DAIRY FARM & BAKERY
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you use synthetic hormones on your cows?
NO, we believe quality feed, a comfortable environment and good veterinary care is enough for a cow to produce a good quality and quantity of milk.
Do you fortify your milk with Vitamin D?
NO, we try to keep the milk as natural as possible. The State of RI requires us to add Vitamin A to skimmed and 2% milk but we are not required to and choose not to add vitamin D.
Do you use antibiotics on your cows?
YES, BUT only when her life is at stake and then all her milk is thrown out until tests show it free of antibiotics.
Where can we purchase WDF milk?
Here at our farm store, Goodwin Brothers Farmstand (North Smithfield, RI seasonal), Stamp Farm (Johnston, RI), Jaswell's Farmstand (Smithfield, RI seasonal), Farmstead Cafe (Scituate, RI), Beef Barn (North Smithfield, RI), Lil' General (North Smithfield, Harrisville, and Lincoln, RI), Brigido's (Pascoag and Scituate, RI), Stock Culinary Goods (Providence, RI), and PVDonuts (Providence, RI). Please note not every business carries every size and variety. We recommend calling ahead.
Can we purchase cow manure?
YES, cow manure is an excellent garden fertilizer! You can shovel a couple of buckets for yourself, we can load your truck or we can deliver to your home. Call for pricing and availability.
Can we watch cows being milked?
YES, the public is welcome to watch milking daily from 3-4:30 pm.
Do you have any milk facts you can share?
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The average American drinks 19 gallons of milk each year
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9 out of 10 girls age 9-13 DO NOT get enough calcium.
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Whole Milk is 96% Fat Free
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Milk contains nine essential nutrients, making it one of the most nutrient rich beverages you can enjoy.
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No fossil fuels were used to transport our milk from the farm to this retail store.
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Each 5° (F) rise in milk temperature shortens milk’s shelf life by 50%.
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It takes 12 pounds of milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream. It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.
What type of diet do your cows require?
FEED There are three components in our cows’ diet; hay, corn silage, and grain. All feed is carefully chosen and fed in amounts that promote cow health and tasty milk.
Are your cows comfortable on your farm?
Comfortable cows are happy cows. Here are a few examples of strategies we use:
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Sand bedding is soft, natural and won’t harbor bacteria that could lead to an infection in the cow’s udder, known as mastitis.
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Our girls get monthly pedicures from our visiting hoof trimmer.
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We keep fans in the barns that are set to turn on automatically when the weather gets too warm. Cows are much more sensitive to heat than to the cold.
Do you have baby calves on your farm?
Calves are born year round and special care is taken to keep them safe and healthy. All calves raised at WDF are for milking purposes, NO calves are raised for veal. Our youngest calves (0-3 months) are kept in individual hutches where they are bottle fed raw milk by the farmer and have water and grain available to help themselves. The individual hutches allow the farmer to monitor the calves’ health and to prevent the spread of any illness from one animal to another. At about 3 months the calves move into a pen with 3 or 4 other calves. They have been weaned off milk and are now drinking water and eating grain and hay. From there, the calves move to a farm in Massachusetts where they will raise them until about 2 years old. They then return to WDF to give birth to their first calf and become part of the milking herd.
What does Cow Etiquette mean?