FAQs

Our milk is processed on-farm, only a couple hundred feet from where the cows produce it. It is full-fat milk, which means whatever the cows are producing is what will be in our products. The herd usually averages 4.0-4.2%, and varies slightly throughout the year.

The milk is pasteurized at the lowest legal temperature, and is non-homogenized – often referred to as “cream line” or “cream top” milk.

What is homogenization? Homogenization is a mechanical process that breaks apart milk fat molecules under high pressure so that they remain suspended evenly in the milk, producing a uniform (or homogeneous) consistency. Because our milk is non-homogenized, the cream will separate and rise to the top of the bottle. This minimal processing helps some people with lactose intolerance issues enjoy milk again.

Our milk is bottled in glass bottles, which helps add to the crisp, refreshing flavour. Those bottles can be returned to point-of-purchase or the on-farm store for the $2 deposit and reused.

The glass bottles can be returned to point-of-purchase or the on-farm store for the $2 deposit and reused.

Science! Each curd is a network of tightly woven proteins. When they’re fresh, the acid level in the cheese is at a sweet spot which forces the proteins to bind so tightly together that your teeth will make a noise as they bite through.

Cheese curds are only orange if additives like annatto have been added during processing. White curds are the natural colour.

We make curds every Friday and aim to have them available by 2pm. So the faster they get into your hands, the squeakier they will be.

Over time, the moisture seeps out and the acidity level changes, reducing the squeak. We are only allowed to keep them unrefrigerated for 24 hours after they are made. While they are still great out of the fridge, and can often regain a bit of squeak if left at room temperature for a while, they become closer and closer to other mild cheeses.

The on-farm store is home to much more than just milk.

Here are the other products that come straight from our farm.

We raise Angus-cross, Speckle Park-cross and Wagyu-cross beef that we sell through the store. It can be purchased in individual pieces in the freezer section, or you can order a 1/4 or 1/2 beef if you’re interested in filling your freezer. Contact us for more information on bulk orders.

Whole chickens are grown throughout the spring, summer and fall. They have access to a grass run after leaving the brooders and are usually 6-8lbs. They are available fresh at harvest, or frozen through the rest of the year.

Farm fresh eggs are available as produced.

Additional dairy products are in development, with yogurt being newly available at the store in spring 2023.

Because our milk is full-fat, we would have to either purchase additional cream, or separate our milk to produce butter or cream. That would lead to a lot of leftover skim milk as a waste product.

Until we have a use for a large amount of skim milk, we are unable to produce butter or cream.

Fortunately, because our milk is non-homogenized, after the cream separates to the top, you can scoop it off for your coffee.

The Pettits have lived in this area since 1816.

Our father, Murray, purchased the current location of Mistyglen Farms in 1957. It has grown and changed since then but producing quality milk has always been our main focus.

The robotic barn was built in 2012. In 2020, we were hit with two tornadoes in the span of 6 weeks that caused the cows to have to be relocated to a neighbour’s farm for 6 months while our barn was rebuilt. If you would like to learn more about that, you can watch the video at the top of the Mistyglen Holsteins Facebook page.

We began the construction of the on-farm processing plant in the spring of 2021 and opened in June of 2022.

The farm consists of 235 acres, and we generally milk about 50-55 cows with a total herd size of 130.