Review by Booklist Review
Many an urban or suburban dweller has dreamed about producing milk that comes not from a bottle but from one's own animal, be it cow, goat, or sheep. Launching such an operation may daunt, but, as Caldwell details, it's far from an impossible challenge given the proper resources, knowledge, and pluck. Even a few animals can produce enough milk daily to bottle one's own, or process it into salable secondary products such as cheese or yogurt. Selecting, feeding, and sheltering dairy animals are complex processes to get actual milking underway. Local and national governments closely regulate production and distribution of dairy products with an eye to protecting the public from all manner of transmittable diseases. Learning about these regulations and regional variances is critical to commercial viability. With burgeoning interest in locavorism, this book may prove to have a much larger audience than one might anticipate.--Knoblauch, Mark Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Whether you're considering opening a small commercial dairy, daydreaming about adding a couple of miniature milking goats to your urban homestead, or just curious about the hoopla over raw milk, Caldwell (Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking) has the lowdown. She can't repress her own lifelong passion for dairy animals and milk-she was raised from birth on raw milk from a neighbor's cow and kept her own 4H cow before her current ownership of a goat's milk dairy farm-but her hardheaded, gritty descriptions of the realities of keeping dairy livestock will filter out all aspirants but those most suited to what Caldwell calls a "'lifestyle business' rather than a growth or investment business." She offers comprehensive advice about business plans and licensing; choosing and caring for animals; building and managing a dairy; and maintaining impeccable dairy hygiene. She also profiles a variety of appealing small dairies; but perhaps most fascinating to prospective milkmaids, artisanal cheese eaters, and quotidian milk-drinkers are her chronicles of the checkered history of small dairies and extensive coverage of the biology and chemistry of that precious, astoundingly complex white liquid called milk. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Milk, especially raw milk, has become a hot topic in recent years. This title highlights almost every aspect of the process for would-be milk producers, from keeping the beverage for their own table to sending it out for larger distribution. Caldwell (Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking) takes readers through designing and running a small-scale dairy with instructions applicable to cows, goats, or sheep. Covering the history of small creameries, farm management, and the different methods available when yielding milk, the book provides a thorough review of animal care, lab testing, and risk reduction. A chapter of fermented milk recipes offers hands-on results for enthusiasts. Also included are sample forms, sources for supplies and equipment, and even floor plans to assist in creating the perfect small dairy. -VERDICT The wealth of information may deter the casual hobbyist, but Caldwell presents the full scope of dairying for those serious about understanding the system. Recommended for libraries with an emphasis on homesteading and agricultural collections.-Kristi Chadwick, Emily Williston -Memorial Lib., Easthampton, MA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
