The Event ~ Milking Cows

I used to milk cows!  Maybe I started milking about 1975 ~ can't remember for sure, but we still lived in the little old white shack before we built our new house on the hill to the north.  I decided it would sure be nice to have fresh cow's milk, so Tim went out and bought a cow.  But he had to milk it.  We kept it at Tim's Grandpa Stricker's place just a jog over the hill, and Tim went over there to milk it twice a day.  We finally got a place fixed up in our barn and corral to keep the cow, so we brought her home.

One day I needed 1/2 cup of milk, and had none in the refrigerator.  So out to the barn I went to try to milk the cow for the first time.  After about a half hour, I think I got enough milk for the recipe.  Eventually, Tim got tired of milking and sold the cow.  I missed the fresh milk so much, I told Tim if he bought another milk cow, I would milk it.  And so he did, and so I did!   I milked one to three cows right up to the time we moved from the farm to Scottsbluff. 

Most of the time I milked two.  Three was too many as it caused my hands to get numb at night.  Alexis enjoyed helping me milk occasionally. Well, maybe she didn't really enjoy it, but did it to help me out!

I raised a few dairy calves, turning them into milk cows.  I had a little Jersey cow I raised ~ she was so tiny we called her Bambi, a huge Holstein we called Daisy,  a Guernsey, and maybe a brown Swiss.  I sold alot of milk to friends and neighbors ~ probably about four gallons a day.  It was on the honor system.  I'd put the milk in the refrigerator in the garage.  The customers would leave their empty gallon jar and pick up a full gallon, and leave the money in a cup in the refrigerator. 


Sister-in-law Melinda and brother
Vern trying the squeeze!  City slickers
from Arizona - ha-ha!  1985



I believe their were many health benefits from consuming fresh cows milk, including building stronger bones.  All three of my kids were raised on raw milk. My kids have strong bones!  We didn't pasteurize ~ just strained the dirt out of it!    Sometimes we skimmed the cream off the top and made lots of ice cream, butter, and cottage cheese.   Cash started on  raw cow's milk at 4 months! 



When we moved to town, we found a farmer who sold fresh cow's milk, and we continued to buy it for several years. 


Through the years, a few friends and relatives got in on the milking.  Friends would milk when we went out of town.  Relatives would try the squeeze when they visited.  You guessed it!  Milking cows was an eventful experience, a healthy, nutritional experience!