What does it mean to be Biodynamic?
Biodynamics is commonly thought of as a form of Organic agriculture. While it shares many of the attributes of Organic farming, Biodynamic agriculture is actually a precursor to the works of Sir Albert Howard, Rodale and others who are considered founders of the Organic movement. It is based upon the lectures of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, scientist and founder of Anthroposophy. The hallmarks of Biodynamics are the use of a series of herbal preparations and a strong emphasis on compost making on self-sustaining mixed livestock farms that import a minimum of outside inputs. Its practitioners view the natural world as being made up of more than physical matter. Biodynamics seeks to recognize and harmonize the more subtle, spiritual aspects of Nature in that way that enhances the health of the farm and garden and its products. For more detailed information, click on this link: Biodynamics.

Certification of Organically produced products is done under the auspices of the USDA's National Organic Program. Seven Stars Farm and the other farms whose milk is used to make Seven Stars Yogurt are all certified Organic under the USDA's standards. In addition to its Organic certification, Seven Stars Farm is also certified Biodynamic by the Demeter Association.

Can we visit the farm?
Visitors are welcome. The best time to visit our farm is in the Spring and Fall, when temperatures are moderate and the cows are out on pasture. Winter is, also, a cozy time to visit our barn, but high summer temperatures means over-heated cows, flies and sometimes stressed farmers. Consider yourself forewarned! While we don't mind people dropping by, it's good to make arrangements ahead to make sure there is someone to show you around. We milk very early in the morning (4am-6am) and from 3-6pm in the afternoon. If the weather is above 90 degrees and the humidity high, the cows will be in the barn during the day. If its cooler, they are out on pasture between milking times. If you come around 2pm, perhaps you might want to lend a hand bringing in the cows to the barn from pasture.

Cows

How old are your cows when they're culled?
The average age of a milking cow in our herd is just around 8 years old, with a range of ages from 2 and a half to 12 years old. Conventional dairy herds typically have an average age of less than 4 yrs, meaning that the majority of animals leave the herd after milking less than two years.

What happens to your calves when they are born?
Our cows give birth in maternity pens where they spend much of the first week with their calves. They are taken out for milking and to go to pasture. At one week old, the heifers that we plan on keeping are moved into individual calf hutches where they are raised on whole milk. The heifers' calves and bull calves (we only raise a few bulls) are sold to a group of local small farmers and folks with "farmets" they raise the heifers to milk or to sell and the bull calves are raised for beef. Once in a while, we may have a bull calve that we can't place and they will go to the conventional live stock auction. Fortunately, we don't have to do this very often.

Are your cows grass fed?
April to November, our cows derive the majority of their diet directly from pasture. They also receive a grain supplement that helps them maintain weight, stay healthy and produce more milk. We supplement their diet with homegrown and purchased grains, primarily spelt and corn. The term "grass-fed" when applied to dairy cows usually means that the cattle have access to pasture when seasonally available. When it's applied to beef production, it means that the animals were raised until slaughter on pasture or hay, and have skipped the grain feeding period customarily used to finish beef.

Can you tell me about the welfare of your animals?
The issue of dairy cattle welfare is more complicated than one would think, and is just beginning to be really thoroughly studied in a scientific way. I'm sure that our idea of the ideal environment for dairy animals will continue to evolve. It is a subject that we feel very strongly about here at Seven Stars Farm. Fundamentally, our cattle are kept clean, comfortable, well fed and free to move about as seasonably permissible. During the grazing season, April through November, they spend the majority of their time on pasture. Calves are raised on whole milk instead of milk replacement, after spending the first week of their life with their mother. The cows are naturally mated via a bull. Their tails are not docked, nor do we de-horn our cattle. Generally, cows leave the herd because of some specific medical problem, such as infertility or mastitis. We have gotten pretty good at treating illnesses via natural remedies. The average age of our milking herd is approximately 8 years old, with some individuals reaching into the teens. We hope to show more of our herd's environment and activities on the "Cows" page.

Yogurt

Does all the milk used for your yogurt come from your farm?
No it does not. We buy additional milk from three other farmers. We produce approximately half of the milk used in our yogurt on our own farm. Another quarter is produced by Camp Hill Village, Kimberton Hills (www.camphillkimberton.org) and the remainder comes from several Amish farms associated with the Lancaster County Organic Farmers Cooperative. All of us are certified organic and graze as much as possible.

Do you sell raw milk?
Although PA is amongst the small number of states in which raw milk is legal, we have not obtained a raw milk permit. All of the milk that we produce on our farm is used for yogurt. However, my neighbor, Kimberton Hills Camphill Village, ( http://www.camphillkimberton.org/home.asp) sells raw milk through Kimberton Whole Foods (www.kimbertonwholefoods.com). I suggest you also check out the real milk website www.realmilk.com. They may be able to connect you with a raw milk farm close to your home.

Are your yogurts gluten free?
Yes. All of our yogurts are gluten free.

Why is your yogurt more liquid than other types?
Our yogurt generally has a more liquid texture than most commercial yogurts because we don't add thickeners. However, it shouldn't be liquid. It can become more liquid if it's handled roughly or stirred up. In addition, its texture can suffer from being allowed to get warm or freeze. Finally, there is the possibility of having a container of yogurt that did not culture properly. Some of those will slip through our screening process. Each container is filled as a liquid and develops its yogurt body over the incubation period. Sometimes a container or two will not set up properly in an otherwise successful batch .There's nothing unsafe or unwholesome about them, but it will be runny.

How long do you pasteurize your milk?
We vat pasteurize our milk at 170°F for 20 minutes. I believe this is still considered pasteurization, not ultra pasteurization, although it is hotter than the pasteurization standard of 150°F for 30 minutes. Our culture manufacturers recommend this time and temperature.

Once I open a container, how long will it stay fresh?
Maintaining freshness depends on how you handle the yogurt. It's best not to stir or shake it. Make sure to use a clean spoon each time you dish it out and keep the container refrigerated. Following these suggestions will maximize the shelf life of your yogurt.

Is your yogurt okay for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)?
From my interpretation of the Diet description, our yogurt would not be suitable because we add bifidus bacteria species. Also, we do not incubate our yogurt for as long as they recommend and, therefore, there maybe residual lactose in our product. The Diet stresses eating very fresh yogurt, so it seems like there is no way around making your own.

What kind of bacteria are in your yogurt?
The primary yogurt culture is Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. We also add Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidus cultures. This is a website that can give you information on what the standard cultures for yogurt are and how they affect the texture and taste. http://www.aboutyogurt.com/lacYogurt/facts.asp

Can the yogurt be frozen?
I don't recommend freezing. It messes up the texture. Our yogurt generally will be okay beyond the sell by date if it remains unopened, refrigerated and handled carefully. Once you've opened it, it becomes susceptible to contamination from the air and utensils.

Distribution & Sales

Where is the place closest to me that I can purchase your yogurt?
Seven Stars Yogurt is available throughout most of the Eastern United States. We sell the majority of our yogurt through a single distributor, United Natural Foods. While they do not provide us with a list of retail stores stocking our product, you can find out store locations by calling them at ( 800-323-2131). Additionally, we are working to increase production so as to avoid any shortages at your local stores.

Other distributors of our yogurt are:

Neshaminy Valley Natural Foods

Neshaminy Valley delivers to natural food, gourmet and specialty retailers; restaurants; universities; co-ops; and pharmacies. Areas of distribution include: Massachusetts; Connecticut; Southeastern New York; New Jersey; Southeastern Pennsylvania; Maryland; Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Northern Virginia (as far south as Richmond).

Alberts Organics (800-899-5944)
Alberts Organics distributes our product out of Bridgeport, NJ.

Frankferd Farms Food (724-352-9510)
Frankferd Farm's delivery areas are Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Ohio.

Queens Nutritional Product (718-358-6500)
Queens distributes in Allentown, PA, Lehigh Valley area.

Tree of Life (800-223-2910)
Tree of Life delivers our product to the Florida area.

Can we purchase yogurt at the farm?
Yes, we sell yogurt by the case (6 quarts/case) at the farm. It can be purchased here
Monday through Saturday 8:30 AM to 4 PM.
We also sell meat from our herd.

Can we get a shipment directly from the farm?
Regretfully, we are unable to ship directly to individuals. We are simply not set up to efficiently package and ship individual cases of yogurt at this time. We haven't geared up to do this because, for most folks, the final product would be much more expensive than a local retail price.

Why do you only sell yogurt in quart size?
Our lack of a cup size portion is due to a combination of choice and necessity. We are a small dairy farm that processes our own milk and that of a few neighbors. We've been doing this for 20 years. Early on, we chose to stay farmers and not focus on expanding the milk processing business because we enjoyed farming and felt that we could best control milk quality by staying farmers. By using only one container size (qt), we are able to remain economically competitive with larger yogurt makers. Small containers require a different kind of filling machine ($$$$) than the one we use for quarts. We, also, feel better about not using all the extra plastic that smaller containers require.

Your container #5 isn't recyclable, why don't you use #1 or #2 Plastic instead?
Polypropylene, #5 plastic, is used because of its physical and chemical stability at the higher temperatures present during filling. Our yogurt is packaged at 108°F as a liquid. It incubates at that temperature for approximately 8 hours. # 1 and #2 plastics can't handle that without being made much thicker.

As a small family farmer/processor, we have limited resources to address this question. Stonyfield uses the same type container. Here is a link to their more detailed explanation as to why this type of plastic is best for the environment. http://www.stonyfield.com/EarthActions/Environmental%20Practices/EnvironmentalPackaging.cfm

If your question wasn't answered here, please feel free to contact us at Info@SevenStarsFarm.com and we will be sure to address it promptly and to the best of our knowledge.