Goodwill Toward Men

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December 30, 2013

I think God has been trying to tell me something this Christmas season. The message keeps coming out of unexpected places. And even though I can be slow to sit up and pay attention, eventually he gets his message through.

The first uneasy sensation that something wasn’t quite right began as I was writing Shining a light. We were coming up on Christmas and in between my writing hours, I was meditating how Jesus the Prince of Peace was sent to bring Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men. The feeling was a bit nebulous, but down inside I knew I wasn’t writing from a spirit of peacefulness and goodwill. The MN raw milk study seemed so unfair, unjust, unscientific and so much calculated for maximum hurt to raw milk farmers that I wanted to hurt back. The temptation was magnified by their vulnerability. The poor logic arguments, their obvious agenda and circular reasoning was just too much of an easy target. I justified myself. I was simply telling the truth, shining a light...a bright light. And a bright light, exposing errors, cannot help but create some heat.

But the niggling consciousness that, even in telling the truth, I hadn’t written with goodwill never quite left me. The researchers are people too, and I had way too much fun poking them in the eye.

Then, in a related email conversation, I discussed the MN study with a high-level, very intelligent and open minded epidemiologist. Her explanation of the researchers’ bias only highlighted my lack of compassion. She wrote:

"Note that public health professionals are mostly not cognizant of [safety] efforts by raw milk producers, and have been trained (even ingrained) to see raw milk as a very dangerous product that cannot be made safely..." That would be a completely foreign area for public health when it comes to raw milk (you may as well be asking how to make cigarettes safe to smoke). It’s a little foreign to me too, to be honest...but... I’m spending time engaging and listening to y’all. :)"

Her comment made me consider how, maybe more than I had given credit to, the MN study was written from a position of ignorance and not from malice. Maybe they just simply did not know better.

So I kept thinking and God kept speaking.

The final straw came on Sunday. The sermon was entitled “Loving Kindness” and focused a lot on just how much we (I) have been forgiven by our merciful God and how that fact makes us accountable to also be merciful, compassionate and kind and forgiving to others. Even to those who hurt us. Even especially to those who hurt us. Serious thought that.

So, let me cut to the quick and just say this: With the New Year 2014, I resolve, by the help of God, to approach the conflict resolution of the Raw Milk Controversy from a renewed position of peacemaking and “goodwill toward men.” I welcome you to join me. Giving the benefit of the doubt. Opening civil dialogue. Listening to their concerns and communicating how we farmers address those concerns. Shining a light, yes, but without amplifying the heat. Standing firm and strong and unashamed, yes, but without poking fun and mocking and scorning and belittling.

Will the goodwill be returned? Possibly. At least it will be much more likely than if I poke fun. But probably not always. And that is ok too. The Good Book gives words of wisdom on that scenario as well. “…As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18) At least I know what my responsibility is.

This is, I know, the only way that is right. It is the only productive way to peace. It is the way of Peace on Earth...Goodwill toward men. Through it all, may there be more “Glory to God in the Highest” and to Jesus Christ His Son...the Prince of Peace.

It’s all about Him.

Your farmer ~ Edwin Shank

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men."

~ The Christmas Story, Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

Raw Milk Cheese to Boost your Immunity

Last week Dad shared his analogy Of Raw Milk and Swimming... If we want to "relax and swim" with strong immunity and good gut health we'll need as much raw living food in our diet as possible. Thousands of families have "learned to swim" with our Organically Grass-fed A2A2 Raw Cow Milk... And we've helped many of them take the next step to make Raw Milk Kefir at home.

Of Raw Milk and Swimming

Good morning Family Cow farm Tribe!It's been a long time since I've explained in detail the probiotic building-of-immunity-pathway to health and wellness as opposed to the antibiotic kill-all-bacteria-method. It is important to understand that these are my answers, not necessarily the answer. Each of you will need to decide and be ultimately responsible for yourself and for your family. Let’s start with an analogy. I find that sometimes observing and understanding the simple and visible helps us grasp of the more complex and obscure. According to the CDC, there are 4,500 drowning deaths per year in USA. That works out to over 12 deaths by drowning per day. For every death caused by drowning there are another 20 near-drownings involving hospitalization and many times permanent brain damage. These are sobering facts. This is reality for families somewhere in America every day. It is only normal for parents, and others who care for the health and wellbeing of our communities, to ask the obvious question. "What can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from a similar tragedy?" Since all drowning occurs in water, we might quite logically conclude that water is the enemy and that the best preventive would be to prohibit people from getting into water. Make laws against getting into water. Pass regulations. Establish a Federal Drowning Prevention agency to enforce the laws. Raise taxes to pay them to protect us. The FDP could arrest anyone who dared to violate the law which obviously was established for public welfare. You see where I’m going with this? An alternative drowning prevention is to learn to swim and to teach your children to swim. The ability to swim makes you and your loved ones practically immune to drowning while avoiding water like the plague only leaves your family more vulnerable. More vulnerable since it is highly possible that sometime in your life, in spite of your best attempts, you or your children will find yourselves unexpectedly in water without the least idea how to save yourselves. Swimming does not make one 100% immune to drowning of course, so the FDP can always publicize a few highly emotional stories per year in which those who were experienced swimmers still drowned. Parents who dared to risk their children’s lives by attempting to teach them to swim, as a preventive to drowning, could be prosecuted for willful endangerment and their children taken from them. After all, they were carelessly ignoring data from the CDC which irrefutably documents thousands of deaths per year caused by water. I know this analogy is not perfect, so don’t drag me through the coals to tell me so, but there are many parallels.The Federal government estimates that in America there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually with 3,000 deaths.This is the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. These also are sobering facts. And it is only normal that parents and others ask the obvious question. "What can we do to protect ourselves?" Many well-meaning people have concluded that bacteria are the enemy and so have set out to kill… set out to sterilize themselves and their environment. "Kill all the bacteria! Fight BAC! Buy Purell… put a dispenser in every room. Get antibacterial soap. Anti-biotics for every sniffle. Outlaw unpasteurized cider. Pasteurize the nuts and almonds too. Outlaw raw milk. These foods may contain pathogens!" There is only one problem with these bacteriaphobic reactions. In spite of our best attempts, in spite of living in constant fear of the microbe, and in spite of efforts to increasingly sterilize our food… if we chose to live this way, someday a stray bacterium will penetrate our sterile bubble… and our artificially protected, flabby immune systems will have no defense against it. The alternative defense against foodborne illness is to embrace bacteria as a part of a larger eco-system, within which we humans integrate ourselves. It's much like learning to swim. We who take this approach are not careless and neither do we underestimate the power of the microbe. Rather, we respect it, and because of this respect we carefully and intentionally educate and help our immune system in its duty of defending us. We focus on life instead of killing. Pro-biotic instead of Anti-biotic. This is what raw milk, raw cheese, butter & cream, and Lacto Fermented Veggies are all about… building immunity and health! We learn to swim and teach our children to swim. Instead of fearing the water we relax and enjoy life as God created it! We embrace living whole foods. Whole foods full of immunity building probiotic bacteria, living foods full of nutrient-absorbing, living enzymes. Whole living foods full of unadulterated, unprocessed, unmessedwith, cell-nourishing, cell-repairing raw fats and protein. Only living foods give life. Only living foods full of a diversity of natural micro flora from our local, natural environment can provide the education and information that our immune systems desperately need to actually protect us as God designed it. God has designed the entire eco-system to live in harmony with bacteria. Be clean, but don't kill The sooner we drop our hubris and accept this humbling fact, the wiser and stronger and healthier we will be. Think about it! Your Farmer ~ Edwin Shank P.S. If you are new to gut healing foods, start with our clean, A2A2 Organically Grass-fed Raw Milk, Raw Milk Kefir or Raw Milk Cheeses... and they are all lactose intolerant friendly! For an immunity boosting non-dairy food, try Lacto Fermented Veggies. Get Immunity Building Food you can eat with confidence.

The Heart & Soul of our Farm is Life-Changing A2A2 Raw Milk

Good morning!Raw milk is what The Family Cow is all about. It defines us. It is the heart & soul of why we do what we do.When my parents, Edwin and Dawn, chose the name The Family Cow, they wanted to express a specific vision. We provide clean, organically grass-fed, A2A2 raw milk to your family just as if you had your own cow grazing in a private meadow.Our family and team pour so much energy, innovation, and "blood, sweat and tears" into the purity and safety of our raw milk because you deserve real food you can eat with confidence.Why the renewed emphasis on our Raw A2A2 Milk?Out of all the clean foods we offer, Raw Milk is the most remarkable. It is a healing, delicious, immune boosting, nourishing, enzyme rich, perfect-in-every-way whole food.For many in our "Family Cow Tribe," this raw milk has been truly life-changing.But don’t just take our word for it. Here is a sampling of the 700+ reviews from families who found they could finally enjoy dairy again: - - - - - - - - - - -"We started getting our milk from The Family Cow around 8 months ago and I have had zero lactose problems with it." ~ Sarah H. "I haven’t had dairy for 10 years due to an allergy, but your raw milk, cheese, and yogurt doesn't affect me! I am in heaven!" ~ Hannah C. "We’ve been getting milk here for 4+ years. It’s incredible, so much cream-line and so good for my daughter who wasn’t able to tolerate regular milk (enzymes and probiotics are killed by pasteurization)." ~ Jenny D."My husband hasn't been able to eat dairy for literally two decades and after trying their raw milk, he has been absolutely amazed to find that he can tolerate it well and has suffered zero ill side effects." ~ Carmen Schlabach- - - - - - - - - - -See what I mean about life-changing?This is why we are renewing our emphasis on Raw Milk.We want to help more people thrive on clean, raw A2A2 dairy.Over the coming weeks, Dad and I will share some of our family's knowledge of raw milk and help answer the most popular frequently asked questions we've received since 2008.Whether you are a long-time fan of Raw Milk or just curious, we want to give you the facts to feel confident in your food choices.Ready to start your Raw Milk journey today?If you have been hesitant to try dairy because of past digestive issues, or if you're simply looking for the most nutrient-dense, clean, A2A2 Raw Milk available, we welcome you to our Farm Tribe. :)Visit our farm store or find a PA pickup location to get raw milk now.Or if you are too far from PA, choose UPS home delivery to get our Raw Cheese, Butter, Cream, etc. delivered to your doorstep. (We do not ship the raw milk itself via UPS home delivery.) One final testimony yet from Joelene... It is extra long, but her story is well worth the read!"I've been searching for truly organic, real food, and I am SO happy I found The Family Cow. The raw milk has been a complete game changer for me.After doing a ton of research on raw milk and its nutrient density, I decided I was going to find a trusted source and try it for myself. I had stayed away from dairy for years because it never agreed with me and I assumed I was lactose intolerant. Through my research, I began to realize the issue might actually be the heavy processing most conventional milk goes through.So I decided to try their A2/A2 raw milk — and wow. No reaction! No lactose intolerance symptoms. I've now been drinking this milk consistently for a full month with zero negative effects.What really sold me initially was the lab testing and the clear commitment to doing things the right way. It means so much to find a farm that is genuinely God-honoring in how they care for their animals and land.The drop-off location is convenient, ordering is simple, and the customer service has been wonderful. The produce is awesome, the honey is delicious, and of course the milk is incredible. I'm already looking forward to trying more products in the future. Thank you for providing real, nourishing organic food — I feel so blessed to have found you!" ~ Joelene Edmondson----------------- Our family and team counts it a pleasure to bring you this clean, regeneratively grass-fed, nutritious raw milk just as if you had your own family cow producing fresh raw milk in your own meadow.All the best of food and blessings, Wesley~ 5th generation on the farm P.S. Even if you are too far from PA to get our Raw Milk itself, you can still get the same raw dairy benefits with our Raw Cheese, Butter, Cream, Cottage Cheese, etc. via nationwide home delivery.

Goodwill Toward Men

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Raw Milk Cheese to Boost your Immunity

Of Raw Milk and Swimming

The Heart & Soul of our Farm is Life-Changing A2A2 Raw Milk

The Family Cow

God Designed it... We Respect it... That Explains it!

Genesis 1:31 & Revelation 4:11

"We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it."