The Battle in the Bottle

By Debbie Weingarten | Photography by Julie DeMarre

Rick Anglin doesn’t remember a time when he was not in love with cows. He met his first love at the age of 9—a Holstein named Inka, bought for him by his father, a lifelong dairyman. In 1987, when Rick was 16, he spent $1,500 of his own money on a Brown Swiss calf from Canada. “I won every show I entered with her,” Anglin says.

Today Anglin and his family run a raw milk dairy on a 30-acre patch of scrubby desert in Casa Grande. The day I visit, the cows are all lined up in the holding area for their 3 o’clock milking. I’m introduced to each one—Fergie, the 10-year-old matriarch, Minnie, Fondu, Juju, Sue—their tongues reaching out sideways to lick our hands. The building is immaculate—the cement floors, the milk lines, and the railings separating the cows kept spotlessly clean. In the cement pit below the milk parlor, an employee is taking his time, carefully checking the underside of each cow, and spraying down legs and hooves, the water disappearing through floor grates.

Read more: The Battle in the Bottle

Livestock Nutritionist Defends Raw Milk Safety

Is it safe to drink raw (unpasteurized) milk? The short answer is a resounding yes — provided it comes from healthy, organically raised, grass-fed, or pastured cows, that is.

Dr. William Winter, who is eminently qualified to speak on this topic, expounds on the health benefits — and safety — of raw milk in this interview. He’s not only a veterinarian; he’s also a livestock nutritionist, holistic herd health consultant, and a chapter leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF).

He’s also written a book for veterinarians called The Holistic Veterinary Handbook, published in 1986 (currently out of print).

Originally trained as a horse veterinarian, Dr. Winter started his career working in a large animal practice in Missouri. There he honed his skills in emergency surgery before eventually switching gears to focus on holistic veterinary medicine.

Read more: Livestock Nutritionist Defends Raw Milk Safety