Mr. Asher's first book The Art of Natural Cheesemaking was published in 2015, he has taken his methods and taught around the world.  So very thankful I could attend this amazing class.  
Fresh Mozzarella this week text for sizes if you are interested in having some delivered.  You will also get a sample of the string cheese pictured above!
Orders for August due!

Older ones should respect the energy of youths and youths should respect the experience of older ones. — Amit Kalantri (with a slight edit from Linda)

This week we are giving a shout-out to our "girls of summer"! Skylar and Kasey have been wonderful help at the dairy this summer. Early each morning, the team arrives to work hard at doing what must be done in order to produce all of the yummy products made available to our customers. Kasey does the milking and other outdoor chores, while Skylar works to get the daily chores inside done, as well as start the process of making whatever product(s) is on the make-schedule for the day. Together with Kris, they have made an incredible amount of dairy product this summer. Both girls are learning the science of cheesemaking (as well as the other dairy products) quickly and well. 
Skylar states that she has really enjoyed all there is to learn about cheesemaking, feeling she has a much better understanding of it now, as compared to when she helped Kris in the dairy when she was just a youngster.
Kasey says she has enjoyed the learning process, also, as well as her time with the cows, each of them having their own personality. 
I think it's safe to say, it has been a summer of the young learning from the older, and the older appreciating the energy of the youth, counting many blessings daily. 
p.s. Monthly orders need to be in!!  Thank you!

          Shown above: Diamond S cattle trailing to a different pasture.

Excitement is in the air here in the Hyattville area! The annual Cowboy Carnival will once again take place at the Community Center, offering a fun-filled day for all. There will be no pie contest this year, but there is still a need for plenty of pies to top off the BBQ lunch that will be served. 
So, here's the deal — if you bring a pie to the Cowboy Carnival to donate as part of the BBQ lunch being served, Diamond S Dairy will include a free 12 oz. package of Bunkhouse Butter in your first-week-of-June order. What a deal, eh!! (Please do not bring any cream pies or pies with meringue.)
— We are also offering a deal on our cheese curds, which are available in three different flavors - Ranch, Spicy, or Salt & Pepper. A single, 10 oz package costs $8.00. Here's the deal — try all three for $15.00. Can't go wrong with that!
Cottage cheese will be available for orders going out the second week of June. Lemon yogurt will be available for orders going out the third week of June. Greek yogurt (two flavors - lemon curd and blueberry) will be available for orders going out the fourth week of June. Please tell us what flavor you want in the "notes" section when you order.

June orders are due now! 
Hope to see you all at the Cowboy Carnival this Sunday. More information about it can be found at these links:
Facebook - Hyattville Community Center   
                             -or-
https://www.hyattville.org/cowboy-carnival.html

So you've decided to make raw milk part of your diet, in your quest to live a healthier lifestyle. Sure, coming straight from the cow makes it an all natural product, but are you aware of the many specific health advantages this points to, as compared to the processed milk produced on large, conventional dairies? You are probably aware of some of them or you would not be on the raw milk band wagon. Here's a "quick" rundown on  health advantages that come with consuming raw milk that you may or may not know.   
— It all starts with what the cows are fed. Cows used to produce raw milk are fed a forage-based diet. Most large commercial dairy producers here in the States feed only 50% forage. The rest of the menu is made up of grains, along with concentrates made of corn and soybean, and food waste products, such as whole cottonseeds, citrus pulp, almond hulls or soy hulls. The forage-based diet used in the production of raw milk provides more Omega-3's, which is an important part of a healthy diet.
-- Raw milk is not pasteurized. Therefore, the enzymes/vitamins/minerals present in raw milk that support a healthy gut and immune system are still intact. Not so with the pasteurized milk, which is produced by conventional dairies. Also, the process of pasteurization breaks down the lactase enzyme. This creates lactose intolerance. Most "lactose intolerant" people can drink raw milk with no problem, because the lactase enzyme is there to do its job of breaking down the lactose found in milk.
— Raw milk is not homogenized. This is why the cream rises to the top of raw milk, requiring vigorous shaking before the milk is poured. The homogenization process used by big producers forces milk through a small filter. This breaks down large fat molecules and attaches them to small proteins. Because of this, the human body tends to store the fat, instead of burn it. Therefore, raw milk is less likely to cause weight gain.
​— Though the industry has decreased its use of synthetic hormones, many people have turned to raw milk to avoid consumption of synthetic hormones that may be found in milk produced by large conventional dairies. ​​

​​Sources:
​https://www.usdairy.com/news-articles/do-dairy-cows-eat-food-people-could-eat
https://causematters.com/cow-dietitian-corn-grass/
https://www.redmondfarms.com/real-milk/
https://www.jacoby.com/key-factors-affecting-milk-production-quality/
https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/about-raw-milk/#nutrition
It's time to put in monthly orders again! Monthly orders for June are due by the 3rd Sunday of the month. (May 22). Be aware that there are two new cheeses on the order site — Colby and Gouda. The Colby will actually be available for orders next week (26th-28th). The Gouda is available for orders starting the third week of June (16th-18th). Get these cheese orders in asap to get the size you want. Thank you! — Linda

I'm not sure if that is the saying but we certainly had a nice rain, and I am sure there are lots of us watching for lush green grass as well as the lovely spring flowers.  A huge blessing for sure. 

We have two wheels of cheese packaged and in our online store.  Pictured is our cloth bound Cowboy Cheddar, aged 90 days.  It is a nice firm slightly sharp cheese with buttery notes.  The second wheel is Cactus Jack aged 100 days, and we are just trying our hand at a smoky Cactus Jack.  Give it a try and let us know what you think. These are two favorites for us but if you ever get a cheese that  you feel might be too sharp, try making grated cheese into a cheese fritter.  Very delicious and can sweeten even the sharpest of cheeses.  Just grate and drop in little handfuls on a griddle, let melt and get crisp. It is wonderful on a rye crisp or cracker. 

The hand made cutting board says it all. "Good food is Love made edible."    We hope you will give the aged cheeses a try. Did you know dental studies have shown that a number of cheeses including both Jack and Cheddar will actually help prevent cavities.  Eating cheese after a meal or sugary snack can help protect against tooth decay and restore some of the minerals in our tooth enamel.  Good Ol' Gouda and Country Colby will be ready to package soon.  

The average milk cow in the U.S.A. now produces almost 11,000 liters per year. The highest amount of milk ever produced by a cow in a year was approximately 27,000 litres by a Holstein named Robthom Sue Paddy! WHAT A COW!!
A cow that is milking drinks about 30 to 50 gallons of water each day. That’s enough water to fill a bathtub. During periods of heat stress, water intake may double. Water weighs 8.35 pounds per gallon, so a milking dairy cow may consume as much as 420 (or more) pounds of water daily.
Cows like it cool. Due to their thick skin, hair and natural insulation, dairy cows prefer temperatures between 40˚ and 65˚F. 
​
I hope you enjoyed this little bit of dairy cow trivia! Just need to throw the spotlight their way once in awhile, since they are the source of all the goodies that come out of the Diamond S Dairy! Speaking of goodies...don't forget about the Lemon Yogurt offered the 2nd week of the month and our aged cheeses. Also, a Spring Basket is being offered next week. Check it out on our "products" page!
April showers bring May flowers.  — Linda