Stone Wall Dairy provides raw milk to its customers

This is the second of three profiles of dairy farms and farmers, by Cornwall resident Jane Bean.

CORNWALL BRIDGE —Raw milk. It sounds funny; maybe gross, maybe interesting, maybe healthy. Our ancestors drank nothing but raw milk, having no choice in the matter.  But as milk agriculture grew and expanded, so did the fear of milk-borne illnesses, and maybe even death. 

So, today, when pasteurization is readily available, and most dairies pasteurize their milk without a second thought, why sell raw milk?

“There’s a world of difference, as I see it,†explained Chris Hopkins, owner of Stone Wall Dairy in Cornwall Bridge.  “Pasteurized milk is fundamentally different from raw milk.

“The enzymes, vitamins, and other properties of milk are changed when pasteurized.  I’m not a scientist, but a lot of research has been done to prove my point.â€

And many consumers, who want to see the farms where their food is produced, who want a purer food product, want to buy raw milk. Hopkins wants to sell it to them, but the state of Connecticut (and many others across America) doesn’t make it easy.

Twenty-two cows, all Jerseys, are milked at Stone Wall Dairy Farm. This produces about 60 gallons of milk a day, which is cooled and bottled at the farm.  About two thirds of the milk goes to stores, and the rest is sold at the farm store on the property — along with eggs, honey and produce. 

Vegetables are produced by Jonathan Kirchner, who owns the produce side of the farm business, and rents the land he needs from Hopkins. He also helps Hopkins in the winter with the dairy production.

Regulations prohibiting the sale of raw milk on farms hasn’t yet passed the state Legislature, although it has been discussed. What came out of those discussions was an increase in the tests performed by the milk inspector. Also, raw dairy producers now have to put a warning label on their product, telling of the possible dangers of unpasteurized milk. 

After an e-coli incident at a raw milk farm in Connecticut,  a group called The Farmer’s Alliance got together to work with the state Department of Agriculture— and to lobby the Legislature about raw milk.

“Pasteurization was a reaction to dirty farm conditions and the unsanitary handling of milk,†Hopkins said. “It solves the symptom of a problem, which is dirty milk and poor bottling conditions. I’m trying to fix that problem from the beginning, through cleanliness, proper refrigeration and sanitary bottling.â€

Small farms offer consumers a chance to find out exactly where their milk is produced.  At the major milk companies, Hopkins said, milk from many farms is collected together and then trucked to a bottling plant and distributor. 

Some farms may be extremely sanitary. Some may not be. 

Often, when one is dealing with large quantities of animals and milk, the operation can, and does, fall apart at some point. 

If milk is pasteurized, farmers can absolve themselves of the responsibility to be as clean as possible when milking their herd, Hopkins said. 

Regular inspections of the milk and farm may point out conditions that are less than optimal, but the restrictions are often lifted as soon as the farmer can prove compliance.

Another challenge facing dairies that produce raw milk is  insurance.

“Many insurance companies are dropping coverage of raw milk farms for liability,†Hopkins said.

It’s because of this, and other governmental cautions, that the farmer’s voice has to be heard politically, Hopkins believes. 

He suggested that anyone interested in learning more about the political side of raw milk production go to westonaprice.org — for an admittedly pro-raw-milk bias.

Always learning more

 Family farming is not what it used to be. Today’s farmer has to know everything from behavioral science to the precise amount of what grass-grain ratio is necessary for optimum milk production. 

For every theory about milk production there is an opposing theory, and all are valid to some extent. 

One thing is clear though, raw milk farming is especially complex. One mistake can cause many problems down the line.

Hopkins takes advantage of any and all opportunities offered to improve his farming skills and general operation.  He has received a grant through the Environmental Quality Improvement Program to build a “manure house,†where manure can be transformed into compost, under cover, with no chance for run-off into well-water systems or into the river. 

Another pending grant from the federal Department of Agriculture would provide him with solar panels for the milking barn, which would cut his electricity costs by more than a third.

 â€œI’m not sure there’s enough time in a day to do all I’d like to do,†Hopkins said. “I’m full of ideas, and that’s why I always need the input of other people to help write grants or to help on the farm.†

His enthusiasm is contagious. 

Anyone interested in stopping by the farm store should look for the big red barn on  Route 7 heading south out of Cornwall Bridge — and the grass-fed herd of Jersey cows dotting the gentle landscape.