Buying Local, Raw Milk in Germany

Organic food is easy to come by in Germany. My husband and I try to eat as local as possible when possible, and Germany makes it easy. Many farms sell food directly from their farm. You can buy fresh produce from a stand on the side of the road. A farm near our house sells their local meats, both cured and butchered (you can place orders for large quantities of meat too). They also make their own spirits. The same goes for finding fresh milk in Germany too.

Where to find fresh raw milk

Many farms sell their own fresh, raw unpasteurized milk, but it can be a challenge to find. We buy ours at a farm near Stuttgart, Germany, which is also close to the Ritter Sport Chocolate factory in Waldenbuch. The only reason I knew about it was that they had a large sign next to the road that read “Frische Milche”. If you live near this area, it’s on the road between Steinenbronn and Waldenbuch.

If you are traveling and see one of these signs, make the stop! The one we go to has a vending looking machine with empty glass bottles (they’re about a Euro) and then you fill the milk yourself with a button and a pour spout. It feels like it’s coming direct from the cow. A liter of milk is .80 Euro cents. So for less than $2, you can get a liter of fresh raw milk.

Unfortunately, stores do not sell raw milk, so your best bet is to take a trip to the fields. I’d also recommend asking at the local markets (most towns have them weekly during warmer months), and I’m sure someone could point you in the right direction.

Is raw milk safe?

There is conflicting research about the safety of raw milk, and I’m no expert. Some research indicates that pasteurizing milk lowers levels of nutritional content such as copper, iron, and B12. Other limited studies have shown that drinking raw milk at a young age may protect you from allergies throughout life.

The FDA cites that there are harmful bacteria in raw milk, so it’s much safer to drink the pasteurized version. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many studies on those who drink pasteurized vs raw milk.

Personally, once we found out about this farm, this was the only milk we drank for years. And I never got sick from it. My dad grew up on a farm and all he drank was raw milk, and he’s no worse for wear.

What does raw milk taste like?

In my opinion, raw unpasteurized milk tastes SO much better. It’s way more creamy. In fact, if we left our bottle for a day the top would actually turn to cream. If you don’t want to drink raw milk in its whole form, you could always add some water to get it closer to a 2% taste. But then, what’s the point?

Overall, I find it interesting to see the differences between US items versus what you can find in Germany. Organic eggs in the US, for example, are bigger and have a yellowish colored yolk. German eggs, on the other hand, are smaller and have an orange-colored yolk. Also, any German produce I buy starts to mold within 4-7 days when purchased in Germany. In the US fresh vegetables, even organic, last for weeks. That’s just not normal.

Here are some photos of the milk vending machine. I love finding things like this in Germany.

My husband getting change for the little milk machine. You can hear the cows mooing right next to us!

If you let it sit for about a day the top turns to cream! 

This is the dispenser for the liter bottles. I think they’re about a Euro and are reusable.