# Finally, I have Milk to Play with!



## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

My freezer is full so I won't get caught short if my milk customers want large quantities of milk, the kids are eating more than just milk now, so I got to play with milk today! A few weeks ago I started some of the mold ripened cheese I perfected last year. Until they are finished I air them and turn them every day first thing in the morning. Yesterday I started some soft goat cheese and molded it this morning. Then I ran 3 gallons of milk through the cream separator. I collect the cream in quart jars and freeze it until the fall/winter months when I actually make the butter. Then I took the skim milk from the separating process and used the queso fresco recipe (with my own changes as to culture) from the Fiasco Farm site. I'm just so glad to get back to cheese making again! :woohoo


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2008)

Wow Karen that's great!

I am sold out of milk every week now so no more cheese making for me. I only have soaping milk in the freezer. Also, some really nice people talked me into selling them a milker so I don't think I'll be able to put much up for later.

Christy


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Congratulations I do have some extra milk now but no time


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## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

Christy, that happened to me last year, selling a milker. This year I decided that any goat that was in milk (and not a trouble maker) would stay in milk and stay right here until breeding time next fall. I have a list of which goats will be available at that time still in milk or bred to one of my bucks, but having more milk is more important to me than the money I'd get for them right now. Also I've seen a steady rise in the number of people wanting to buy goat milk. That definitely helps to pay for feed and hay. How much do you sell your milk for?

Sondra, time? What's time? :biggrin I had today to do a bunch. Tomorrow I'll just start another batch of soft goat cheese, then travel 2 hours away to pick up a buck kid I had reserved. Then the next day I have to get all my shopping (house & feed) done so I'll be able to finish getting ready to teach Vacation Bible School all next week! Cheese making has to be squeezed into any available time and planned ahead, or it just won't get done. I'm determined to have my Lasagna and crust-less cheese and pepperoni pizzas next winter. I had no cheese in my freezer this last winter, but that's not going to happen this year if I can help it!


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2008)

I would not have sold her for any amount except that I really like the people and they are just getting started again. They already bought kids from me and spent time with the milkers. When they could not find decent foundation stock after searching Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska they told me they would give me $500 for any one of my milking does. 

I agree, more people are wanting goat milk than ever! I am only charging $7/gal but I need to go up to $8 next year or maybe this fall. If it comes to it, I'll cut some customers off by raising my prices so I can put up milk and Cheese for dry times.

Christy


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## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

I'm getting $7/gallon here too. When I went up to that last year I only lost a few. Most of my customers realize that the feed costs are going up and they would rather pay more than to have me quit selling milk. 

I'm on my way in just a minute to go pick up my reserved buck - actually two because there were twins and the breeder is happy for me to take both of them. I might end up short on milk now, even not selling any does if I keep bringing in more little bottle suckers to feed!

Yesterday's cheese tastes so good this morning! If times get really hard and all my milk customers decide not to buy milk, I'll still be eating good. Sometimes I think I could live on cheese and milk - and call it the "Heidi Diet"!


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

:biggrin I like that the Heidi diet.
No really the pipeline is coming thru the back here and we had an old 80 ft trailer that we used for sign making then turn it into storage and goat barn for milking and babies. So was a real mess and had to be cleaned out. everything packed up and moved in 4 days. Yesterday they torn it down. and I have stuff in boxes sitting out on the ground. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Barely had time to milk let alone make chees. :twisted


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## MysticHollowGoats (Nov 5, 2007)

Gosh I cant wait to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream again. We only have one Nigerian in milk right now so I sill have to buy a qt of milk a week.
Waiting on 2 to freshen still. 
:ugh I am still a bit bitter over the dog attack in Nov. :mad :sigh We were supposed to have 5 freshened by July,
already had my first 2 milk customers waiting.


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