Donkey River Farm · Liberty, South Carolina
Raw A2 milk, near Greenville SC
Raw A2 cow milk from our pasture-raised Jersey herd in Liberty. $6 a half gallon, picked up at the farm Wednesdays and Fridays.
Available now
Raw A2 pet milk from our Jersey girls
Our Jersey cows graze on pasture here in Liberty, about 30 minutes from downtown Greenville and 15 from Clemson. The milk goes straight from the parlor into chilled glass — raw, unhomogenized, nothing added and nothing taken out.
- Size
- Half gallon, glass jar
- Milk
- $6
- Jar deposit
- $3, one time — refunded or reused when you bring it back
- Pickup
- Wednesdays & Fridays, 4–6 PM
- Sold for
- Pet consumption only
The $3 jar deposit is a one-time charge. Bring your clean jar back on your next pickup and you won't pay it again. Local pickup at the farm only — order by the night before your pickup day.
Need milk sooner? Text 864-624-7850 and we'll make accommodations.
Pet consumption only
Our raw milk is sold as a pet food product. It is not for human consumption and is not sold, labeled, or represented as a human food.
Our South Carolina Grade A raw dairy permit is in progress. When it comes through, we'll update this page and let the family list know.
What makes our raw pet milk different
A2 Jersey genetics
Our girls carry the A2 beta-casein gene. Jerseys are one of the breeds where that variant runs strong.
One small Upstate herd
Pasture raised, named, and handled by our family right here in Liberty.
Bottled the same day
Chilled from the parlor into glass, usually within the hour. You pick it up the day it's milked.
Milking experience coming soon
We're putting together a hands-on milking experience so you can see exactly where your jar comes from.
Going deeper
Interested in the difference between A1 and A2?
Cow's milk contains beta-casein, a protein that comes in two forms, A1 and A2. Which one a cow produces comes down to her genetics. Most common dairy breeds carry a mix; Jerseys, Guernseys and several heritage breeds more often carry A2. Ours do.
The interest comes from what happens during digestion. A1 beta-casein releases a peptide called beta-casomorphin-7. A2 doesn't. Whether that difference matters is still genuinely debated, and we'd rather show you the evidence than tell you what to conclude.
Jianqin S, Leiming X, Lu X, Yelland GW, Ni J, Clarke A. Effects of milk containing only A2 beta casein versus milk containing both A1 and A2 beta casein proteins on gastrointestinal physiology, symptoms of discomfort, and cognitive behavior of people with self-reported intolerance to traditional cows' milk. Nutrition Journal. 2016;15:35.
A double-blind randomized crossover trial. Forty-five adults who reported trouble with regular milk drank A1/A2 milk and A2-only milk for two weeks each. Participants reported more digestive discomfort and showed higher inflammatory markers on the conventional milk. Note that this study was funded by the a2 Milk Company.
European Food Safety Authority. Scientific Report prepared by a DATEX Working Group on the potential health impact of beta-casomorphins and related peptides. EFSA Scientific Report. 2009;231:1–107.
The counterweight, and a thorough one. After reviewing the literature, EFSA concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship between dietary intake of beta-casomorphin-7 and non-communicable disease could not be established, and that a formal risk assessment was not warranted.
Both of these studied people, not animals. We are not aware of comparable research in dogs or cats, and we make no health claims about what our milk does for your pet. We raise A2 cows because that's the herd we have, and we think you deserve to know what the research does and doesn't show.
Questions we get
When and where do I pick up raw pet milk near Greenville?
Wednesdays and Fridays, 4–6 PM, at the farm — 1576 Greenville Hwy, Liberty, SC 29657. About 35 minutes from downtown Greenville, 20 from Clemson and 15 from Easley.
How does the jar deposit work?
Your first order is $9 — $6 for the milk and a one-time $3 deposit on the glass jar. Bring the clean jar back on your next pickup and you'll just pay $6 from then on.
What if I need milk before the next pickup day?
Text us at 864-624-7850 and we'll make accommodations where we can.
What is A2 milk?
Cows produce one of two forms of the beta-casein protein, A1 or A2, depending on their genetics. Jerseys more often carry the A2 variant. Our herd is A2.
How long does it keep?
Refrigerated in the sealed jar, about 7 to 10 days. It separates as the cream rises — normal for unhomogenized milk. Shake before serving.
Can I buy raw milk for myself?
Our milk is sold for pet consumption only while our South Carolina Grade A raw dairy permit is in progress.
Do you deliver?
No — farm pickup only, so the milk stays cold and we get to say hello.
The farm store
Opening this fall
We're fixing up the blue shed by the road to be the farm store, and we're hoping to open by fall. Here's what's headed for the shelves:
- Sourdough bread and bagels, baked here
- Farm-fresh eggs from the flock
- Seasonal baked goods and gift boxes
- Pantry goods from makers we know in the Upstate