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Area Country Girl Living the Dream

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By Misty Cryer

Farmers, ranchers, agriculture families, and modern-day homesteaders in and around Carlsbad likely know or have heard of Kristy Maley, owner of Maley Farms Raw Milk and Family Jerseys. Reviews and mentions on the farm’s Facebook page shed a positive light on Kristy’s skills in raising and training milk cows and her willingness to help families, and fellow farmers and ranchers.

Recently, she shared her vision for future endeavors along with the realities of farm life.

“We grew up showing sheep and goats, and my dad raised show lambs, and then he started raising show goats, which he only does show goats now. I bought my first jersey cow about 15 years ago, and it kind of snowballed from there,” said Kristy.

Her current specialty is family milk cows. She said she keeps bull calves until they are weaned, but she holds onto the heifers until they are bred, usually two to two and a half years. From there, she said she decides whether to keep them or make them available to others as a bred family milk cow.

“I really enjoy training heifers, training young cows—training them for upcoming families that tell me it’s the best animal they have ever owned, especially after they tell me they bought three or four that were all little Karens,” Kristy said.

“I keep bulling year-round. I’ve always got something pregnant. I’ve always got something fixing to calf, so I can dry up. If I want to take a couple of months off, I can do that,” said Kristy. “I try to keep a variety, so if somebody wants something to milk, I’ve always got something that is ready to calf.”

When asked who helps her on the farm, Kristy said, “Right now, it’s just me and my daughter.” She said that her daughter, Kimber, attends school at Carlsbad Prep Academy.

“I produce raw Jersey milk,” said Kristy, adding the raw milk that she produces now is for animal consumption only or personal farm use.

“I make raw whole milk. I make heavy cream. I make soaps with it. There’s kefir,” said Kristy. “I have not mastered cheese yet, and I don’t plan on it. I’m working on butter, but it’s kind of a chore,” she said.

“I am actually not milking at the moment because I have an indoor climate-controlled barn under construction,” Kristy said, adding, “I’m hoping for that to be done by the end of March or the beginning of April.

“After everything is approved, I plan on opening a small farm shop in town offering local, homemade, health goods,” she said.

When asked what inspired her to get into this business, Kristy said, “When you drink raw milk, next to store-bought milk, there is just no comparison.” She said she has done some research on the benefits of raw milk and that some people she has talked to say they can’t handle store-bought milk. “The reason for that is because once they pasteurize it, they kill all of the bacteria and all of the enzymes that you need to digest it. Raw milk is very easily digested, especially the A2 protein, which most of my cows are,” she said.

The webpage of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/raw-milk.html), dated April 29, 2024, states, “Pasteurization is crucial for milk safety, killing harmful germs that can cause illness. Consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations.”

“The purpose of raw milk is that it is not pasteurized,” said Kristy. She said for people who want pasteurized milk, she recommends going and buying it from the store.

Kristy said she does disease tests and tuberculosis tests, and she keeps a close eye on her herd. “I do have to send milk in for testing, and I’ve never had any come back with anything bad. I drank it when I was pregnant, and my daughter started drinking it at about eight months old, and everybody is pretty happy and healthy,” she said.

When asked what the most challenging thing about farming is, Kristy said, “I love it!” Challenges she mentioned include milking in inclement weather, getting jars returned, and ensuring there’s a profit at the end of the day versus expenses with feed prices.

Kristy said, “One in every 20 is kind of a jerk.” She did have one heifer that was mean, “Her name was Karen. If I do have one that I just know is not going to be a perfect family milk cow, I put her under the title of a nurse cow, so she goes to somebody that would just put dogies on her to raise calves for them.”

When asked if she ever had problems losing cows, she said, “I have problems with surveyors and hunters where they don’t belong; they don’t shut gates. If they get on the wrong side of the fence, they don’t have water, and it does not take very long for that to be a catastrophe before I figure it out. As far as animal health, no.”

To contact Kristy or stay updated on the farm’s progress, visit Maley Farms Raw Milk and Family Jerseys on Facebook. “Maybe by spring, I’ll have a little business going,” said Kristy.

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