June 1, 2018
CapitalPress.com
New niche: A2 milk from
Guernseys gains popularity
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Two dairies, in eastern and
northern Idaho, are filling a
niche market with Guernsey
cow milk that has an easily
digestible protein not found in
most commercially sold milk.
Most milk has a combina-
tion of proteins, A1 and A2,
while the Guernsey milk has
only A2 protein and has be-
come increasingly popular
with consumers who suspect
they are lactose intolerant.
David Spencer, a dairy
farmer in Monteview 50 miles
Courtesy of David Spencer
northwest of Idaho Falls,
feared his wife, Michelle, was David and Michelle Spencer raise their children on milk from their
allergic to milk because her Guernsey cows.
stomach ached after she drank
it. When she tried A2 milk, her ing because people like it so started the dairy with his wife,
much,” said Spencer. “On our Debra, 53, in 2013.
pains disappeared.
“We wanted to provide
“A dairyman’s wife just Facebook page, people com-
can’t be lactose intolerant,” ment about how good they feel wholesome, 100 percent grass-
when they drink it.”
fed raw Guernsey A2 milk as
said Spencer, laughing.
With a strong economy, God intended milk to be,” said
His wife’s experience com-
pelled him to shift the family “consumers are willing and Herndon. “We’re pretty small
dairy’s focus to registered able to spend a little more mon- right now, but we have loyal
Guernsey cows about two ey on healthy food, too,” he customers and such positive
years ago because the breed said.
feedback that we’re optimistic
Paradise Grove’s raw milk about the future.”
produces milk with only A2
retails for about $6 per gallon.
protein.
The dairy’s cows graze
At their 20-acre fami- It is sold at Broulim’s grocery about six months on grass pas-
ly business, Paradise Grove stores in the region, Kesler’s tures.
“We farm 60 acres of our
A2 Dairy, they raise their six Market in Blackfoot, Wealth of
children, ages 3 to 15, on the Health in Idaho Falls, Nature’s own land and lease another 60
Guernsey milk.
Nook and Woods Garden in acres,” said Herndon.
When the cows begin graz-
Michelle, 36, completed her Rexburg, Nel’s Bi-Lo Market
first Boston Marathon in April, in Pocatello, and Victor Valley ing on spring grass in May and
June, they produce about 300
relying on A2 milk during Market.
training.
Manwaring Cheese in Rig- pounds of milk per day.
“We sell by the half gallon,
“For athletes, milk is such a by uses the dairy’s milk to
great recovery food, so I’m glad make cheese. It also sells raw so that’s almost 70 half gallons
daily,” Herndon said. “We have
to be able to drink it again,” she A2 milk.
In northern Idaho near Sa- quite a few heifers aging up.
said.
Paradise Grove’s raw milk, gle, response to Guernsey milk We plan to milk 14 cows in the
sold in returnable glass bottles, from Pleasant Meadow Cream- spring of 2019 and will grow
is non-homogenized and un- ery has been robust enough for to about 25 milking as a max-
pasteurized and meets specifi- owner Paul Herndon and his imum size, probably by late
cations of the Idaho State De- family to expand their small 2020.”
partment of Agriculture.
The unpasteurized, non-ho-
dairy.
The dairy’s 50 cows are
“We broke ground on a new mogenized milk is bottled in
milked twice daily, and 800 milking parlor in May and will glass containers and distributed
gallons of the A2 milk is bottled build a much larger cow barn at Pilgrim’s Market in Coeur
and sold or made into cheese.
in 2019,” said Herndon, 50, a d’Alene and at Winter Ridge
“We might be expand- certified public accountant who Natural Foods in Sandpoint.