FAQ'S

What if I forget to order in time?

• Unfortunately, we do not accept late orders. We do send out order deadline reminder emails each week to help customers remember to order every before Wednesdays at noon.

Is there a membership fee, a delivery fee, or a minimum order amount?

• There is no membership charge to be part of our PMA (Private Membership Agreement.)
• There is a minimal delivery fee for pick up locations built into the product cost.
• There is no additional fees for on farm pickup.
  

When will I be billed for my order?

• Your card is not charged at the time of purchase. We securely hold your card information and charge you only for the exact weight of the items you receive.
• Orders are typically charged on Thursday, after the Wednesday order deadline, once your order has been packed and final weights are confirmed. This ensures you’re billed accurately for exactly what’s in your order — no estimates, no surprises.

Can I pick up my order late?

• We kindly ask that you make every effort to pick up your order during your scheduled pickup window, as late pickups create challenges for the farm and pick up site coordinators.
• That said, we understand that life and emergencies happen from time to time. If you’re running late or need assistance, please email our customer service team at hello@littlecaptaincreekfarm.com, and we’ll be happy to help arrange an alternative pickup time when possible.
  

Can I edit my order?

• Members can edit/change the order (by adding or removing products) as long as it's before the order deadline. After the order deadline, the member then no longer has the ability to edit an order. 

Can I make a recurring order?

• Yes! We offer a subscription option that allows you to set up a recurring order and edit it each cycle as needed.
• When filling your cart, select Subscribe & Save at the bottom of the checkout page. You’ll then be prompted to choose your subscription preferences, with options for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly delivery or pickup.

When and where can I pick up my order?

• We have a number of pick up locations in the Thurmont, Maryland Area. Please see our pick up location page to find a pick up location nearest to you. 
• View Our Pick Up Location Page Here.

How will I be notified of delivery of my order?

• We send email notices when deliveries are made to every person who has ordered that day (unless you are ordering for farm pickup). 
• Please add the email (hello@littlecaptaincreek.farm) to your address book to ensure these important emails do not go to spam. 
• If we ever face significant delays, we will do our best to let you know via email. 
• If you have any issues with your order or items in your order, please email us at hello@littlecaptaincreek.farm.

I am having issues with my order. Who do I contact?

• If you have any issues with your order, or with items in your order, please email us at hello@littlecaptaincreek.farm.

Why raw milk?

• Raw milk is rich in enzymes (such as the lactose enzyme, which breaks down lactose) and is rich in completely bio-available vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Raw milk is a natural source of vitamins A, D, and K2 - a trinity of fat-soluble nutrients which work in a synergistic manner. 
• Raw milk is also a healthy source of raw (un-oxidized) saturated fats, which support fat-soluble vitamin absorption, and are recognized by the body as energy. The heart, brain, and eyes (and much more) need this raw saturated fat to thrive. Together, these nutrients are the building blocks of life - bones, cells, muscles, etc. all grow in health in their presence. 
• We believe that raw milk is a God-given source of nutrition for all Mankind, and that everyone should have access to this important food. Learn more at www.realmilk.com and www.getrawmilk.com.

What is "real" milk?

• Real Milk comes from real cows (old fashioned breeds not overproducing and dying young). Real Milk comes from real cows that eat real feed (Green grass in Spring, Summer and Fall; stored dry hay, silage, hay and root vegetables in Winter. It is not soy meal, cottonseed meal or other commercial feeds, nor is it bakery waste, chicken manure or citrus peel cake, laced with pesticides). 
• Real Milk is not pasteurized (Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with many illnesses. Calves drinking pasteurized milk do not survive). 
• Real Milk is not homogenized. Real Milk contains butterfat, and lots of it! Real Milk contains no additives. Real Milk can save family farms. 
  Learn more at www.RealMilk.com.

Why don't you pasteurize or homogenize your milk?

• Pasteurization destroys the life and enzymes in milk, and deteriorates vital nutrients, fats, and proteins in milk. The body does not recognize pasteurized milk as a whole, bio-available food. Since pasteurized dairy is deficient in so much, it is unable to provide the unique and life-giving health benefits which raw dairy IS able to provide. Pasteurized milk is dead milk; Raw milk is enlivened milk. 
• Homogenization is a process that breaks down butterfat globules so they do not rise to the top. Homogenized milk has been linked to heart disease. 
  Learn more at www.RealMilk.com. 
• RealMilk.com: Real Milk is not pasteurized. Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and many die before maturity. 
  Raw milk sours naturally but pasteurized milk turns putrid; processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. 
• Pasteurization was instituted in the 1920s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. But times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection. And pasteurization does not always kill the bacteria for Johne's disease suspected of causing Crohn's disease in humans with which most confinement cows are infected. 
• Much commercial milk is now ultra-pasteurized to get rid of heat-resistant bacteria and give it a longer shelf life. Ultra-pasteurization is a violent process that takes milk from a chilled temperature to above the boiling point in less than two seconds.
  

Is your milk 100% cream-line (all fat remaining in the milk)?

• All the milk we offer is fully intact, meaning take any cream from it. This is BEYOND creamline! -- The skim milk resulting from making cream goes to feed the pigs - never to humans. We love to utilize this skim milk for milk-fed pork.

I don't see a creamline on the top of my milk which I picked up today. Why's that?

• The milk you will receive is extremely fresh and is often poured the evening before, or that same morning, so no cream may have had time to rise to the top, by the time you receive your milk. If you want your milk's cream rise to the top, we recommend not opening your milk, and waiting about 3 days. If you have shaken or stirred the milk, it is not likely that you will see any cream rise to the top.

What is the difference between A1 and A2 milk?

• We only offer A2/A2 milk. A2/A2 milk is highly digestible milk, great for "lactose intolerant" people. It can also be helpful for those with digestive issues. The difference between A1 and A2 milk is in the genetics of the cow - specifically in the beta casein protein. A1 milk is typically the milk of the conventional dairy cow; these cows are bred for high production, but many also have a mutated genetic protein which can cause a higher amount of health issues in humans. Some of those issues have been shown through studies to include digestive issues, and increase of diabetes and heart disease.

How do you keep milking equipment clean, how do you clean the cow/sheep/goat, and how do you keep the raw milk good while in storage?

• We wash and rinse our equipment thoroughly, using chemical-free liquid soap for washing, and hydrogen peroxide to rinse and sanitize. The milk house is in a separate room in our facility, and that is where we keep our equipment.
• The cow is mainly raised on pasture, so she does not often lay down in her own poop, and her conditions are kept healthy. Her diet is 100% grass-fed, which keeps her teats and udder healthy. Before being milked, the cow's udder and teats are cleaned using wet, warm towels, and her teats are dipped in a peroxide-based solution. We also strip test her before milking. 
• The goat and sheep are sometimes kept indoors in the winter, and their bedding area is kept very clean. They are milked in the same way as cows. 
• All milk is strained before entering our bulk tank. The bulk tank is kept chilled. 
  We do not use any regular testing, as we found it does not work well. If we test the entire batch once a month, we may have trouble identifying which specific animal (of all our animals) has a higher bacterial load. Therefore, we keep a close eye on udder health, and we ask our members to please let us know if they receive any sour milk. This usually covers our bases, and we very rarely have reports of prematurely sour milk. Please do let us know if you have any issues to report!