Milk co-op

As many of you know from reading this blog, we buy our milk form a local farm named HoofsnHorns just outside of Tucson.

Because it's about 45 minutes outside of town the group I am in does a rotational pick up so that no one has to go out to the farm every week.

This week it was my turn to go pick up the milk for the group. It's a fun experience to go out to the farm, especially for toddlers.

Like it was 50 years ago, when there was a milk man to drop off glass bottles of milk on your front door and pick the used ones, we all have a set of glass jars. The number really depends on how much milk you get each week and how often you can get the jars returned. I have 15 jars and get one gallon of milk a week. I use smaller quart size jars as they are easier to keep cold in transport.

The farm is not just for milk production. Shelby, the wonderful lady who runs the place, has it first and foremost as barnyard animal sanctuary. She takes in unwanted or injured cows, goats, chickens, geese, pigs you name it.

It makes you a bit sad to see some of the injured animals such as this goose, but you know they have a good home now. You can read all about her and the animal's stories here.

This morning when we went out to get the milk it was a nice and cool 95 degrees. It's a dry heat. :) We spent about 10 minutes wandering around looking at the cows and goats. Most of them were hanging out in the shade next to the fans Shelby had set up.

This lovely lady took a great interest in us and walked up almost faster then I could depress the shutter on my camera.

Along with a cooler of milk, I brought home a feed sack full of goat manure to fertilize the garden. It seems so silly to pay for poop, but it goes towards a great cause.

I hope you enjoyed a look into our milk co-op.