Do you sell raw milk?

Not at this time. Louisiana only recently legalized the sale of raw milk for pet food. We are considering what we would need to do to offer this option within the new state regulations. However, our whole milk that we currently pasteurize is not homogenized, meaning it comes with a delicious cream layer on top!

Is your milk pasteurized?

Yes. In accordance with Louisiana state law, all of our milk and dairy products are pasteurized.

Is your milk homogenized?

We do not homogenize our whole milk. This means you get that amazing layer of cream at the top of our whole milk! However, our chocolate milk is homogenized.

Are your cows grass-fed?

Our cows graze freely all year long. However, we supplement with hay in the winter and feed a special blend of feed at twice-daily milking times to make sure our cows are getting proper nutrition.

Do you take credit cards?

At the farm in MOOringsport, we now take credit cards, but there may be a processing fee. We also gladly accept cash or check.

How much do your products cost?

Visit www.MorellDairyFarm.com/Products to see a list of our products and prices at the farm in MOOringsport. Our partner retailers set their prices independently, so prices in stores may vary.

What are your hours?

We are open at the farm at 4743 Highway 169, MOOringsport, LA 71060 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 2 to 5 PM; and Saturdays, 9 AM to noon.

Are you open on holidays?

We are open most holidays that fall on a M/W/F/Saturday. If we are closed for a holiday, we will announce it in advance on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MorellDairyFarm.

Can I tour the farm? What about field trips/birthday parties?

You can visit the farm during our regular hours of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 2 to 5 PM; and Saturdays, 9 AM to noon. During that time, you can see the barn and visit calves. We do not do full farm tours since we are so busy milking and processing!.

Why does your milk taste so good?

Two reasons! First, all of our cows are Jersey cows. “Jerseys naturally produce the highest quality milk for human consumption. Compared to average 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, and also considerably higher levels of an essential vitamin, B12. This nutrient-dense Jersey milk tastes better. The reason is there is more protein, calcium and other non-fat solids in her milk compared to other breeds.” (Source: http://usjersey.com)

Second, we use a process called vat pasteurization. We heat the milk to 145 degrees F and hold it there for 30 minutes. This is in contrast to big processing plants, which do flash pasteurization, which means they heat the milk to above 186 degrees F for 1 second. Those high temperatures can denature some of the proteins so that they are not digestible. That’s why some of our customers find that they cannot handle supermarket milk but love ours! After we heat the milk through vat pasteurization, we chill it back down to below 45 degree F over the course of a few minutes. Then we bottle and seal.

Do you sell calves?

We sell only bull calves, not heifers.

Do your calves stay with their mothers?

On our farm, and at most dairy farms around the world, the answer is no.

Turns out that not every dairy cow is a great mother. Ideally, the calf and her mother would live together in idyllic bliss, but it doesn’t always work out. Sometimes, the mother doesn’t want to nurse. We are committed to raising the healthiest babies possible, so we actually milk the cow right after birth, when she produces a nutrient-rich colostrum that is extremely beneficial for the baby’s health. We then bottle feed that colostrum to the calf to make sure she gets every bit of that liquid gold nutrition. Calves have no immunity when they are born - we make sure they get it from the colostrum.

It’s important to remember that cows are not people. They don’t create happy family units like humans; they are herd animals and are most comfortable with other cows their age and size. While a cow will lick and nudge her baby in the first few hours, after that, she’s looking for her herd. For that reason, we tend to keep our calves together, our heifers (the teenagers!) together, and our adult cows together. In this way, our ladies are the least stressed and can get on with their jobs: turning grass into that rich milk, chocolate milk, and butter our customers love.

Why do your calves sleep on rocks? Isn’t that uncomfortable?

Again, we are committed to keeping our cows as healthy as possible! Cows will happily sleep just about anywhere, including unhealthy mud. Setting their hutches on rocks means there’s good drainage and that we can keep them as clean and healthy as possible.

Where can I follow you on social media?

Follow us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MorellDairyFarm and on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/MorellDairyFarm.