Butter Believe It: Raising Jerseys, Pouring Cream, and Trusting the Process

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December 15, 2025

There’s something grounding about starting your day in the pasture and ending it in the kitchen. This blog—Pasture & Iron—was born from that rhythm. It’s where our farm life meets real food, where muddy boots turn into flour-dusted countertops, and where nourishment is measured in more than calories.

Here on our pastures in Northwest Georgia, we raise a herd of 20+ A2 Jersey cows—our dairy girls—each one an intentional choice in our journey toward feeding our family (and community) the way we believe humans were meant to eat.

Why Jerseys? Why A2?

Jersey cows are small but mighty. They produce milk that’s naturally richer in butterfat, protein, and minerals than most conventional dairy breeds. Even more importantly for us, our herd carries the A2/A2 beta-casein gene, meaning their milk contains only the A2 protein—often considered easier to digest and gentler on the gut for many people.

Our cows are 100% grass-fed, rotationally grazed, and raised with deep respect for their role in the land’s health. The milk they produce is vibrant—golden cream rising to the top, alive with enzymes, fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E, and K), beneficial bacteria, and naturally occurring fats that haven’t been stripped or altered.

This is milk in its whole, honest form.

A Note on Choice

We believe deeply that humans should have the right to choose non-homogenized, gently pasteurized or raw milk, sourced directly from farms they trust. Milk doesn’t need to be standardized, skimmed, reassembled, or forced into uniformity to be safe or nourishing. For generations, families thrived on milk just as it came from the cow—cream and all.

We started this farm for one simple reason:
to make sure our children have access to REAL food—food that nourishes their bodies, supports their minds, and doesn’t require compromise just because of what’s easiest to stock on a grocery shelf.

What began as feeding our own family naturally grew into a herd of dairy girls and a calling to feed others the same way.

Making Butter the Old-Fashioned Way

With all that cream, you’d think butter would be overflowing in our house. But dairy farming has a way of humbling you quickly.

Yes, we’ve experimented. We borrowed a friend’s cream separator (and yes—it is worth the hype). But in a busy farmhouse kitchen filled with tiny helping hands, the reality is this: all those individual parts and extra cleanup just aren’t practical for our season of life.

So we stick to what works.

We skim or scoop the thick cream right off the top of our milk jars and pour it straight into our trusty KitchenAid stand mixer. When butterfat begins to form, things get… enthusiastic. We usually drape a towel or cheesecloth over the mixer because once the fat clumps and the liquid starts sloshing, it’s anyone’s guess where it might land.

Butter making is a lesson in patience. Every cow is different. Every house, every kitchen, every machine brings its own variables. For us, it takes about an hour on medium speed before the cream fully breaks and turns solid.

Cream goes through several stages:

Liquid cream
Whipped cream
Over-whipped, grainy cream
Butterfat separating from buttermilk

Once the butter forms, we drain off the buttermilk and give the butter a good wash—often in an ice bath—to push out as much remaining liquid as possible. That buttermilk is the enemy of shelf life.

And when I say we, I truly mean we. It’s rarely just me in the kitchen. Little hands are always nearby. If I’m not squeezing butter by hand, the butter ball is happily sloshing around the mixer bowl in icy water while I tend to someone who needs a snack, a hug, or help climbing onto the counter.

Is it perfect?
No.
Does it work for us?
Absolutely.

Don’t Waste the Buttermilk

When the butterfat finally separates, what you’re left with isn’t a byproduct to discard—it’s buttermilk, and it’s incredibly valuable in its own right.

Traditional buttermilk is the liquid that remains after churning cultured or raw cream. Unlike store-bought “buttermilk,” which is often just milk with added acids, real buttermilk is naturally low in fat, rich in enzymes, and full of beneficial bacteria that support digestion and nutrient absorption.

Because it comes from grass-fed A2 Jersey cream, our buttermilk still carries trace minerals, milk sugars (lactose), and a gentle tang that makes it both nourishing and versatile. It’s hydrating, easy to digest, and historically prized in farmhouse kitchens as a way to stretch nutrition without waste.

Our ancestors didn’t throw this liquid away—and neither do we.

Three Favorite Ways We Use Our Buttermilk

1. Baking & Fermenting
Buttermilk is a powerhouse in the kitchen when it comes to baking. The natural acidity reacts beautifully with baking soda, creating tender, fluffy results in:

Biscuits
Pancakes
Doughnuts
Sourdough discard recipes

It also works as a gentle fermenting liquid, helping to soften grains and make nutrients more bioavailable.

2. Marinades & Brines
Buttermilk is a secret weapon for meat—especially pasture-raised poultry, pork, and wild game. The mild acidity helps tenderize without overpowering flavor, while the enzymes work slowly and naturally.

Perfect for soaking chicken before frying or roasting
Excellent for pork chops or tougher cuts
Phenomenal for tenderizing and reducing that "gamey" flavor in deer
Adds moisture and depth without additives

This is old-world wisdom at its finest.

3. Feeding the Farm Loop
Anything that doesn’t make it to our table still has a purpose. Buttermilk can be:

Added to pig feed for extra nutrition
Used in compost to boost microbial life
Shared with chickens, barn cats or farm dogs in small amounts

Nothing is wasted, and everything returns to the land or animals that help sustain us.

A Full-Circle Food System

Butter may be the end goal, but buttermilk is the quiet hero of the process. It reminds us that real food was never about efficiency alone—it was about using every part, honoring the work, and letting nourishment ripple outward.

In a world built on convenience, there’s something deeply satisfying about slowing down and letting food do what it’s always done best:
feed bodies, support land, and bring families together—one messy KitchenAid bowl at a time.

The Butter Reality Check

Some days on the dairy farm, we truly question how our ancestors did it.

Because here’s the reality:
It takes nearly 6 gallons of our pasture-raised, grass-fed A2 Jersey milk—from cows with some of the highest butterfat content—to make one single pound of butter.

That realization changes how you cook.

Butter around here is a treat, not a staple. And while we love it deeply, producing butter at that scale just isn’t sustainable when you’re running a farm, raising children, and feeding a community.

Honestly? Our great-great-grandmothers were built different.

Honoring Fats the Way Our Ancestors Did

So instead of burning through half the dairy for one pound of butter, we lean into another traditional fat that deserves far more respect:
rendered lard from our pasture-raised pork.

Clean. Neutral. Naturally rich in vitamin D. Stable for cooking. Nourishing without waste.

Butter may be a luxury—but good fats don’t have to be.

Lard keeps our kitchen moving, keeps our bodies nourished, and keeps the farm in rhythm—without sacrificing half the fridge for a single ingredient.

This is the heart of Pasture & Iron:
real food, honest processes, and choosing what works—not what looks perfect.

Welcome to our farmhouse kitchen. We’re so glad you’re here.

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What is Regenerative Farming?

What Is Regenerative Farming? A Guide to Restoring Soil and Sustainability In recent years, regenerative farming has gained traction as a revolutionary approach to agriculture. But what exactly is it, and why does it matter? Unlike conventional farming methods that deplete soil and require heavy chemical inputs, regenerative farming is a holistic system that restores soil health, enhances biodiversity, and promotes long-term sustainability. The Core Principles of Regenerative Farming Regenerative farming is just about avoiding harm and actively improving the land. Here are the key principles that define this approach: 1. Soil Health Comes First Healthy soil is the foundation of regenerative farming. By focusing on soil microbiology and organic matter, farmers can increase water retention, nutrient availability, and resilience against droughts and floods. Practices like composting, cover cropping, and reduced tillage help build rich, fertile soil that supports plant and animal life. 2. Minimizing Disturbance Traditional farming relies heavily on plowing and tilling, which disrupts soil structure and releases carbon into the atmosphere. Regenerative farms minimize soil disturbance by using no-till or low-till methods, which keep beneficial microbes and fungi intact, allowing for a thriving underground ecosystem. 3. Diverse Crop Rotations and Cover Crops Monoculture farming (growing the same crop year after year) depletes soil nutrients and increases pest vulnerability. In contrast, regenerative farms embrace crop diversity and use cover crops to prevent erosion, fix nitrogen, and suppress weeds naturally. 4. Integrating Livestock for Natural Fertilization Rather than relying on synthetic fertilizers, regenerative farms often integrate livestock in rotational grazing systems. Animals play a crucial role in cycling nutrients, aerating the soil, and building organic matter. When managed properly, livestock can regenerate grasslands and sequester carbon. 5. Eliminating Chemicals and Synthetic Inputs Regenerative farming works with nature, not against it. That means eliminating synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides that degrade soil health and harm beneficial organisms. Instead, farmers use natural solutions like compost, biological pest control, and companion planting to maintain balance. 6. Encouraging Biodiversity A healthy farm is a diverse farm. Regenerative farming encourages biodiversity both above and below ground. Pollinator-friendly plants, hedgerows, and natural habitats for beneficial insects and wildlife all contribute to a resilient ecosystem. 7. Carbon Sequestration and Climate Benefits One of the most powerful aspects of regenerative farming is its ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. By increasing soil organic matter and plant biomass, regenerative farms can help mitigate climate change while improving food security. The Impact of Regenerative Farming By adopting regenerative practices, farmers can: ~ Increase soil fertility and water retention ~ Reduce input costs by eliminating synthetic chemicals ~ Improve animal health and welfare ~ Enhance food nutrition and safety ~ Restore natural ecosystems and biodiversity ~ Sequester carbon and combat climate change At our farm, we take pride in these principles. We are committed to producing food that is not only organic, soy-free, corn-free*, antibiotic-free, and vaccine-free but also farmed in a way that regenerates the land for future generations. Join the Regenerative Farming Movement Regenerative farming is more than just a trend, it is the future of sustainable agriculture. Whether you're a farmer looking to transition your practices or a consumer wanting to support regenerative food systems, every choice matters. By choosing to buy from regenerative farms, you are investing in a food system that prioritizes health, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Together, we can build a better future for our soil, our animals, and our communities. Your support for Iron Root Pastures you are joining our mission to restore the land one field at a time.