This post was extracted from the article titled, Milk for the Masses, originally published January 21, 2009 at http://www.towseyfrench.com.
Back in the summer of 2005 we moved to a new home in NE Portland. Almost immediately after moving in I took note of a unique weekly visit to our neighbor’s home by a lanky, gray-haired man driving an enormous unmarked truck, which obscured my view of his activities across the street. Come to find out, the mysterious man was Austrian dairyman, Franz Wenz, from Noris Dairy in Crabtree, Oregon, some 77 miles South of Portland, just outside of Albany. Several decades ago, Franz and his family ventured over to the US and brought their age-old dairy methodologies with them, hoping that the tide of corporate farming would eventually turn. After weathering the storm for many years, Noris, like the cream in its milk, has managed to come out on top.
So what’s so special about Noris Dairy products, aside from the old-timey front-step delivery? In short:
- Local products: buying from Noris reduces fossil fuels for transportation and supports an Oregon family farm; Noris milk is pasteurized and bottled on the farm, then delivered directly to your home, and is guaranteed to be less than two days old.
- Organically produced by design, not just the product of a collection of modifications required to meet one of a myriad of ’standards’ for what constitutes organic; Noris cattle are grass-fed and the land which they feed upon is free of chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers.
- Quality, healthy milk production: Noris minimally pasteurizes their milk, ensuring it does not lose essential nutrients, while still maintaining freshness for seven days; additionally, Noris milk isn’t homogenized, a process which some believe can be detrimental to your health.
- Holistic animal care: no antibiotics, no hormones, no steroids… period.
- I alluded to it earlier, but this is a biggie: Noris cows are corn-free!
Fortunately, these high-quality, healthy dairy products are readily available to Portlanders. Yes, Noris products are typically more expensive then comparable organic products from a grocery store. For example…1-gallon of Noris milk is $6 (delivered), whereas 1-gallon of ultra-pasteurized, homogenized organic milk from Trader Joe’s (source unknown) is about $5.50. Comparatively, one-half gallon of Organic Valley milk (source unknown) sold at Fred Meyer is $3.30 (as of January 21). A small increase in price is well worth the quality and knowledge that you’re doing the right thing for your family, community and environment. What’s more, the selection of products is fantastic.
Noris Dairy produces a wide variety of milk and milk products, including genuine farm cheeses (the tasty, stinky variety), sour cream and butter. Noris milk is available in several options and sizes, and all sizes below 1-gallon arrive in a returnable glass bottle (requires deposit). What’s more, Noris Dairy also raises chickens, producing organic, free-range eggs right at the Noris farm. Lastly, Noris produces their own whole-milk yogurt, as well as providing the organic milk that produces delicious Yami yogurt, lovingly crafted in Auburn, Washington. Noris offers all of these items (and more) for weekly delivery right to your doorstep.
Last that I heard from their driver, Noris now delivers dairy products to some 500 customers in the Portland area every week, in addition to supplying dairy products to a variety of specialty grocers. Noris products were spotted on the shelves of Whole Foods in downtown Portland, and used to grace the shelves of New Seasons. The Little Red Bike Cafe in Portland also uses Noris milk in their daily operations.
To start receiving Noris deliveries at your home, simply download an order form from the Noris Web site and then call to place the order, or simply fax in a completed form. I recommend calling before you order for the first time to see what day they will be delivering in your neighborhood. When your delivery day arrives, simply place a cooler on your porch, leave a check for the correct amount, and the driver will take care of the rest. Franz no longer delivers to our home, replaced by a nice chap piloting a smaller truck. Once you’ve received your first delivery, expect the driver to arrive each week thereafter. For subsequent weeks, you don’t need to phone/fax in advance; just leave your payment along with a completed order form in/on the cooler.
To learn more about why Noris Dairy is a great option for those seeking more from their dairy products, check out the article, Milk for the Masses.
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Noris milk can also be found at Food Front in Hillsdale and at the Hillsdale farmers market. This works very well for my family, which includes two low-volume little ones and a vegan-atarian and just can’t quite get through a whole order in a week. I have not found Noris eggs retail yet, though, which makes me sad. Those eggs are fabulous! Just like the description from Omnivore’s Dilemma: bright yellow yolks that stand up and scream healthy wonder in your face.
I buy Noris milk at People’s Coop in SE Portland. I buy a half-gallon (less than $4) and freeze it in pint-sized portions since I can’t finish the whole bottle before it spoils. I save some money (quarts are over $2 each), and I’ve also always got an empty bottle to return when I buy a new one, thereby avoiding paying the bottle deposit over and over again.
i hold my cereal bowl directly underneath the cow every morning
I drink your milk. I drink it up!
something else worth mentioning: for folks who like to produce their own espresso beverages at home, note that homogenized milk has a tendency to produce microfoam more easily than non-homogenized milk. as the fat molecules are more evenly distributed throughout the homogenized milk, it performs more consistently when frothing.
microfoam is challenging to achieve regardless of what equipment and milk you’re using, so make sure to appreciate the beauty of the next mocha you purchase from stumptown, nw coffee house, albina press, fresh pot, etc.
if you use noris milk for producing microfoam at home, make sure:
1) the milk is super cold
2) the milk is as fresh as possible
3) the milk is shaken considerably just in advance of frothing
4) the frothing pitcher is ice cold
lastly, higher fat content milk will produce a more velvety microfoam, so don’t skimp on the whole milk.
There are even more benefits to drinking organic milk than those listed. Besides the fact that for many of us milk delivery brings back a host of memories, there is also a dental patient reward – less trips to the dentist because whole milk improves the strength of your teeth!
Apparently we only like to hear things that we agree with on this site. Everything else is censored. Cheesey. Enjoy the microfoam, the posh milk deliver service, and the nicey-nice comments. Don’t think too hard.
Huh…wha? Comments aren’t ever censored or deleted on the site. If you think you know differently, I’d love to hear about it, please – email me at betsy at ourpdx dot net, please. (I’d email you directly, but you didn’t leave a legit email address…)
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