Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Spruce Haven Farm a family farm?

Yes. The Young family have made their living as dairy farmers for over 4 generations. Competitive pressures require farms to become more efficient to remain in business, to grow for labor efficiency and to specialize animal care skills. Crop production and hauling efficiency also require more funds than a single family farm can create. Many farms including Spruce Haven have recruited other farm families to add skills and resources to support the progress in efficiency. Jason and Alisha Koch joined the farm in 1998.

2. Is Animal care important to Spruce Haven? 

Yes extremely important. In fact it is the essence of everything our team does every day. Cows are most productive when they are happy and well cared for. Some of our team focuses on growing high quality feed for the cows. Others specialize on feeding the calves and cows with a diets scientifically balanced better than most human diets to assure good health and productivity.  Others specialize on being sure the cows are bred at the right time to grow a calf each year. Others are specialists on caring for any animal which has occasional health issues just as humans sometimes get sick or injured. Extraordinary staff milk the cows 3 times per day for 55% of the cows and 2 times per day for 45% of the cows every day and night of every year.

Another team assists delivery of cows having calves day and night. Then a highly skilled and devoted team cares for the calves to make sure that have feed, water, bedding, fresh air and safety. They vaccinate the calves at the right time to minimize risk of sickness. Spruce Haven is part of the the US FARM program which involves annual review and training for animal care, environmental stewardship and employee care.  FARM includes third party audits. Some people think cows are happiest when on pasture.  We have had many years of experience with pasture but have decided its often stressful for the cows due to hot or cold weather, wind, poison weeds, insects….How many nights have you slept outside in the last year? We try to simulate the benefits of pasture but with the protection of the home for the animals.

3.  Is Cowffee Lactose free? 

Cowffee has lactase in the recipe to turn lactose into glucose and galactose. This adds sweetness with no added sugar. In the first run the sugar in Cowffee is 99.7% lactose free.

4. How much CLA is in Cowffee? 120 Milligrams per serving

Cowffee has 120 milligrams of CLA- cis 9 trans 11 version. Typical US diets include 170 milligrams per day.  Combining typical intakes with the added 120 milligram of CLA per day increases total CLA intake to 290 milligrams per day or 0.048% of typical human diet.  T. R. Dhiman et al, 2007* in their CLA research summary noted “It has been reported that the minimum effective dose of CLA needed to help prevent the incidence of cancer in animal models is 0.05% of the diet. (Referencing IP et al 1996)  The Dhiman paper continues “Assuming that the average adult consumes 600 grams per day, a person eating one serving each of low-CLA whole milk, cheese, beef, and poultry per day would have a CLA intake of approximately 127 milligrams/day…, which amounts to 0.021% of the total diet.  However, a person consuming the high CLA products would have a CLA intake of about 441 milligrams per day…amounting to 0.074% of the diet, which is well above the minimum intake that has been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of cancer in animal models. 

Additionally, the high CLA milk in Cowffee also has higher amounts of Vaccenic fatty acid which is converted to CLA (cis9 trans11) by the human body to have the same activity.  This would provide approximately 243 additional milligrams per day.  Thus the total CLA (cis9 trans11) equivalent from Cowffee is approximately 363 milligrams per day.

5. Is Cowffee NonGMO?

Some consumers prefer foods and beverages that were produced with a minimum of GMO inputs.  Several years ago our farm responded to this request which provided a good financial incentive to transition to Non GMO Project verification.  Cowffee uses all ingredients that meet the NonGMO Project verified requirements. We are in the process of obtaining the use of the NonGMO Project logo for our website within the next few months.

6. Is the milk produced with rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin)?

No. Spruce Haven Farm and Research Center participated in the demonstration phase of rBST in the early 90s. We presented to the US Congress and FDA on the effectiveness and safety of BST. Our farm utilized the BST technology for several years without any evidence of concern for animal or human safety.  However as it became clear that consumers generally didn’t become comfortable with BST use together with the inconvenience and mixed reviews on the financial benefit to dairy farms, we phased out rBST about 15 years ago. Our cows are producing much higher milk pounds now than they did then.

7.  Is Cowffee a whole nutrition product?                                         Cowffee provides a strong contribution to key nutrients that are often short in human diets.  Essential amino acids and essential fats in ratios that are known to improve health as well as calcium, potassium, Vit D and Vit B12.  Cowffee also has other minerals and vitamins that are naturally found in milk but not listed in the Nutrition Facts Panel required by FDA.  Fiber is also a key component of human diet that is not included at this time in Cowffee.  It is good to add an apple, a salad, or another form of fiber to Cowffee if it is a meal replacement or if you notice any discomfort.  Cowffee is rich in nutrients so some people may need to add fiber to allow balanced digestion.  It is not recommended to drink more than one or two Cowffee per day because it may provide more protein than is needed.

8. Are there other possible benefits of milk that are being researched?

Yes.  Two are particularly worth highlighting. 

First, branch chain fatty acids naturally found in dairy milk are emerging as enhancing a healthy GI tract.  They differ in their molecular carbon chain because they have a branch rather than the normal linear structure.  At least 7 branch chain fatty acids found in dairy products.  Professor J. Thomas Brenna of the University of Texas at Austin and Cornell University among many scientists internationally are unraveling the specific roles of branch chain fatty acids in humans. Naturally balancing intestinal inflammation response to pathogens and enhancing a healthy gut microbiome are areas of promising potential.

Second, oxytocin is being studied by Martha G. Welch of Columbia University. She and other scientists are researching the various roles of oxytocin in humans beyond its well know effect on milk let down. Oxytocin’s role in reducing stress, social bonding, and intestinal function and health are being examined.