Raw milk farmers can send their milk to a lab for testing, or they can test on the farm. Testing on the farm can provide you with same-day results, so this method is becoming more popular among raw milk producers.
Farmer tests his raw goat milk
Watch the raw milk microbial testing process on R. & M. Speltz Farm
Why do raw milk farmers test their milk?
These tests do not circumvent testing by each state’s department of agriculture’s own testing, but the speed allows farmers to see the results ahead of time. On-farm testing minimizes any surprise contamination, and it can be done before the milk is sold.
Tracking the testing results of each animal’s milk over time can also reveal if an animal is struggling in their health and should be omitted from the herd of dairy-producing cows, goats, sheep, etc.
Buy microbial tests for raw milk
Weber Scientific sells the tests featured in the video. The following link is non-affiliate.
Charm Peel Plate Microbial Test
You’ll also need an incubator for this testing method.
