Converting a Food Forest into Milk

[@abideenturky]

I have been watching you, for years , Geoff You haven't aged, an inch. You are a living proof of healthy lifestyle.

[@B30pt87]

That took me right back to when I was a kid. I watched my Grandfather milk the cow for a couple of years before he asked me if I wanted to do it. Of course I did. About a week later he took my grandmother on a week-long trip and I learned what it was like to have a daily responsibility. (The barn cats would sit along the edge of the stall when he milked, and he would occasionally shoot a stream in their direction. I never saw the stream go anywhere but into a cat's mouth. They got a lot more streams when I milked.)

[@TdotTwiFic]

The wisdom in the ramblings, the soft spoken words are so powerful. Thank you.

[@irez6298]

Cow mooing loudly "I'm coming!" lol You inspire my passion in creating a food forest I love what you do and hope to do it myself one day. Cattle and all.

[@edenacres]

I would love to see more about the animal systems and processes in your farm. So very interested in doing this here in Montana, USA. Although our climates are totally different, I would love more ideas on how you cycle nutrients and care for the animals.

[@marketgarden2062]

Epic work my friend! Your videos changed my life. Can't express enough gratitude to you. I turned your videos into a permaculture bonsai nursery and training facility. The Dao of Permaculture!

[@iTeerRex]

Hey Geoff, good to hear from you. Glad your far from all the craziness in Australia. That’s one fancy salad and looks like she loves it.

[@truthseeker6869]

Love your hands-on “how to” videos Geoff - AND your passion & love for your farm & animals. Thanks for ALL that you do!

[@adnanalhasan3746]

You are making life more beautiful with Permaculture Geoff Thanks for sharing

[@allanturpin2023]

Nice to see you back on yt geoff. Nice diverse salad and dressing.

[@mojavebohemian814]

I watch your videos over and over, always something to notice what I did not think about before.

[@nutequest]

Looking at dexter cattle for our small farm for meat and milk. We have lucern trees or tagasaste, mulberry trees and plantain weed everywhere. Looking forward to the new experience in a cool temperate climate.

[@OklahomaPermaculture]

Love the video Geoff ! Great info on the bio char feed as well , love these windows into zatuna and the simple ways to put permaculture in practice ! A big thanks for reminding me perfect is not needed to achieve good results with a good design !

[@kwhatten]

Some people tie a towel around the cow's tail, the weight discourages tail flicking (which could result in dirt, hair or manure entering your pail).

[@jcmustian]

I have a doe that is so fast at kicking the bucket. She keeps the morning interesting ha ha.

[@PermacultureHomestead]

Love you hope you are staying safe and off the grid in Australia... . you predicted this fall a long time ago Geoff, glad you are prepared.

[@degraz7396]

Loved the video but the milking part made me giggle happily, it brought memories of all summer school holidays spent on my grandparents farm in Poland. I tried milking & remember being slapped by the cow tail & the bucket kicked...

[@PeriyaThottam]

Cool. Why do you chop the leaves to chunks? Would the animals not munch on them fully?

[@b_uppy]

Cows have a plate on one side, teeth on the other, that's why.

[@danthadon87]

You can also use Moringa alone which has all the essential amino acids and has been scientifically proven by non-profits to significantly increase milk production in breast feeding mothers and animals.

[@b_uppy]

Biodiversity is better than dependence on any one plant.

[@zaneymay]

My cows like ginger leaves also.

[@yacinesadam7670]

I'm already building my own food forest thanks allot Geoff but it still hard work

[@2509zg99]

"You couldn't have a fresher milk than that, could you?" Hahahaha that was funny!😄😄😄

[@lpmoron6258]

Coming from a large family we kept a Jersey milk cow. We trained them to be two person millers. One on each side. Sped things up. The neighbor always seemed to want to mow while we we milking. I remember the tail swat and the smell of the cow. Brings back many memories. Funny we did not have dairy sensitivities them with while noon homogenized milk. Hum. What do you reckons up with that?

[@abideenturky]

In my childhood, I grew up with cows. Half of our food came from cow. We were extremely healthy. After immigrating to West, I converted to pure vegan. Now, I hate commercial milk Although ,I would love to eat little organic dairy. Not available in the West.

[@cletushatfield8817]

I'm sure you can find organic dairy it you put in enough effort, but being vegan you probably can't venture too far from the toilet even if you could muster the energy.

[@abideenturky]

@@cletushatfield8817 You are right, if you strive hard, you will find raw milk ,/ organic dairy in the West. But, I believe, we should eat from low- chain foods( plants) rather than food processed by animals body. ( I only miss the taste of home- made dairys, buttermilk, ghee, yogurt eta)

[@nancyfahey7518]

Do you miss the taste of a fat juicy steak?

[@b_uppy]

I can go to any local grocery and find organic cow's milk...

[@emiliasettineri3217]

I would like some info about permaculture courses in Zaytuna in 2022. Thanks.

[@hope4truthlight162]

Thank you for this! I’m dairy farm born and raised and this video reminded me of why I loved it so much!! Here in the chilly PNW of America- sadly no banana leaves to feed the cows! How fun that would be to tend cattle where there’s no ice to break or milk lines to freeze!!🥶 I’m sure the tropics have their own challenges but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try!! 😅🌴

[@morrish.6784]

Though there is no reason to grow banana just to feed cows :p Musa basjoo - Japanese Fiber Banana can be hardy to zone 7, in case that is something interesting ;)

[@hope4truthlight162]

@@morrish.6784 Interesting!! Sadly I’m a little chillier in zone 6 ☃️

[@marlan5470]

Your cows must be adapted to your context. There are cold climate cows and hot climate cows. There's plenty of cattle in the PNW.

[@nancyfahey7518]

Yes, but how many eat banana leaves?

[@b_uppy]

@Nancy Fahey They have bottom teeth, but only a plate above, that affects their ability to forage. They like succulent food, and chopping allows them to enjoy it.

[@mitchellsmith4283]

Hi Jeff, have you ever thought about putting all you knowledge into a simplified permaculture book manual for the masses?

[@BarbaraC02]

Absolutely wonderful and educational video, thank you. I learned a lot from watching you. I hope I can adapt some of this to our small farm. Don't have the cow yet, we're building the garden areas up on our Sonoran Desert land. It's a work in progress but coming along well. We've located free sources of horse and cow manure and purchased a dump trailer to collect it. We're feeding the soil and planting lots of trees including leucaena and other nitrogen fixing trees and plants. Thanks for your interesting videos.

[@davidhauser2665]

Great to see you back

[@williamhad]

I'd appreciate more information on that cutting tool used to prep the salad. Looks like a time saver. Where can I get one or how can I make one? Thanks

[@aldas3831]

It looks like paper cutter. Offices use it.

[@ricos1497]

It's just a guillotine. Used for cutting paper and things. Just needs a blade (any blade really, maybe one from an old pair of garden shears or something) with a bolt through it and a handle. Very straight forward to build. I'd probably have a firmer footing than Geoff did on his though!.

[@xiscanicolas6009]

Here we don't strip even in goats or ewe, we take the udder a bit higher. I also put the bucket outside and direct the milk where I want, to avoid the kicks, as the hands hold it all.

[@82Julian]

Very well come back MASTER !!!

[@paulflute]

here's a suggestion.. sack the secateurs.. and the bucket and the weird chopper.. just turn off the electric fences.. then the cows can go and get exactly what they want.. rather than what you think they might want.. and you'll get even better milk.. and more of it..

[@Janderra]

Love this concept, I am working towards setting up my homestead so that I can do this with my goats 🥰 Blessings Gerowyn

[@arrhazes8198]

Forgive my ignorance but do cows only produce milk once a year or did I misunderstood what Geoff said?

[@b_uppy]

A calf a year. Normal milk production is 9-10 months.

[@Rygoat]

I dont suppose you know of where I can source some biochar from? I've been wanting to add some to my sandy soil but have not been able to source it in a quantity suitable for a home garden. Didnt realise it might be also found as a cattle product

[@hope4truthlight162]

Me too! 😁👆🏻

[@vinvan4237]

You have to make it if you want it for a reasonable price. Hard to do in the suburbs tho.

[@thiccityd9773]

There are good resources on making a kiln for it

[@b_uppy]

@Thiccity D I think Geoff has a video on making biochar..

[@pamayan5969]

It is very simple

[@potatopertato]

Lovely video sir! Also i have a question. If i do not have all the plants available locally to me to grow because of where my country is, is it possible if there's only a mix of a few of the said plants from this video? Thank you so much!

[@charleswalters5284]

Yes

[@hotpawvlog9408]

Hi Geoff, Thanks for this video and sharing it! I want to have a cow and food forest soon too, hope it will work how I imagine it and want to share it on my YT channel too 😊 I'm learning a lot from your videos, thanks for it!

[@Sunhoneysage]

you give the idea of food forest to milk production for cows but what about goats or sheep?

[@mlindsay527]

I’d like to see some ideas on scaling this (fodder system)up, say for a 100 cow dairy.

[@davidhorst9203]

Perhaps food forest divided by paddock and harvest times. Rotate cow grazing after harvest and a central run to bed the cows at night and milking

[@jackhiggs269]

May I ask what happens to the Bobby calves on your farm?

[@verdikulk6193]

Does this also works in colder climate, and what kind of Trees you would advice?

[@brittanykasha4825]

Yay!! Was just looking for a new video earlier today. Thanks for the video

[@mojavebohemian814]

Thank you so much!

[@Offgridheathen]

I've always thought that cows are grazing animals, I didn't think cows would forage for plants like this. Goat's definitely would. I definitely learnt something new from this video. Ahhh ok,after watching it all I understand now,your feeding the cow.Now my question is,would the cow eat these plants while grazing on their own?

[@axeljosefuenmayorbriceno2228]

I think this kind of feeding is called silvopastoralism, so you may find more researching that

[@TheEmbrio]

Yes they graze hedges and pollarded trees.

[@b_uppy]

In England it was forests before it became what it is today.

[@beatricemuller2579]

Great Video, thanks. But what do you do if you are on flat Land ? I cannot make a hillside out of it. And i would like to plant a Food Forest. I am living in southern Tuscany and we had only about 6 faxst of little( tralla little ) Rain since December. Thanks for helping me plan a Food Forest. 🙏🙏😘

[@b_uppy]

He covers that topic in other videos. Mark Shepard would be another great resource. You can use flatland (and understand that no land is truly flat). Also look up Brad Lancaster...

[@FunkyKiwi7]

Thank You 🙏

[@Hoireabard]

I am wondering if that milk tastes much different from the milk one gets in the store. Is it noticeably tastier?

[@nathank6137]

It will always taste different, 95% store bought cow milk is blended, some say single origin but that could mean the farm

[@hope4truthlight162]

Here in the US milk is completely separated and a certain percentage of milk fat added back to it per government’s definition. So even store bought whole milk is not “really” whole milk. Also if it is packaged in plastic that effects the flavor as well. I grew up on a dairy farm, drank raw milk all the while. I remember the first time I had store bought milk at a friend’s house- ewww!! I almost spit it out, it was soooo nasty!! Raw is definitely best!!

[@Hoireabard]

@@hope4truthlight162 Thanks I really want to try that Zaytuna milk.

[@hope4truthlight162]

@@Hoireabard Me too!!

[@maddybbboy]

Thank you for sharing this. A regular viewer from Pakistan. Dont have such resources but i do aspire to live like that. milking cows in the morning and all the permaculture organic stuff. Except for the compost toilet LOL I do NOT wanna let go of using water to wash off :D

[@rickobrien1583]

Geoff I was worried about you with all the covid who ha nonsense. Great to see you thriving and well.

[@charleswalters5284]

My friend Armeda died from it

[@malthus101]

Geoff, any videos about making a food forest in lowland alpine environments? Colder, dryer, less fertile soil? thanks!

[@nancyfahey7518]

Start with a water source from creating swales. He has a video on that. While also adding fertility with cover crops. I think that's the same video.

[@b_uppy]

Mark Shepard is in Wisconsin in a challenging environment, read his book on how he managed in his area and how you can adapt it to yours. He's a great resource too.

[@malthus101]

@@b_uppy ok thanks I'll have a look

[@b_uppy]

@@malthus101 you bet!

[@dontemcgillivary6848]

Good reflex.

[@dodopson3211]

Are cow-ribs supposed to be showing? any of the (traditional) dairy cows that I see here don't have ribs showing

[@b_uppy]

Dairy-onlybreeds are normally very bony. Multipurpose and beef cattle are much less so. Beef cattle

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

Aren't you worried about bushfires? ( when it is not raining?) with all that bush?

[@satyajeetrai1067]

This is how we get milk from cow in rural India and some places in urban India for centuries .

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

How many places in Australia have the same climate and rainfall as your area? What use is it to know the benefit of these high nutrient trees and foliage when I'm desperately searching for trees that could do the same in an overgrazed, poor nutrient, stoney, dry Mediterranean climate with undependable rainfall where it is necessary to get cows to help build up the soil. I need a magic wand.

[@tonychan647]

Geoff has a book of magic to get your golden cow 🐮. He has a series of Videos on transforming a barren rock desert in Jorden into a lush green forest supporting ducks n chickens. I presume Geoff would want goats n sheep. But cow n horses would be the status animal that proves his magic works. Just be prepared for the sweat and toil of an apprentice who has chosen a dream that has warning signs of limits n failures. May you succeed, and bless your neighborhood just like Geoff did in Jordon. 👍

[@timsbitsca]

Good to see you Mate.

[@tesha199]

What an amazing video ❤️❤️

[@TheKlink]

do you have people with lactose intolerances do ok with your raw milk? i've got friends that say this is the case, but i just can't bring myself to try.

[@NeilBooth]

Try goat milk?

[@b_uppy]

Many people who are lactose intolerant do better on A2 milk only that is found in certain cattle. Look up A1 versus A2 milk.

[@НатальяПлискин]

And i thought that cows only eat grass...

[@HeatherNaturaly]

I watch a lot of Vietnamese content, and one girls makes animal feed (for pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits) out of banana stalks, bamboo shoots and Yuka, harvested directly from the forest. Raw milk is legal in 11 of the 50 US states, but pretty heavily regulated. It's ridiculous.

[@tesha199]

About raw milk, these kinds of regulations just nudge people into grey economy.

[@HeatherNaturaly]

@@tesha199 Yes. I do not consent to my food being regulated by the powers that shouldn't be. I will eat whatever I want to eat.

[@thatyoudliketoknow1628]

11 out of 50 states... And heavily regulated? Info please, what to read, or something to watch about it thank you

[@dickinsonw6]

awesome vid

[@flashgordon1262]

Geoff milking that cow...thank god i am a vegan!

[@TomFelton-d3t]

Vegans are virtuous.

[@flashgordon1262]

We try to be 😄@@TomFelton-d3t

[@arrhazes8198]

That cow sure was impatient for her lunch ain't her? You shouldn't keep a girl waiting Geoff! 😂

[@eloymarquez4783]

Hahahahaha this episode is so funny! Good job!

[@lobotomie66]

let the cows feed directly in the forest by themselves

[@hope4truthlight162]

I was wondering about this as well and hope Geoff will answer. My thought is cattle can actually do quite a bit of damage as they tromp through an area to graze.

[@vinvan4237]

I would think that the animals would take some small plants they want to keep. Might be best to just plant forage crops in swales on padlocks.

[@morrish.6784]

​@@hope4truthlight162 checkout intensive grazing! And also you want something for cow while milking. Of course it can be just hay, but why not some pruning ;) I bet Geoff will let his cows forage some leaf, it's probably something to do with the grazing management he wants to do in the farm. For say they have lots of grassland that need to be turned into forests, the forest was't mature enough to handle cows, etc.

[@hope4truthlight162]

@@morrish.6784 Yes! I love the rotational grazing model. Joel Salatin really got me geeked out about that about 15 years ago. Unfortunately in my climate I can only realistically graze 3-4 months out of the year.

[@morrish.6784]

​@@hope4truthlight162 have you heard about Gabe Brown? If I remember it right, he's farm is in North Dakota, and he just let his cow out grazing in snow during whole winter. If you are interested in this topic, "winter grazing" may be the key word, but I haven't really look into this.

[@zazugee]

i also read in a paper that biochar reduce green house gases emission

[@chancellorism]

Not a minute too late: the rumen of those cows was totally empty which means they are NOT producing milk.

[@audreycermak]

Daisy is beautiful! What breed of cow is she?

[@b_uppy]

Believe she is Ayrshire

[@vinvan4237]

To me this looks like really a lot of work.

[@LexYeen]

Nobody ever said farming was easy.

[@vinvan4237]

@@LexYeen Sure but we live in the age of technology and efficiency. To me this looks like a labor of love rather than something practical. Something more simple like planting trees on swales in paddocks which animals can self graze sounds like a lot less work. Or have a partially forested area primary designed for grazers.

[@morrish.6784]

You want some good stuff for the cow, so it will happily stand there letting you milk her, also that is nutrition for the baby (even just milk). I think it's more like "since I am gonna do the pruning anyways, I may as well prep the cow feed." ;)

[@vinvan4237]

​@@morrish.6784 Yes but the title is turn a food forest into milk. Well i doubt that all created much milk? A cup? With a lot of work.

[@morrish.6784]

​@@vinvan4237 Geoff mentioned it's about 8 litre by the time he's done. Cows produce lots of milk, average is about 30 Litre per day. Depend on the farm size, most smaller farm will like to have smaller cattle due to their weight and feed. Even with that, most farm can do quite well with just one cow, check out "Reviving the Independent Farmstead with Shawn & Beth Dougherty" on Living Web Farm if you are interested in this topic.

[@chancellorism]

Why not change the fencing and just let them graze. One little bucket isnt going to do it.

Turning food forest into cheese?

[@xiscanicolas6009]

Imagine all that is needed to make all this luxurious infrastucture... I have all the mentionned species, but none of the supplements... lol kelp maybe in an organic shop?

[@servantofgod5642]

If a tree is constipated it needs a prune!😅😂

[@codniggh1139]

can be escalated to a bigger production? it seems to time consuming, I think that the best for cows is regenerative grazing.

[@gaiazyme]

☀️

[@rachellestringer]

"Daisy you want breakfast?" Daisy- *_"Hell yeah!"_* Lol Daisy is beauuuuutiful- what breed is she?

[@yogendermohann]

Happy to see you after a loong time sir. I hope you that you could upload more regularly. Looking more and more healthy sir Thank you for the knowledge for past few years Sir there is a similarity that i see in permaculture technique and the techniques my grandfather tells me that he used to do back in 60's in kullu that comes in middle Himalayas that they used the things available to them in most efficient way. I think permaculture what i understood from my learning is effective efficient use of native resources and based on commonsense.

[@DevinARobinson]

1:52 lolololol

[@osmanbussines1813]

🔥🔥🔥

[@nancyfahey7518]

Damn, if doesn't make me want to get a cow.

[@Mr53000]

Lol. You’re making me wish I was your cow!

[@karenishness1]

Genesis 1:29 Eat the seed bearing fruit- this shall be your meat.

[@katherinecockerham6315]

Genesis 9:3 & 4 "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is , its blood.

[@karenishness1]

@@katherinecockerham6315 Think again. The blood is in the meat. You can't get it out. Written by the God that needs gold. Genesis 2:12.

[@katherinecockerham6315]

@@karenishness1 It's the same God giving good gifts to the people of the earth. Kosher and halal butchery is all about draining the blood, if you believe that people are restricted to the Old Testament laws that you are referring to. I don't want to get into a religious argument on fine points of Biblical exegesis but I did feel that I needed to reply with a balancing text to the one you quoted.

[@karenishness1]

@@katherinecockerham6315 You are simply making excuses for your vampirism.

[@b_uppy]

@Kinnin Igan Kosher practices are there for a reason. And Katharine is not a cow. You seem to be having one though.

[@Peter111ization]

Some very interesting videos, but milk is for growing off-springs not for adults of another species!

[@chrisandthat]

Bet the milk is really creamy.

[@zoegasbayuindra8322]

how funny mister when you drink milk direct from daisy haha

[@aron8949]

Holy cow!!!

[@astursistemas]

Hello Geoff, wonderful and incredible instructive video, I appreciate it a lot, thanks, it got my big like. Why did not tie its legs with a rope? it would be safer for you and the bucket. I will love to try that milk completely raw like you did XD it must be delicious and nutritious, that is a blessing we do not have in a big city, best regards.

[@b_uppy]

Not likely safe if the cow tips due to loss of balance.

[@astursistemas]

@@b_uppy Where I bought the milk they were pigeonholed in a narrow place where the cow could not move and they tied their hind legs. Regards.

[@NeilBooth]

Daisy looks abit malnourished

[@charleswalters5284]

Dairy cows are thinner than beef cattle

[@b_uppy]

@@charleswalters5284 Not thinner, they are bonier.

[@Darkstar001]

Id rather turn it into soy milk

[@kyleburdick8771]

Probably more work to do that.

[@jackhiggs269]

@@kyleburdick8771 grow soy bean, cook soy bean, blend soy bean?

[@cyrusp100]

My favourite milk is macadamia milk. A really easy tree to grow in the subtropics and really easy to turn into milk too.

[@morrish.6784]

​@@jackhiggs269 you also need to calculate the main energy conversion, once annual crop start to flower, they are only focus on produce seeds. The efficiency of photosynthesis goes down till you harvest it. Though I love soy milk, cattle are fantastic, checkout Allan Savory's TED Talk. The most productive system is forest, and now you can even integrate with cattle!

[@b_uppy]

You poor thing...

[@joebobjenkins7837]

Not trying to be a downer but that cow looks super skinny.

[@nathank6137]

Thats a healthy cow, no soy or corn

[@hope4truthlight162]

Dairy breeds are very lean. They put all their energy into milk production rather than meat. That is what differentiates a dairy breed from a beef breed. They do look boney- but if you notice the glistening of her hide and nice full under belly- she’s actually quite healthy! ❤️🐮

[@b_uppy]

Dairy cattle are bony. Farmers will often breed a beef cow to a young dairy cow so birthing is easier...

[@fjalar4856]

I'm about to throw up 15:57. Cow's milk is for calves. Unhealthy for humans. Animal liberation!

[@Collin4486]

Great vid