A2 Dairy Company

Address

St Andrews Drive Pine Acres Gordons Bay

Our milk is produced cows that are free to roam and graze in the pastures all day along the Langeberg mountains just out from Riviersonderend.

They are a herd of Jersey cows that predominately produces the A2 beta-casein protein in their milk. There are 2 kinds of proteins in cow milk – A1 and A2, which differ by one single amino acid.

 Yet, this one difference can change the way the milk is digested in the human body. A2 is the purest form of milk produced by cows who are loved, nurtured, pasture fed, taken care of and kept in a happy environment. As a result, the milk is purer and nutritious. With the amazing nutritional benefits, A2 milk is the way your daily dairy should taste, look, and be enjoyed – just the way nature intended! 

It is Free of Hormones and Antibiotics and our A2 products can be found in all good Organic shops around Cape Town.  Our products are available in either plastic or glass and we use no preservatives or additives. Just 100% natural dairy products full of natural goodness and healthy probiotics

We do not pasteurize our milk, so regulation in South Africa only permits consumption of our milk by pets.

Potential benefits of A2 Milk and A2 Products

A2 is cow’s milk that contains only the A2 variant of the beta-casein protein. We believe Milk is milk, Well not so. Not all animals produce milk with the same kinds of nutrients.

In fact, certain important nutrients in A2 milk are different on a structural level. The primary protein in milk is known as βeta-casein.

This protein comes in two forms: A1 and A2, each of which includes a different amino acid in its structure. The A1 protein may have serious effects on digestive health and many people suffer from lactose intolerance, a condition where the body does not produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose.

However, recent studies have shown that A2 milk is healthier and easier for the body to absorb and digest. Our A2 milk comes from happy, pasture fed Fleckvieh cows and the farm uses no hormones or antibiotics, just the way it should be - The farm is in Swellendam

Our A2 milk is from grass fed, happy Fleckvieh cows which is rich in protein and should be classified as a superfood

Grass-fed A2 cow’s milk contains higher amounts of beneficial antioxidants and a great source of:

Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Potassium, Calcium, Omega 3 and 6, Conjugated Linoleic Acid [ CLA ], Melatonin

2024 Audit

How can you ensure A2: 

Since 2015 we have been inseminating our Jersey herd with A2 bull seed, and so we expect the A2 to be at least 80% by now

Is your animal feed GMO and glyphosate free?  Are synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides used in the land where the animals graze?

We do not use any glyphosate to kill the weeds on the fields.

What are the ploughed fields fertilised with?   

How regularly are the grasses ploughed? 

They plough and fertilise twice a year typically

Are routine antibiotics and hormones given to the animals? 

We use no anti-biotics or hormones. If a cow is ill it will receive antibiotics but will be removed from the herd until the antibiotics are out of the system.

What % is grass and what % is supplemented? Our milk is produced cows that are free to roam and graze in the pastures all day along the Langeberg mountains just out from Riviersonderend. They are all mostly grass-fed. They only get some feed during milking-time, to keep them calm and they get Diatomaceous Earth as a supplement to keep parasites at bay. They move from canola fields to grass fields. 

If supplemented, how is the feed grown (GM crops, chemically fertilized/herbicides?) 

We grow our own oats, of which we make bales for the winter-months

Do you practice regenerative grazing (moved at least every 3 days to allow the grass to recover)? [From Jessy] They are not farmed regeneratively - cows are just out to graze. Once they finish the grass, they move them. Can be weeks. Not ideal but very normal for dairy. 

How often are your animals impregnated and how? 

annually

What do you do with the resulting male calves? 

They go to neighbouring farm to be grown out.

How long do the calves remain with the cows? 

Still coming

Are your animals ever transported by road how is their comfort and humane treatment assured? They aren’t transported

What is the daily yield per cow on average? 

Depends on time of year, but around 30 litres, milk in morning and evening and around 100 cows milked at one time. 

How do you manage predators? Not appicable

How do you milk your cows: Machine or by hand? By machine

How do you ensure the comfort of the cow during milking: i.e. no sores or pinching machine attachments etc.? Do you do tail docking? No tail docking

How do you manage the hygiene in the milk? 

A big dairy company comes to collect our milk weekly and they take samples of the milk every time they collect to check if the milk is free of bad bacteria. The lower the level of bacteria, the higher the price they receive.

Is the milk pasteurised or batch pasteurised? 

We do not pasteurize our milk, so regulation in South Africa only permits consumption of our milk by pets. 

At what age do your cows stop producing milk and what do you do with them when they stop? 

Estimated 5-10 years 

Jessy: Dairy cows are put up to the open market once they are "spent". He actually told me it was 10-15 years that they are milked, but previously he said 5-10 - so I have left 5-10 until he speaks to farmer at the weekend. He thinks they will be given to farm workers and killed and eaten. They don't get much bigger and if they don't produce milk, they will be used more for meat. Have asked

How long do the cows typically live?  [From Jessy]: 8 years. They are never milked to their maximum capacity. He says that in industrial setting they will only live 3-4 years. The cows are then given to the staff members, and he guesses they are killed on the property as they don't go to an abbatoir. . 

What breed of cow do you use? 

We farm exclusively with Jersey cows and have done for 12 years

Are you Grass-Fed certified/PGS certified or Organic certified? 

No

Are animals integrated with crops?  

Yes, currently on Canola

How and when are they slaughtered? 

They are given to farm workers when they are no longer producing milk. Estimated 8 years.