Dairy:
What is raw milk? Raw milk, which is also referred to as real milk, generally comes from cows that are raised on pasture and when the cow is milked, the milk is not pasteurized/cooked. To learn more about raw milk visit www.realmilk.com and to learn about why 100% grassfed is best, go to www.eatwild.com.
Can you freeze the dairy? Yes, dairy is a product that can be frozen & consumed after it's thawed. You can safely store frozen dairy in your freezer for up to 6 months, but it's best if you can use it within 1 month. Dairy does expand when frozen, so it is best to leave one to two inches of room at the top of the container. Freezing will affect the consistency of your dairy so please try a small test batch first. We recommend placing the dairy in refrigerator for thawing. TIPS: Shake the gallon every 10 minutes while freezing until frozen. After thawing blend in a blender, food processer or with an immersion blender for a better consistency.
Do you do any testing on your milk? We do not bacteria test our milk. We are not opposed to testing we are just opposed to wasting time. When Mark Macafee, who promotes this testing, was here 16 years ago, he remarked how simple our system was and how little a chance of any kind of contamination there was. Our milk travels thru 3 feet of hose, to a bucket, and then poured thru a filter into the bottling bucket, it’s then bottled and chilled. Milk produced at big dairies has to travel thru hundreds of feet of tubes and hoses, into one tank, then possibly into another for making yogurt or kefir etc.
What’s the difference between our 3 types of cow milk?
Regular Cow Milk (Full Circle Farms)- 100% grassfed, no grain EVER! Supplemented with Free Choice Minerals and hay and alfalfa in the winter, we have healthy cows that produce nutrient dense milk, for pets or livestock.
A2A2 Cow Milk (Full Circle Farms)- If you are concerned about A1/A2 beta casein and your pet's digestive system then this is the milk for you. A1 is the milk protein that is allegedly harder, overall, for mammals to digest and has been linked to serious illnesses. Milk that contains the A2 beta casein has no such ills attached to it and, according to research, is better assimilated by mammals. We are moving to a 100% A2A2 milking herd. This is a good article for more information on A2: https://www.redmondfarms.com/2...
Farm Friend's Cow Milk (AKA FF)- Produced by our good friends and fellow followers of the Weston A Price Foundation, just 15 minutes from Full Circle Farm. This milk is rich and creamy with a nice light-yellow color. The herd is a mix of A-1 and A-2 cows which are rotated daily to new pasture and are on the same mineral program that Full Circle Farm cows are on, including free choice kelp. They are 95% Grass Fed and 100% Organic. The Farm Friends farmer uses some grain in winter, if he needs to, but the rest of the year is 100% grass.
What type of cows do you milk? Full Circle Farm herd is a mixture of Jersey’s and milking Devon’s. Farm Friends herd is a mix of Holsteins and Jersey’s.
Our practices:
What is better about grass fed cows vs. grain fed/finished cows? Many times farmers will say that they use grain to finish the cow so that the meat marbles more nicely. We do not agree with that at all. The main reason that grain is used during the life of the cow and/or at the end of their life prior to going to the butcher is simply to fatten them up more quickly. However, in doing this it hurts the cow and reduces the number of nutrients available in the meat. We do not want to just produce large volumes of milk and beef; we want to produce the most nutrient-dense foods possible. Grass-fed meats contain more antioxidants, omega 3-s, CLA and trace minerals and vitamins than grain fed beef. For more info go to www.eatwild.com.
Why is everything labeled "Not for Human Consumption, Pet Food Only"? What is the pet food law? There are a few states in the United States that have created the Commercial Feed Law which is also known as the Pet Food Law. Florida is one of these which allows small farmers to sell meat, dairy, etc. as "pet food not for human consumption." This puts the responsibility in the hands of the consumer to learn where their food comes from and how it is produced so it is important to develop a relationship with your local farmer and visit their farm and better understand their farming practices. It also allows small farmers to have less regulations on their farm which were generally made for large farms and are not always applicable to small farms such as the mandate to go to a USDA butcher versus being able to support a local custom butcher.
Do you vaccinate your animals or give antibiotics? We do not vaccinate our animals EVER. We do sometimes buy vaccinated animals. We would use antibiotics to save the life of an animal but have not in years. We have had a friend raise some calves for us and he does give them medications or supplements at times but not vaccines.
Do you ever feed grain? We do not feed grain to our cows, EVER. Our egg laying chickens roam free and forage for bugs & worms and are supplemented with whole grains. The hogs get some grain but mostly forage for nutrient dense wild plants, roots, shrubs. etc. The Farm Friends farmer uses some grain in winter if he needs to, but the rest of the year is 100% grass. Our cheese is also from 100% grass fed cows.
What does forest-fed pork mean? The pigs spend their life in the woods in 1-5 acre paddocks. Each group of pigs are moved to a new paddock about once a week. This not only allows them the opportunity to forage for nutrient dense wild plants, roots, shrubs. etc. but it also ensures that the land is protected and not overgrazed. This greatly adds to the flavor and nutrition of the meat. Have your pets try our pork and see if you don't believe that it tastes better than any of the competition around.
What does free-range really mean? Our egg laying chickens roam free and can leave if they wish, they are not in a pen or confined. They get fresh air and sunshine, what a concept! Confinement chickens are penned inside all day every day without these things. Come visit the farm and see if what we do suits you. It is a great idea to go see where your food comes from whether us or another farm. Most of what you buy even at the health food store you will not buy if you visit the farms!
What kind of feed do the egg laying chickens get supplemented with? Other than what they get foraging off the land, the layers get a rationed amount of Non-GMO whole grain mix of 40% wheat, 30% peas, 20% oats, and 10% black oil sunflower seeds. It gets fermented with raw, grass-fed skim milk that is a bi-product from making our cream. They also get meat and other kitchen scraps on a daily basis.
How do you produce the food you sell? Each different product and vendor has their own set of protocols on how they are produced. To learn more about a specific product simply click on the picture. Each product's page has a listing of ingredients and the protocols used to produce them. For more info on our protocols please visit: https://fullcirclerealfoods.co...
Why is everything so expensive? Cheap food is at Big Box Stores, we are not interested in competing with them at all. That food is produced under “least cost production” methods. In other words, the very least money possible is spent to make it. We spare no expense to produce the most nutrient dense foods possible. For example, our grass-fed cows give 1- 2 gallons per day and live an average of 10 years. The commercial dairy cows give 5-10 gallons per day and live an average of 4 years. We believe our milk is VERY nutrient dense and thus comparatively we believe our milk is a better value.
Do the eggs need to be refrigerated once picked up?
Full Circle Eggs- No, they are good on the counter for 2 weeks. If you will not be consuming them within 2 weeks it may be best to refrigerate upon reciept to preserve the integrity of the eggs.
Leah's Farm - No, same as above.
Eden Eggs- Yes, they come to you refrigerated. Once an egg has been refrigerated it needs to stay that way to prevent breakdown and retain freshness. They can be enjoyed for 1 month + in the fridge.
Delivery:
Do you deliver to my area? To see if we have a delivery route in your area, please visit our locations tab and enter your zip code. Pickup Locations - Cypress Consultants (Full Circle Farm) (fullcirclerealfoods.com)
New locations may be considered if certain criteria are met. Please email for a list of criteria.
Do you ship or offer home delivery? Unfortunately, we do not currently offer home delivery or shipping. We did try home delivery for a time but did not have a large enough interest to continue. We hope to offer shipping in Florida in the near future.
What happens if I miss my pickup? If you miss your scheduled pickup & can’t meet up with the delivery team at another stop on the route your order will be returned to the farm and re-stocked. Missed orders will not be carried over. Once your order is returned to the farm it will be re-stocked and you can re-order for your next delivery cycle. A $10 minimum fee will be charged, or 10% of your total order, whichever is more. This fee is applied to ALL orders that are not picked up on time or are cancelled less than 48 hours prior to your scheduled pickup date. If you miss your pickup date or time we will give you a second chance - however, if there is a second occurrence, we will no longer be able to accept future orders from you unless you choose to pay for your orders in full with no option of a credit if missed again.