Herdshares

Our herd is 100% grass fed

What is a Herdshare, and why can't I just buy milk?

In the state of Ohio, real (raw) milk can be obtained with a Herdshare. People wishing to buy real (raw) milk must first buy into the farmer's herd and sign a contract. Once someone has bought into the herd, they can buy real (raw) milk from the farmer, with "per gallon"fees being accounted as herd management/boarding, bottling, handling, ect. rather than for milk itself. Basically, buying a hershare is like buying a cow and hiring someone else to milk her so you don't have to.


What is special about Canal Junction Farm's milk?

Starting out, our Normande dairy herd is 100% grass fed, rotationally grazed, and totally free of antibiotics, hormones and residuals from pesticides and herbicides. The Normande breed's milk is more nutrient dense than standard Holstein milk in terms of both butterfat and protein, on average running about a percentage point higher in the raw state. During conventional processing, fat is further reduced and proteins are deformed in the pasteurization and homogenization processes. Raw milk also contains numerous enzymes and beneficial bacteria that both aid in digestion and act as general anti-pathogens for the fluid milk itself. Pasteurization deactivates many of these enzymes and kills many of the beneficial bacteria rendering the milk harder to digest and a more easily colonized substance for harmful bacteria. We are an ODA grade A certified milk producer, meaning we submit to and pass regular inspections for cleanliness and quality; we maintain that cleanliness to ensure a high quality, safe, nutritious product. 

For more information about the benefits of raw milk, please visit realmilk.com


Our one-time herdshare buy-in is $50. After that, we charge a per gallon fee for boarding. To request a herdshare membership, please fill out and submit this form. Thank you!