Where to get camel milk in america

Others say it tastes good but has a hint of salty flavor. Others say you start with just a shot glass to get used to it and then proceed to the point where you can drink all you want. Others say it tastes horrible. And also, taste can be impacted by how sanitary the milking operation, processing and storage facilities are. In addition to raw, pasteurized and powdered forms, camel milk is also used to make products such asa dietary fat referred to as hump fat, fermented kefir, soap, lip balm, lotions, bath soaps, facial washes, face masques and bath bombs.

Supply and demand in the U. One in Ohio has only two camels. Price also enters into the picture. For unknown reasons, it became extinct more than 10, years ago. Some scientists say the animals migrated across the land bridge to Asia when the continents were joined. Is camel milk legal in the United States? But for sales to be legal, they must comply with the same state licensing requirements as other dairies in their state, with all of the necessary food safety and health standards in place.

For the most part, those standards require milk to be pasteurized, which involves heating it to degrees F for 15 seconds, according to public health officials. Pasteurization kills viruses, parasites and bacterial pathogens such as E. These pathogens can cause serious illnesses, among them kidney failure and even death.

High risk groups more likely to develop life-threatening illnesses are young children, pregnant women, old people, and other people with compromised immune systems, among them are cancer patients, HIV-positive patients, and transplant recipients. As of April , 13 states allow raw milk to be sold in stores as long as it meets state standards. Seventeen states allow raw milk sales on the farms where it was produced — again, as long as it meets state standards — and eight states allow acquisition of raw milk only through a herdsman-share agreement.

Overall, 20 states prohibit the sale of raw milk. Although raw camel milk is advertised online, including on Amazon. Hendrix had already shown an independent streak when he left a multi-generation family beef cattle business and started a dairy farm. As he tells it, it was all a matter of happenstance. It was the Christmas season, and someone in the area had brought in some camels for a nativity scene. That sparked his interest, enough so that he visited a man in Oklahoma who had been raising camels for 20 years.

He was quickly sold on the idea of getting some for his farm. His wife, parents and neighbors thought he was crazy when he started the camel dairy. Back then, in , he had three cows, a bull and a calf. Now we have head and are either the largest or second largest Grade A camel dairy in the country. But Hendrix quickly concedes that it takes a great deal of patience, experience and understanding to operate a camel dairy.

He uses milking machines to milk the camels. The LiLi completely pasteurizes without homogenizing, separating or standardizing milk, maintaining its nutritional value and deliciously fresh flavor, according to the Bob White website. Hendrix said the raw milk is gently pulled through the machine, is taken up to the needed temperature for pasteurization, and when it comes out of the machine it is around 53 degrees.

Lori Chong, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University, thinks that while a "fair number of people would be resistant to drinking camel milk," growing numbers are "looking for more natural remedies to their health concerns.

Amish allies. Having decided on a product, Abdul-Wahab discovered that most camels in the US are owned by Amish and Mennonite farmers -- members of strict religious communities who wear plain, modest clothing and might eschew cars and electricity, depending on how devout they are. Most of the camels in the US live on Amish and Mennonite farms. But when Abdul-Wahab made contact in , nobody was selling camel milk commercially.

Members of devout Amish communities live a very traditional lifestyle. With persistence, Abdul-Wahab convinced the owners of seven farms to come on board and in , Desert Farms became the first US company granted a USDA license to sell camel milk commercially, he says. Abdul-Wahab had to find creative ways to work with his suppliers. Amish and Mennonite farmers "don't like to be bound by contracts," he says, and "some don't have a cell phone and have to go to a community phone box to make calls.

Camels are milked with the same machinery used for dairy cows. As dairy farmers, however, his suppliers already had the necessary equipment and experience, because camels are milked with the same machines used for cows. Despite the gulf in technology, Abdul-Wahab discovered surprising similarities between his own culture and that of the farmers. As well as a preference for beards, working relationships are "built on trust" in both cultures and "extend far beyond business.

Cow vs. Today, business is booming. Desert Farms sells around gallons 2, liters of camel milk a week, according to Abdul-Wahab. As well as raw and pasteurized fresh milk, Desert Farms sells powdered and fermented milk kefir , camel milk-based beauty products and camel hump fat. The appetite for camel milk is not limited to the US. What will it take for doctors to do clinical trials with camel milk?

Find the answers in chapters of Christina Adam's book - Camel Crazy. But what's the bottom line? Read this mother's incredible story of healing with camel milk for her autistic son.

I was a bit hesitant to try Camel Milk. But it tastes like fresh off the farm milk! My year-old Dad drinks it every day, and it makes him feel better. What an amazing discovery! We were desperate! Our baby had severe reflux, and a friend recommended Camel Milk. People thought we were crazy. Lahoma M. This camel milk is delicious and has been a life saver for our family!

Lauren F. It allows us to fulfill a niche that not very many other people are filling. There are few precedents for camel dairy farms in Indiana. However, the Blakeslees are not alone in their new venture. Before they established River Jordan Camel Dairy in , they consulted another camel dairy in Shipshewana where they made several visits to learn firsthand. They also visited traditional dairy farms and even attended camel conferences to gain as much knowledge as they could.

Grooming their camels is a daily task for the family. After two years of learning and preparation, the Blakeslees were ready to strike out on their own. They purchased two of their camels, Daisy and Ginger, from the dairy in Shipshewana and began building their herd. Domestic camels will willingly follow humans.

They are intelligent and require patience and care. According to Amber, camel milk contains ten times the iron of cow milk, three times the vitamin C, and has properties that are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Like goat milk, it is low in lactose. From this healthy milk, Amber creates a line of unique soaps and lotions, which she sells in her shop located on the property.

Amber's soaps are handmade with 25 percent pure camel's milk in each bar. Different types of camels produce different types of milk, too. Dromedaries have one hump and are native to Arabia, while Bactrians have two humps and come from Mongolia.

It's a lot more creamy, and it's going to allow for different concepts in our soap making.