Michigan Dairy Herd Share

Enjoy wholesome, farm-fresh milk without having to milk the cow yourself. Through our herd share program, you can enjoy real, unpasteurized and unhomogenized milk, just as nature intended. Rich in flavor and naturally creamy, raw milk offers a fresh alternative to conventional store-bought milk.

By owning a share of our dairy herd, you're not purchasing milk, you're purchasing a portion of the herd and receiving your share of the milk it produces. Many of our herd share members have found that they can enjoy raw milk even when conventional dairy has caused digestive discomfort.

"When I drink your milk, my gut problems go away. My bowels move regularly. Everything works better."
- Keith Sutton, Herd Share Member

Our cows spend the grazing season on lush Michigan pastures, enjoying fresh grass and sunshine throughout the summer. During the winter months, they are fed organically raised hay grown on our farm. Our herd is made up primarily of Jersey, Jersey crosses, Guernseys, and Guernsey crosses. These heritage breeds are known for producing milk with the A2 protein, which many people find easier to digest. Most of our cows are A2A2, with a few A1A2. During the summer, the rich pasture creates the beautiful golden cream that makes our milk so distinctive.

So, what's in it for you?

Each full herd share provides one gallon of milk per week. Half shares and multiple shares are also available, making it easy to choose the amount that best fits your household.

Owning a herd share is a great way to support a local farm while enjoying fresh, nutrient-rich milk. You're not just receiving milk, you're becoming part of the farm community and helping preserve the tradition of small-scale farming.

Please take a moment to read the BGA Milk Herd Share Agreement before joining the program.

FAQs

How exactly does a herd share work?

It’s like this: in Michigan, if you own a part of a herd you can get part of their milk. That’s how you get raw milk here. You’ll pay one time for a herd share buy in ($30).

After that, you’ll have a monthly subscription to pay for the care, upkeep, and labor involved with a dairy cow herd and milking. That is $45/month, which entitles you to a gallon of fresh milk weekly. If you only want half a gallon it’s about half that at $23/month. Need 2 gallons for your growing family or so you can body build? Not a problem. Just multiply the subscription cost by the amount you need weekly. The subscription is due on the first of the month, with many payment options for you. You can pick up your milk at the farm, or at our Cadillac meet up spot. See question 4 for more details, including if neither of those options work for you.

Is the cream skimmed off the top?

No, the milk you get is exactly as the cow made it with all the cream still in the milk.

How will our milk be packaged? How will I know I’m getting fresh milk?

The milk is packaged for weekly pick up in glass jars. If you receive frozen milk it’ll be in a regular half gallon milk jug. You will have an assigned day for your pick up and the jar(s) will have your name on it. You’ll be receiving that day, or maybe the day before’s milk. Any extra milk is always dated so you know when we collected it.

Cows are healthy, the milking process is super clean, and the milk is kept in clean and cool conditions until delivery. We’ve found the milk is good for up to a week and a half in unopened jars and a week once you use milk from your jar.

How much will it cost?

The herd share buy-in is a one time, non refundable $30. When you get weekly fresh milk, the monthly subscription cost is $45, which entitles you to one gallon per week. Half shares and multiple shares are available to you, costing whatever multiple of the subscription that comes to.

Only want milk on occasion or shipped frozen to you periodically? Can do. By the occasional gallon, it’s $11 and frozen milk (for shipping) is $14/gallon. But you must have a herd share membership to get milk from the farm.

There is no additional cost for picking up at the farm. You have FOUR options to pick up your milk near you.

The CADILLAC pick up is a flat location fee of $10 per month, whether you get a half gallon a week or five gallons a week plus meat (you gain access to a farm membership and our pasture raised beef, pork, and chicken with your milk!). You need to be able to meet one of us at the location on Monday or Thursday evening.
Or, in the Cadillac area, get it delivered to your door for a $10/drop fee.
For the TRAVERSE CITY area, you can pick up your milk at your convenience between Monday evening and Wednesday morning at the hosted location in Chums Corners just outside town on M-37. This location fee is $25/month.
For the GRAND RAPIDS/BIG RAPIDS folks, there’s a hosted location in CORAL. You can pick up your milk from The Declercq Homestead between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning. This location fee is $25/month.

If you aren’t able to come to the farm or meet at our Cadillac delivery point, we have frozen and freeze dried milk options available. Contact us for details.

The ongoing cost is a subscription, not a “by the gallon” cost. If you can’t come a week or go on vacation we will continue to maintain the cow (feed, water, milking, and care) so she continues to give milk for when you’re back. If you can’t pick up on your day (everyone has a particular pick up day so we can be sure you get milk and get the freshest possible), your milk will be waiting for you when you can come.

What other products do you have?

Your herd share membership opens up the whole farm to you. As a private farm member, you can get grass fed beef, pasture raised/forage fed heritage pork, pasture raised chicken and turkey, eggs, and honey. There are other milk services, like several different cheeses, gelato ice cream (delcious AND nutritious), and yogurts available for members only through our private members store.

What are the steps to get raw milk in the herd share?

Purchase a herd share and farm membership, which will include signing the herd share agreement. Everyone needs to do this.

For fresh milk pickup:

Either a) message us regarding how much weekly milk you want, or b) choose the Raw Milk Weekly product in the online store (along with any other subscription products you’d like weekly) as this will let us know how much you’d like and where you want to pick it up. **Note that you will not get charged the monthly subscription for the fresh milk through the store. That will be billed separately through an invoice in your email.
If you are joining mid month, you’ll only pay for the remainder of the month with your first invoice. After that you’ll get an invoice via email on the first of the month. You can set up automatic payments from that to make it easy, or can pay your monthly subscription via cash, check, venmo, paypal, or online.

For occasional pick up or for milk shipped to you: