Did you know that Wisconsin leads the nation in dairy goat population? Yes, that’s true! America’s Dairyland is home to 74,000 of them!
By comparison, we lead California with 37,000, Texas with 26,000, and Iowa with 22,000 dairy goats. As of Jan. 1, 2024, Wisconsin had 333 licensed dairy goat herds, with more added each month. Calumet County has the largest concentration of dairy goats in the United States.
With that in mind, there are a lot of amazing goat milk products being produced in our state. Let’s take a look at some of their benefits.
What makes a goat milk product high quality?
It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk; the quality of taste depends on the following factors:
- A well-balanced diet for your pet.
- Cleaning milking equipment.
- How quickly does milk chilly below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- How quickly milk becomes a final product.
Goat milk has a tidy, fresh, milky flavor that is very similar to cow’s milk. Some people have a challenging time telling the difference, while others will say it tastes slightly sweeter than cow’s milk.
What are the nutritional values ​​of goat milk?
With fat molecules five times smaller than cow’s milk, goat’s milk is naturally homogenized. This makes it easier to digest and spends less time in the digestive tract. It also contains slightly less lactose.
In goat milk, casein is an A2 protein that is a variant that is easier to digest which is better tolerated by people with lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy. As a result, people with allergies can often still enjoy goat milk products!
Here are some additional facts to keep in mind:
- It contains as much potassium as a banana.
- It is whiter in color. Even butter made from goat’s milk cream is white!
- It contains medium-short chain fatty acids, which makes it heart-friendly.
- Over 70% of the world’s population drinks goat milk and eats goat meat.
What are the benefits of goat milk products?
The properties of goat milk carry over into the products it is made into. These products include ice cream, butter, caramels, butterscotch, macaroni and cheese, cheeses, and many others.
Wisconsin is home to a variety of amazing artisan goat cheeses, including everything from challenging cheeses to blue cheese and chevre. Chevre, also known as goat cheese, is a pliable, spreadable cheese similar to cream cheese. It can also be found in crumbles.
Because its pH is similar to the pH of our skin, it works great in skin care products in the form of bar soap, liquid soap and lotion.
This August is Goat Cheese Month, so I hope you’ll take the opportunity to try a goat milk product in your area!
