Raw milk about to go on the market

Dave and Jo Buhler, with their 3-year-old son Jed, are setting up the raw milk business Udderly Fresh Raw Milk in Hawera. PHOTO/LIN FERGUSON

Fresh raw milk will be available in Hawera at the end of the month.

Udderly Fresh Raw Milk has been set up by dairy farming couple Jo and Dave Buhler who believe the health benefits of full milk are "immeasurable".

They decided a year ago to establish their raw milk business and are now just waiting on the specially designed chiller/milk vending machine to arrive from the Czech Republic.

The couple milk 300 cows in their day-to-day herd and have selected a small specialist herd of 25 cows for the new venture.

Production of the raw milk had to be strictly monitored and snap chilled to cut any bacteria growth, they said. "We believe there is a niche in the market for raw full milk and that people will welcome the option."

They drink raw milk themselves and their two small boys have been brought up on it, they said.

The new herd of 25 cows have all been tested and have the A2 beta-casein protein rather than the more common A1 protein, they said. "Once you've drunk raw milk pasturised milk tastes like water."

The process of milking the special herd could take as long as their daily milk because the preparation criteria for these cows are so stringent.

Each teat has to be checked and cleaned religiously, Jo said.

"There's no room for error at all. Any cow we even suspect of not being well won't be milked."

The distribution shed on the corner of their property at the junction of Goodson Rd and Glover Rd in Hawera is nearly completed.

The milk will be sold in one litre glass bottles. The couple are convinced the raw milk will become very popular, very quickly. "It's so delicious that's why," Jo said.