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"Many with small rural properties have opted out of the industrial food system by obtaining a family cow. Keeping a Family Cow is the only owner's manual you will need. In elegant, readable prose, Grohman guides the neophyte through all the steps, from choosing a cow, to milking her, to making butter, yogurt, and cheese. Highly recommended for anyone interested in grass-based farming and nutrient-dense food--not just family cow owners--Keeping a Family Cow will instill great appreciation for the sacred bond between domesticated animals and the human beings who care for them."--Sally Fallon Morell, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation
“Joann Grohman is level-headed and sure-footed when it comes to helping families build a lasting partnership with a homestead cow. Her work remains an important reference for anyone considering bringing these gentle creatures into their lives.”--Shannon Hayes, author of Long Way on a Little, The Farmer and the Grill, The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, and Radical Homemakers
About the Author
Home food production has been Joann Grohman’s lifelong enthusiasm. She started milking cows in 1975 and can no longer imagine life without one. She declares that health and happiness can’t be teased apart and that your dairy cow supports both. Joann finds that the prevailing beliefs about farming and nutrition—which can’t be teased apart either—have been generated by people who have never gotten their hands dirty. Very little of what they teach would survive a year on the farm. Real farming and real food leave you feeling there is a tomorrow. “In the morning your cow will be waiting.”
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Product Details
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; 0003- edition (October 16, 2013)
When I got my first cow, many years ago, in an area where NO ONE had a milk cow, and quickly realized that it just wasn't as easy as I had thought, I searched for knowledge. I found a couple of books in the library, that were sadly lacking. I searched high and low on the Internet, I was blessed one day to find Keeping A Family Cow - and ordered it straight away. I was touched that the author included a note on the back of her business card. That book never made it to my bookshelf, it was always on the counter, next to the bed, or braced behind a shovel in the barn, dogeared, bookmarked, highlighted, and grubby.
When I got my new edition, and started flipping through to see what was new, I was just as captivated as I had been before, and found so much more to study, ponder, and learn.
If you have a cow, want a cow, or even drink real milk, you need this book!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Everything you need to know to get started with a family cow. Easy to read and a great source of information. Guides you through purchasing, housing, breeding, milking and then what to do with all that milk. The author clearly is well educated and keeps current with pros and cons of the family cow and raw milk. It is my first reference source when I have any questions.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
I've been raising beef cattle for a number of years, so when I was offered a Jersey, I thought it would be no problem. While dealing with an aborted calf, mastitis, and a few other issues, I discovered the amazing online Keeping a Family Cow forum, and through there, I discovered Joann's book.
This is what I should have had from the start! It covers all of the basics from feeding to breeding to illnesses, and it goes beyond in discussing some basic dairy processing skills (yogurt, butter and a couple of simple cheeses). There's a discussion of organic practices, which I appreciate as that is how we raise our beef cows.
The beginning has a detailed discussion of raw milk, which I found very informative.
Joann's writing is simple and easy to understand. You don't need to have studied cattle to understand what she's talking about, and while some of the information might be a bit basic for those who have worked with cattle in the past, it makes a good reference to have on hand.
A small warning - once you read this book, you will not be able to stop yourself from buying a family cow!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
This author obviously loves cows and writes about both their care and handing as well as their historical significance through the ages (which I found fascinating!) She writes in a manner that not only shows her vast authoritative knowledge of her subject, but also in a style that is both humorous and entertaining. I could not put it down when I started reading it! And now it is my go-to-book-of-choice when I have a question. AND I have given it as a gift to fellow cow lovers...
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Several years ago, when I was first thinking about actually getting a family cow, I ran across an earlier edition of this book. I not only found the book helpful and interesting, I also appreciated the author's tone of gentle humor and her encouragement that an ordinary person like me really could successfully keep a cow. Now I milk two every day, and can't imagine not having the "girls" in my life.
I was so pleased to see that a new edition was coming out, and hope that many more gain the confidence to pursue their dreams. Thank you Joann for a great resource!
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A succinct, well-written resource book that gives you everything you need to make an informed decision about keeping a cow. And once you decide to get a cow (Jersey preferred :>) this is practically the only book you will need to help you through raising a healthy cow and turning the liquid gold she gives you into products that will ensure a healthy family. The author knows of what she writes. I highly recommend this book to anyone contemplating adding a cow to their family's food resources, or to anyone with access to raw milk (the best) who would like to get the most out of it.
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After raising a handful of beef cattle, we recently bought a dairy calf, to raise as a future family milk cow. What did we know about dairy cattle? Well, you can milk them. That pretty much sums up, all we knew. I guess you could say, we put the cart before the horse. I ordered this book and could not be happier! For someone, like us, with very little knowledge of dairy cows, it has been a blessing! This book covers it all, from deciding whether or not to buy a family milk cow, choosing the right breed, housing, feeding, calving, health issues, milking, you name it. We would certainly recommend this book and will continue to read and re-read it, as our new calf grows. Thanks, Joann, for the wealth of knowledge you shared!
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This book was so useful for my daughter. She had a report on cows that she needed to do and we were having a hard time finding information that was age-appropriate. I highly recommend this book for grade-school children who are trying to learn more about cows; whether for their own personal purposes or because of a school assignment.
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This item: Keeping a Family Cow: The Complete Guide for Home-Scale, Holistic Dairy Producers
