This is Keshia, the daughter, making my blogging debut on Chronicles in HEALTH.

My in-laws just made a cross-country move from Iowa to North Carolina. My husband and I took a 20-hour road trip there to visit and explore their new state. Some of the highlights of the trip were exploring historic New Bern, spending a day at Atlantic Beach, and spending time with family. Another fun thing we did was to have a family outing for ice cream, what else would we do in the North Carolina heat? There was a place that some of the locals said that we just had to try! We headed out into the middle of nowhere North Carolina, with corn and tobacco fields in all directions. As we were driving, I was expecting a small town ice cream parlor on downtown Main Street. To our surprise, we arrived at a full-functioning dairy farm which included an onsite creamery.

As we pulled up to Simply Natural Creamery we saw barns and pastures with brown cows, refrigerator trucks, a playground, and an adorable storefront for the creamery. As we were parking the car, I saw the best part – a baby cow that was just waiting for me to pet her! Her name was Jill, she was two months old and absolutely adorable! She liked to eat clothes, and honestly acted like a giant puppy, so needless to say I was incredibly excited to pet her!

After everyone waited for me to finish petting Jill, we moved on to the creamery. As we walked to the door, the front porch had rocking chairs for families to enjoy the setting. The inside of the creamery not only had the ice cream parlor, but a window into the bottling facility. The longer we spent here, the more I wanted to learn about this farm; fortunately they provide brochures sharing their story.

They are not certified organic, but they do run a natural farm. The cows are free to roam, graze, and lounge naturally in their pastures, instead of standing on concrete all day. All of the natural food the cows eat is grown right there on the farm. The milk is processed the very same day that it is milked. Everywhere there was advertising about these being Jersey cows. This led me to wanting to know, what’s the difference between Jersey cows and regular dairy cows? Of the dairy cows in the United States, 90% are Holstein cows.

I learned there is a difference between Holstein cow and Jersey cow milk. Some of the health benefits are that compared to Holstein milk, a glass of Jersey milk has greater nutritional value: 15% to 20% more protein, 15% to 18% more calcium, and 10% to 12% more phosphorous. While we all know that protein and calcium are good, what about phosphorous? Phosphorous works with calcium to provide structure and strength. Jersey milk also has considerably higher levels of the essential vitamin, B12. Whereas other breeds may produce a higher quantity of milk, the Jersey breed by far produces higher quality milk. As their brochure says, “When it comes to what we eat and drink…quality matters!”

The advantages of Jersey milk don’t stop with the health benefits, the taste is better as well. The nutrient-dense Jersey milk tastes better, since there is more protein and calcium in the milk compared to other breeds. Jersey milk naturally contains a 20% higher amount of butterfat than other breed’s milk. Butterfat = Flavor! Products such as milk, butter, and ice cream made from Jersey milk will naturally have a creamier, richer flavor. (Simply Natural Creamery)

So how did this farm and creamery get started? The farm is run by two brothers, Neil and David, and their families. Here is the story of Simply Natural Creamery:

When their children were young, the Moyes wanted them to learn about livestock and how to properly work with and care for them. They picked Jersey cows because they were more docile for the kids to work with and they provided a higher quality milk. Daisy and Carrie were their first cows and the kids learned to feed, handle and milk by using a bucket milker. As the children grew older, the Moye’s love for Jersey cows did as well. The quality of Jersey milk, their adaptability to grazing and the climate of eastern North Carolina made them a perfect fit. The Moyes wanted to be able to provide others with a local, natural, quality product. The idea for Simply Natural Dairy and Creamery was born.

It is great to find a family business that is successful. The greatest thing is to find a passion that can transition into a successful livelihood, and it’s even greater when this can be successfully done with family. Not only do they run a successful business, they also share their enthusiasm through educational tours. This is such a beautiful way to see a family thrive and grow together.

Now that you know all about Jersey cows and how awesome the Moye family is, back to the ice cream! There were so many flavors to choose from. My husband Matt and I highly enjoyed the butter pecan and the salted caramel.

If you are ever near Greene County, North Carolina, be sure to make a stop at Simply Natural Creamery! What are family run companies that you like to support? Let me know in the comments!

Sources:

Click to access fact_sheet_cattle.pdf

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Cow_female_black_white.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Winking_Jersey_Cow.JPG

http://www.simplynaturalcreamery.com/

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