Cookie and milk party at ‘Udderly Fresh' Farms

Washingtonville — Jim Kleister and his 20 “Udderly Fresh” cows are hosting a Christmas Cookies and Milk Party on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 11 to 3 p.m., featuring milk tasting, hot chocolate and cookies, and pony rides from Ivy Rock Farms. Guests are encouraged to bring cameras for photos with Santa and the cows. Kleister has recently transformed the 100-year-old Gauquire Dairy into “Udderly Fresh” Farms, one of the only dairies licensed by New York State to sell raw milk directly to consumers in Orange County. Since September, Kleister has a steady stream of regulars drive up in the morning and late in the afternoon, after the daily milking, to purchase milk. Udderly Fresh Farm is licensed by the New York State to sell unpasteurized milk, The dairy goes through spot-checks once a month by the Department of Agriculture and the Health Department to ensure the cows and their milk are healthy and safe to drink, according to dairy officials. Kleister grows his own hay from fields that are fertilized naturally without herbicides or pesticides. Even the grass the cows graze on in the pasture is completely natural and not altered with chemicals, dairy officials said. There are no antibiotics or hormones in Udderly Fresh Milk. Consumers can buy milk ready bottled at the dairy or bring their own gallon, half-gallon or quart bottles. The dairy is located on East Main St. in Washingtonville. For more information, call 728-6235.