Willow Marsh Farm
Fresh Products Straight From The Farm
Maura Bannon | December 2011
Next time you're grabbing a gallon of milk off the supermarket shelves, this article may burn in the back of your mind. You may find yourself asking, "What if raw milk is better? What am I missing out on?"
Charles and Darlene Curtiss from Willow Marsh Farm just may have the answer for you.
Willow Marsh Farm is a multi-generational family farm and was founded circa 1860 by the Curtiss family in Ballston Spa, New York. Charles and Darlene Curtiss farm over 130 acres of protected farmland, bringing customers delicious, fresh, local goods.
Willow Marsh Farm has a very popular store, with a wide variety of great products on its shelves. Year round, the farm store offers raw milk, yogurt, several types of cheeses, beef, veal, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, duck, vegetables, bakery items, fresh eggs and hay. The bakery items and the poultry are purchased by local vendors. With all these fresh-from-the-farm goods to offer, you might think it's difficult to pick just one favorite... but according to Charles Curtiss it's not.
"All of our products have a strong following, but raw milk is the most popular," Curtiss said. "Raw milk, hands-down is my favorite product," he said.
What makes raw milk so different from store-bought milk?
Raw milk is natural, unaltered milk. It is not heated above the animal's highest body temperature which is usually 101-105°F. Raw milk is not pasteurized, homogenized or frozen, nor has it been altered with additives, chemicals, or light homogenization. Raw milk is the purest form of milk with all beneficial enzymes available for improved digestion.
"First thing you will notice about our raw milk is how fantastic it tastes. It's like drinking ice cream. We have several lactose intolerant customers that drink our milk with no problems whatsoever," Curtiss said.
And that's not all raw milk can do. Willow Marsh Farm uses raw milk to make their superior cheese and dairy products.
Cheeses are made from Willow Marsh Farm's own cows' raw milk and are aged for at least 60 days. The farm offers over 10 types of cheeses, such as cheddar, garlic dill, roasted garlic and asiago to name a few. The fact that they use raw milk in the recipe means their cheeses come out richer, creamier and more savory than commercial cheese that you would find at the store.
Cream top and Greek style yogurt is made weekly with raw milk as well. There will never be any preservatives or additives to Willow Marsh Farm yogurts! Cream-top is the conventional style yogurt. It is non-homogenized, with a thick, creamy top layer. The Greek style is made with a strainer, in the old world style. The texture of Willow Marsh Farm Greek yogurt is very unique and has been touted by some as the best around- all thanks to the secret ingredient, raw milk!
Wondering how you can get your hands on some of these raw milk products? You can stop by Willow Marsh Farms, located at 343 City Hop Road in Ballston Spa. And soon, you will be able to just stop by their website to purchase some of their products!
Willow Marsh Farms will soon offer the purchase of cheese and gift baskets through their website! You will soon be able to have Willow Marsh Farm products at your fingertips with just one click of your mouse! The online store is expected to launch by the end of January.
Willow Marsh Farms has been in the farming business for generations, offering healthy, nutritious products to the Saratoga area. Raw milk is just one of the fresh, farm products they offer that will change the way you look at food forever. So if you're looking for a place to purchase natural products, stop by Willow Marsh Farms- the Curtiss family will take good care of you!