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Keeping a Family Cow: The Complete Guide for Home-Scale, Holistic Dairy Producers
The cow is the most productive, efficient creature on earth. She will give you fresh milk, cream, butter, and cheese, build human health and happiness, and even turn a profit for homesteaders and small farmers who seek to offer her bounty to the local market or neighborhood. She will provide rich manure for your garden or land, and will enrich the quality of your life as you benefit from the resources of the natural world. Quite simply, the family that keeps a cow is a healthy family.
Originally published in the early 1970s as The Cow Economy and reprinted many times over, Keeping a Family Cow has launched thousands of holistic small-scale dairy farmers and families raising healthy cows in accordance with their true nature. The book offers answers to frequently asked questions like, 'Should I get a cow?' and 'How Much Space do I need?' in addition to extensive information
• The health benefits of untreated milk;
• How to milk a cow effectively and with ease;
• Choosing your dairy breed;
• Drying off your cow;
• Details on calving and breeding;
• The importance of hay quality and how to properly feed your cow;
• Fencing and pasture management;
• Housing, water systems, and other supplies;
• Treating milk fever and other diseases and disorders;
• Making butter, yogurt, and cheese, and, of course . . .
• . . . Everything else the conventional dairy industry doesn’t tell us!
Now revised and updated to incorporate new information on the raw milk debate, the conversation about A1 vs. A2 milk, fully grassfed dairies, more practical advice for everyday chores, and updated procedures for cow emergencies.
Keeping a Family Cow has not only stood the test of time, it still remains the go-to inspirational manual for raising a family milk cow nearly forty years after its first publication. Joann Grohman has a lifetime of practical experience that has been bound into this one volume and presented in the spirit of fun and learning.
Originally published in the early 1970s as The Cow Economy and reprinted many times over, Keeping a Family Cow has launched thousands of holistic small-scale dairy farmers and families raising healthy cows in accordance with their true nature. The book offers answers to frequently asked questions like, 'Should I get a cow?' and 'How Much Space do I need?' in addition to extensive information
• The health benefits of untreated milk;
• How to milk a cow effectively and with ease;
• Choosing your dairy breed;
• Drying off your cow;
• Details on calving and breeding;
• The importance of hay quality and how to properly feed your cow;
• Fencing and pasture management;
• Housing, water systems, and other supplies;
• Treating milk fever and other diseases and disorders;
• Making butter, yogurt, and cheese, and, of course . . .
• . . . Everything else the conventional dairy industry doesn’t tell us!
Now revised and updated to incorporate new information on the raw milk debate, the conversation about A1 vs. A2 milk, fully grassfed dairies, more practical advice for everyday chores, and updated procedures for cow emergencies.
Keeping a Family Cow has not only stood the test of time, it still remains the go-to inspirational manual for raising a family milk cow nearly forty years after its first publication. Joann Grohman has a lifetime of practical experience that has been bound into this one volume and presented in the spirit of fun and learning.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
103 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 8, 2022
This book provides a decent foundation for the beginner interested in keeping a family cow. However, I was disappointed with some of the bias found within this book. Some statements are made without any evidence to back the claim or any explanation as to why the author is making the statement. I was also hoping this would focus more on organically raising your cow, and although there is a chapter on it, it’s not the focus of the book.
February 23, 2024
Do I have a dairy cow? No. Am I ready for one? I am now. This book goes over everything you need to know about owning a milk cow - from which breed to pick, to how to make hay, to what to do if your cow comes down with mastitis.
We recently started purchasing milk from a local farm, and it is an entirely different product than store-bought milk. This book helped me make sense of why there is such a big difference and encouraged me to make this a priority in our family.
We recently started purchasing milk from a local farm, and it is an entirely different product than store-bought milk. This book helped me make sense of why there is such a big difference and encouraged me to make this a priority in our family.
October 14, 2025
This book gets you thinking about a lot along the lines of the corruption of government, businesses and farming. Or at least it did me.
It was thoroughly informing and goes over all you need to pursue taking on a cow or a few for your family’s needs. I would highly recommend this read for anybody looking to pursue a homestead.
It was thoroughly informing and goes over all you need to pursue taking on a cow or a few for your family’s needs. I would highly recommend this read for anybody looking to pursue a homestead.
December 15, 2023
I will be returning to this again and again! I love her humble, experienced and simple way of writing.
November 1, 2016
Really excellent book. The best I've found on this subject.
August 5, 2024
Un excellent guide sur l'élevage familial des vaches qui abordent un très grand nombre de sujets (du coût à l'alimentation en passant par les besoins en infrastructures, les maladies et les utilisations du lait). C'est vraiment un bon ouvrage pour débuter, on prodigue de très nombreux conseils sur l'alimentation, les maladies à surveiller et ce qu'il ne faut vraiment pas négliger quand on a une vache. Le livre se concentre vraiment sur des petits ou moyens élevages de vaches (pas du tout en mode industriel), on passe beaucoup de temps sur la traite à la main tandis qu'on survole plus rapidement la traite à la machine (bien qu'on effectue beaucoup de recommandations sur l'importance de désinfecter l'équipement).
L'autrice pourrait toutefois s'abtenir de quelques opinions sur certains sujets qui sortent de son champs d'expertise (changements climatiques, véganisme, etc.). La plupart de ces affirmations ne sont pas soutenues scientifiquement, ne font parfois aucun sens (comme l'argument étrange d'un manque de place pour l'agriculture végétarienne si tout le monde devenait végétarien alors que 50% des terres agricoles sont réservées directement pour l'élevage et environ 40% des besoins en eau) ou font preuve d'un certain aveuglement (comme le fait que le méthane des vaches ne compterait que pour environ 1-2% de toute la production des gaz à effet de serre et que donc ce n'est pas un problème alors qu'elle vient juste de parler du coût environnemental du transport et de l'agriculture qui n'entre bizarrement plus dans son calcul quand vient le temps de parler du coût environnemental des vaches).
L'autrice pourrait toutefois s'abtenir de quelques opinions sur certains sujets qui sortent de son champs d'expertise (changements climatiques, véganisme, etc.). La plupart de ces affirmations ne sont pas soutenues scientifiquement, ne font parfois aucun sens (comme l'argument étrange d'un manque de place pour l'agriculture végétarienne si tout le monde devenait végétarien alors que 50% des terres agricoles sont réservées directement pour l'élevage et environ 40% des besoins en eau) ou font preuve d'un certain aveuglement (comme le fait que le méthane des vaches ne compterait que pour environ 1-2% de toute la production des gaz à effet de serre et que donc ce n'est pas un problème alors qu'elle vient juste de parler du coût environnemental du transport et de l'agriculture qui n'entre bizarrement plus dans son calcul quand vient le temps de parler du coût environnemental des vaches).
November 2, 2017
I loved this book! As I dream of one day being the proud owner of a family cow, this book practical and informative and really joyful to read!
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November 16, 2020Just prepping for my future life 🐂
August 27, 2021
This book made keeping a cow feel accessible! She talks about why a family cow is important mixed in with practical cow ownership advice.
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July 2, 2022Super helpful, in depth information about keeping a family cow.
November 16, 2022
Absolutely amazing book. All that's left is a visit to the farm for my practical. I learned so much. I feel more confident than I should about raising a cow now, that's dangerous. Super excited.
June 18, 2023
Read the parts that were relevant now, will continue to reference for years to come.
August 27, 2024
KEEPING A FAMILY COW~ Wow what a book! Once I started, I just couldn't stop. I was amazed at how such a dry subject could be made interesting. This author has quite a knack for story telling. She explains things in simple terms...plain English so that even the most uneducated about cow care can understand.
I got this book to see if owning a cow would be possible on my land. She makes it seem that yes, I could own a cow. She shows you a dozen different ways to do everything, how to care for it, what to watch out for in regards to health issues (mastitis, milk fever) and how to treat it when it occurs.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to add a dairy cow to their homestead.
I got this book to see if owning a cow would be possible on my land. She makes it seem that yes, I could own a cow. She shows you a dozen different ways to do everything, how to care for it, what to watch out for in regards to health issues (mastitis, milk fever) and how to treat it when it occurs.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to add a dairy cow to their homestead.
December 26, 2015
"One popular writer encouraged frugality so that there can be savings in readiness for the children's orthodontia. I do not find this to be an incentive. If your children are young enough when you get a cow and they grow up on fresh milk, their teeth will be straight, just as all teeth were meant to be."
"The waste in our existing food production system comes from pulling food out of the loop between soil and eaters, commodifying it, bashing it around to its nutritional detriment, and selling it back to the consumers who have already paid for it with subsidies and will fork over at the case register and then pay again at the doctor's office. The assumption that glues together the corporate food system is that you and I will not and should not be bothered with home or strictly local production. I have spent most of my eight decades living the real food truth that, yes, you can produce your own food without any help from agribusiness and with minimal dependence on fossil fuel. Non only can you do this, but it is a source of satisfaction, and often joy.... The small local farm including animals is the only reliable land-based food production unit. It is a microcosm of the natural world. It creates no environmental debt. It is safe. And it will belong to you."
"Misunderstanding about the natural diet of cattle have resulted from astonishing ignorance on the part of a great many writers and journalists who have not troubled to do their own research and lack the practical experience that might alarm them to absurdities. This has given rise to a collection of urban myths about food conversion (efficiency) rates in animals. One finds such statements as, "Fifteen pounds of grain are wasted to produce one pound of meat. Feeding grain is an economic choice. Steers will fatten on grass and cows will produce milk on grass. Wherever this grain mythology is extended to include the dairy cow it becomes especially egregious; the dairy cow always gives better thanks she gets."
"People who are creating wealth with a cow are hardworking and reliable to get that way in a hurry."
"Good health isn't something left over after you eliminate all the risks. It's something you build with real food."
-Whole milk is far better for you than skim or low fat, but the dairy industry relentlessly promotes low fat dairy products--because it makes a helluva lot more using the cream in ice cream than leaving it in the milk! "Low-fat and skim milk come close to being worthless. Well, not quite worthless, diluted 3-to-1 they make fantastic fertilizer."
"The keeping of animals for milk was common practice north and south of the equator thousands of years before the beginning of arable farming (grain). As a result, many breeds of animals have a symbiotic or mutual relationship with humans. This is because they can eat tough, inedible (to us) vegetation and convert it into milk and meat. We in turn smooth the path of life for them.... To assert that the nutritious fluid known as milk, the basic ingredient of life-sustaining foods used around the world, is somehow inappropriate food not "meant" to be eaten... ignores universal reality." *Note raw milk only, this does not apply to the new food called pasteurized milk that most people have trouble digesting. Also the holstein A1 milk that has been shown to be terrible for us. Guernsey and Jersey milk is the way to go!
"When you put homemade butter on the family table, you will wonder how you ever settles for commercial butter, that pallid, disinfected product."
"Of calves that have no colostrum, virtually none survive... I have not known a suckled calf to be ill." (This makes me think of humans and the incredible health Anders has enjoyed--being nursed for 3 1/2 years.)
"The waste in our existing food production system comes from pulling food out of the loop between soil and eaters, commodifying it, bashing it around to its nutritional detriment, and selling it back to the consumers who have already paid for it with subsidies and will fork over at the case register and then pay again at the doctor's office. The assumption that glues together the corporate food system is that you and I will not and should not be bothered with home or strictly local production. I have spent most of my eight decades living the real food truth that, yes, you can produce your own food without any help from agribusiness and with minimal dependence on fossil fuel. Non only can you do this, but it is a source of satisfaction, and often joy.... The small local farm including animals is the only reliable land-based food production unit. It is a microcosm of the natural world. It creates no environmental debt. It is safe. And it will belong to you."
"Misunderstanding about the natural diet of cattle have resulted from astonishing ignorance on the part of a great many writers and journalists who have not troubled to do their own research and lack the practical experience that might alarm them to absurdities. This has given rise to a collection of urban myths about food conversion (efficiency) rates in animals. One finds such statements as, "Fifteen pounds of grain are wasted to produce one pound of meat. Feeding grain is an economic choice. Steers will fatten on grass and cows will produce milk on grass. Wherever this grain mythology is extended to include the dairy cow it becomes especially egregious; the dairy cow always gives better thanks she gets."
"People who are creating wealth with a cow are hardworking and reliable to get that way in a hurry."
"Good health isn't something left over after you eliminate all the risks. It's something you build with real food."
-Whole milk is far better for you than skim or low fat, but the dairy industry relentlessly promotes low fat dairy products--because it makes a helluva lot more using the cream in ice cream than leaving it in the milk! "Low-fat and skim milk come close to being worthless. Well, not quite worthless, diluted 3-to-1 they make fantastic fertilizer."
"The keeping of animals for milk was common practice north and south of the equator thousands of years before the beginning of arable farming (grain). As a result, many breeds of animals have a symbiotic or mutual relationship with humans. This is because they can eat tough, inedible (to us) vegetation and convert it into milk and meat. We in turn smooth the path of life for them.... To assert that the nutritious fluid known as milk, the basic ingredient of life-sustaining foods used around the world, is somehow inappropriate food not "meant" to be eaten... ignores universal reality." *Note raw milk only, this does not apply to the new food called pasteurized milk that most people have trouble digesting. Also the holstein A1 milk that has been shown to be terrible for us. Guernsey and Jersey milk is the way to go!
"When you put homemade butter on the family table, you will wonder how you ever settles for commercial butter, that pallid, disinfected product."
"Of calves that have no colostrum, virtually none survive... I have not known a suckled calf to be ill." (This makes me think of humans and the incredible health Anders has enjoyed--being nursed for 3 1/2 years.)
February 15, 2016
A great overview to a family cow, I suspect some of the cost-analysis is going to be a little out of date, but still highly useful. Practical advice all around, geared towards one or two cows primarily for family use with the possible sale of extra products. Very focused on a healthy and happy (and productive) cow, with no tolerance for confinement or other big-dairy practices. My only complaint is the author's attitude towards plants. She puts the cow up on a pedestal and then roundly disparages other animals and all plant foods as a source of nourishment. I wouldn't mind this so much if there were some hard science cited, but while many studies are mentioned "studies have shown..." little is backed up with citations. While I don't doubt that fresh cow's milk is hugely healthy (part of the reason for picking up the book) it gets rather tiring to read over and over how the 'cow is the best possible animal because no other can do what a cow does.'
November 11, 2013
This is a good, practical read on the fundamentals of keeping a family cow. She highly endorses a Jersey and sticks with that as her example cow throughout the book.
Nothing is said about once-a-day milking, which disappointed me, as that would seemingly make the practice much more practical. I read the original edition, however, and this may be an addition to later editions of the book.
Nothing is said about once-a-day milking, which disappointed me, as that would seemingly make the practice much more practical. I read the original edition, however, and this may be an addition to later editions of the book.
December 20, 2019
Excellent handbook with detailed information on the practicalities, economics, health, and nutritional science of keeping a cow. Though not an end-all source itself, the author’s tone is both accessible and knowledgeable and her bibliography is both thorough and interesting. I especially loved her encouragement and reasonings (economic sure, but healthful most of all) for keeping a family cow.
December 30, 2009
Very detailed and interesting. Great resource from nutritional and political topics to raising dairy cows. Enjoyed reading this.
August 24, 2010
oh the fantasies!
January 19, 2011
The best guide out there for keeping a family cow. Great info overall. The health care and nutrition areas could be a bit more comprehensive.
July 6, 2013
A beginners guide for keeping a family cow for milk, meat, and fertilizer. Discusses different breeds and their purpose as well as general feed and equipment requirements.
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May 17, 2012I loved all the information the author provides. Reading this book demystified for me ownership and care for a family cow. Practical and encouraging! I feel more confident now.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews