May 8, 2025

Spring again.... and all the birds return....

Nests have been made and all is well on the farm. The farmer mows hay this week in spite of the fact that rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. It may rain and it may not but hay must be made, and the Centre County climate almost never allows for an unrained first cutting. Cows prefer the rained-on stuff to too-old, anyway!

What's new on the farm? Besides new hay, and apple trees blooming, and everything turning green and tall in no time at all now that rain and warmth have come? Lots of things! Spurred by a request from a fellow farmer and marketer who wants to move more product, we finally tested the cows for the A1/A2 gene this February. To our surprise, half of the cows were A2/A2 and the rest were A1/A2. This is interesting to us and sends us (finally) down the A2 bunny trail for better or for worse!

What are the benefits of A2 milk versus A1? The difference between the two is amino acids: A2 provides proline at position 67 where A1 has histidine. Histidine is involved in allergic reactions or food intolerances (think "histamine"). Many people find themselves better able to tolerate and digest A2 milk.

We may be offering A2 cheeses later this summer, when the A1/A2 cows go dry. Ask us about it when you see us at market!