They built a lovely lodge-style house and lived quietly with the foxes and deer while Julie and David finished college and entered the corporate world - Julie in banking and David in computer security. Time passed and in the year 2000, Steve and Holly decided to get a few horses and cows and do a little hobby farm for their retirement (Steve is also a dentist in Rolla). Shortly thereafter, Julie, David, and Kindra (David's wife) pitched the idea of starting a grass-based, all natural farming enterprise. All three young Atkinsons were tired of the corporate rat-race and wanted more than just jobs - they wanted a way of life that would make a difference in people's lives, and, with luck, provide them a steady income as well. And so, in 2001, Greenwood Farms II was born and the dream is alive and well today.

The Atkinson Family on the first

 Greenwood Farms - circa 1982

 

Q: What does it mean when you say you're "cruelty free?"

A: Here on Greenwood Farms, we're committed to raising food that's healthy and chemical-free, but we're also committed to raising it in a way that treats our animals with the love and respect they deserve. To that end, we strive to give all of our animals a "spa experience" while they're here with us on Greenwood Farms.

 

One of the reasons we decided to do pasture-based farming is because it is so pleasant for the animals. Instead of fattening in a dirty, crowded feed lot, our steers and sheep grow fat and sassy on fresh

grass, pure spring water, and lots of sunshine. They are free to roam about their pastures, eating tender grass or resting under the shady oaks on warm summer afternoons. Our laying hens (who never go to market) are free to range over as much of our farm as they like during the day, before retiring to their cozy hen house for the night and our broiler chickens live all summer on pasture, sheltered and protected by an enclosure that's moved to fresh grass every morning. Our pigs live in a pasture of lush green grass, where they have a spring-fed pool to drink from (and swim in when its hot) as well as a small cave where they can stay cool in summer. They are fed a gourmet diet of fresh Jersey milk, corn, and tender grass. In addition to all of this, we also spend a lot of time with our animals. We enjoy their company and treasure our friendship with them.

 

Is it hard, then, to send animals to market? Absolutely. But even at the end, we do our best to assure that the animals are processed quickly and humanely, so they do not suffer pain or fear.

 

Happily, only a small percentage of the animals on Greenwood Farms actually go to market. Many of the animals you'll meet when you come to the farm are our breeding stock and they will live their whole lives with us, giving us the opportunity to share many years of friendship.

 

We understand completely the reason Native Americans honored and thanked every animal they killed for food. We revere every life here on Greenwood Farms and we truly give thanks to each animal for giving us the gift of life.

 

Q: Is "lamb" raised like veal (i.e. baby animals kept in confinement and processed at a young age)?

A: Absolutely not. In the shepherding business, a "lamb" is any sheep that has not reached breeding age. Sheep mature quickly - their lifespan is only about 7 years - so when a "lamb" goes to market, it weighs about 100 pounds and looks like a full grown sheep. Our sheep are never confined and all of our market lambs live their whole lives on green pasture.

 

Q: When you talk about your meat being "processed," does this mean it is altered in some way (like processed cheese)?

A: No. "Processing" is a word we use instead of "butchering." Its just a matter of semantics and since "processing" sounds a lot less like a mass murder, we prefer to use that word instead.

 

Q: Are your products organic?

A:  We are not certified organic. Part of the reason is the fact that our farm runs along 1/4 mile of the Little Piney river and, since the river also passes other, non-organic farms upstream, the government will not certify us. To read the other, more philosophical reasons why we aren't certified organic, please click here.

 

Despite the fact that we aren't government certified, we do raise all of our food products without the use of hormones, steroids, antibiotics, or other chemicals. Our beef and lamb are raised on 100% grass and our pigs and chickens are on pasture with natural grain feed. In addition, our bacon and sausage are prepared without the use of MSG, nitrates, or other chemical preservatives. It all adds up to food that's a lot safer and healthier than those available in most grocery stores.

 

Q: Do you process your own meats?

A: No.  In order to sell our meat at farmer's markets and stores, it has to be Missouri State or USDA inspected, so we have a professional butcher shop prepare our meat for sale. At this time, we use The Butcher Shop (in Freeburg, MO) for our beef, lamb & pork and Aurora Grand Meats (near Springfield, MO) for our chicken.

 

Q: Can I come out and visit the farm?

A: We love having people come and see what we do here on Greenwood Farms, the trick is balancing those visits with the huge amount of work it takes just to keep the farm running. So, to make every visit to the farm a fun and memorable one, we ask that you call ahead and make an appointment to visit us at least 7 days ahead of time. To read more about what to expect when you visit the farm and to see our tour fees (there's a discount if you buy our meat or gift items during your visit) click here.

 

Q: What's a typical day like on Greenwood Farms?

A: Our days start around 6:30, when we go out to do morning chores. During the summer, those consist of milking the cows, feeding the bottle calves, cleaning the milk room, checking on the sheep, feeding the chickens, and the pigs. In the winter, there are added responsibilities: Breaking ice so the animals have water, feeding hay to animals on pasture, and spending extra time making sure the animals are in good health. In late winter, lambing begins and that adds even more barn-time to our daily routing.

 

Once morning chores are done, we divide up to work on bigger projects. Those range from full-family projects like deworming sheep or cleaning the barn, to personal jobs like Julie's website design and making her botanical body care products, Holly's writing and bread making, Kindra's packing meat orders, doing the book work, and managing the inventory, and Steve & David's fencing and maintaining the equipment, buildings, and pastures.

 

During the summer, Steve, David, & Kindra get up at 4:00AM every Saturday morning, pack up, and drive to St. Louis to attend the Tower Grove Farmer's Market while Julie and Holly handle the farm work. During the winter, on Sundays, the roles are reversed as Julie & Holly take our weekly meat and milk delivery to St. Louis and the rest of the family works at home. Basically, its a 24-7 commitment. Do we get tired? Yes - but we don't get tired of doing what we love.

 

 FAQ's ABOUT RAW MILKK

 

Q: What is raw milk?

A: Raw milk is unpasteurized (heated to very high temperatures to kill bacteria). Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, and kills beneficial bacteria. Much commercial milk is now ultra-pasteurized to get rid of heat-resistant bacteria and give it a longer shelf life. Ultra-pasteurization is a violent process that takes milk from a chilled temperature to above the boiling point in less than two seconds, destroying even more of the milk’s natural goodness.

 

Q: Is pasteurized milk safer than raw milk?

A: All milk (pasteurized and raw) has a relatively neutral pH, which makes it a host for bacteria. Pasteurization will assure you that the milk is free from bacteria when it is bottled, but thereafter is just as susceptible to bacteria as raw milk. As long as your raw milk comes from a dairy that has a high standard of cleanliness, raw milk is no more likely to make you ill than pasteurized milk.

 

Q: Is Greenwood Farms milk organic?

A: At this time, our farm is not certified organic. According to government regulations, a farm located along the banks of a river or creek that passes other farms runs is not eligible for organic certification. Thus, since part of our farm adjoins the Little Piney Creek, we are ineligible for organic certification. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that our Jersey cows are never given drugs, hormones, or steroids of any kind. They eat natural grain, alfalfa hay, and lots of fresh, delicious grass.

 

Q: Is Greenwood Farms milk inspected?

A: Not yet. We broke ground on our new dairy barn in mid-March 2008 and once the building is done, we will submit our operation to be inspected by the State Milk Board so we can become a certified Grade A Raw Milk Dairy.  In Missouri, it is legal to sell raw milk from the farm, so we are still within the bounds of the law selling our milk before our new dairy is built. You can rest assured that we follow the same rigid standards for cleanliness that will be required once we are inspected.

 

Q: What steps to you take to make sure your raw milk is clean?

A: In the Greenwood Farms Dairy, we cleanliness is our first priority. Ten years of running a Grade A dairy in the 1980’s taught us how to keep a dairy clean and sanitary. We take the following measures to insure the healthy goodness of our milk and we invite you to visit our milking parlor yourself the next time you come to Greenwood Farms. We think you’ll be impressed at just how clean an milking barn can be!  

 

Here's a quick run-down of the steps we take to assure that our dairy products are ultra-clean:

 

1. We use a Four-Step Sanitizing program for cleaning our milking equipment after each milking.

2. Our cows are kept on clean, grassy pasture and their udders are washed with a mild detergent before each milking.

3. We wash the walls and floors of our milking parlor with bleach and detergent after each milking.

4. Immediately after milking, the milk containers are placed in an ice water bath to quickly drop the temperature of the milk and

    reduce bacteria growth.

5. Our milk is stored in sanitized, stainless-steel milk cans and is kept at 38°F in our walk-in cooler.

 

Q: How fresh is the milk I purchase from Greenwood Farms?

A: Although our milk will keep up to two weeks, the milk we sell is never more than 72 hours old. That way you can enjoy its delicious taste for many days to come.

 

Q: How is your milk packaged?

A: We package our raw milk in one gallon and half-gallon recyclable plastic cartons. We feel this is the best way to insure that your milk is fresh and healthy every time.

 

Q: What do I do if I have more questions about Greenwood Farms raw milk?

A: All you have to do is call us at 800-253-6574 or email us at information@greenwoodfarms.com and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have.

 

Legal Stuff

Although Greenwood Farms makes every effort to assure the healthiness of its raw milk and raw milk products, we cannot guarantee the absence of bacteria in our raw milk and raw milk products. Greenwood Farms shall have no liability whatsoever for direct or indirect, special or consequential damages relating in any way to the use of its raw milk or raw milk products. By purchasing raw milk or raw milk products from Greenwood Farms, you signify your assent to this disclaimer and acknowledge your understanding of the risks involved in consuming unpasteurized milk. Because there is always some risk involved when changing diet and lifestyles, Greenwood Farms is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences that might result. Please do not purchase our raw milk or raw milk products if you are not willing to assume the risk.