While cow’s milk is the most popular in the U.S., goat’s milk is the most popular milk worldwide. LaClare Family Creamery and Cheese Shop raises a variety of dairy goat breeds and uses the milk for items in their shop. What’s unique is that they have 700 goats on site so people can see what a goat looks like, learn more about how that cheese is made, and hopefully bring it home or try it on one of the café sandwiches.
Gloria Regan from LaClare Family Creamery shares what the creamery has to offer, the benefits of consuming dairy goat milk, and their events that attendees can partake in.
Goat milk is used primarily in cheese production and is also consumed as milk, ice cream, and butter. The main benefit of consuming goat milk is that it is a lot easier to digest. The lactose molecule in goat milk is a lot smaller, making it easier to digest. It is very unique in its digestibility but it is still a dairy product so you are still receiving the calcium and nutrients needed from milk in order for positive brain development and bone density.
The biggest difference in raising dairy goats versus dairy cattle is that dairy goats are a lot more labor intensive because when a goat has babies it usually has a set of twins or triplets compared to a cow having one baby; meaning more babies to feed.
“In Wisconsin the average Holstein cow produces about 60-80 pounds of milk per day while our dairy goats produce only about 6-8 pounds per day,” says Regan. “It is a 10:1 ratio so we need a lot of goats to be able to compete with the cows in this dairy state.”
Regan adds that they, just like all farmers, care about the well-being of their animals and provide the utmost care by working with hoof trimmers, veterinarians, and dieticians.
While at the creamery, consumers can see the cheese being made. The ground level viewing rooms show the packaging and the upstairs viewing shows the soft cheese being made. To learn more about their upcoming events, click here.
Leave a Reply