Three Graces Dairy in Marshall, North Carolina sells the breastmilk of mother cows, goats, and sheep for profit. On their website they proudly state that “All of our ‘farm pets’ are spoiled rotten on a diet of healthful grain, supplements and free range pastures managed without the use of herbicides or pesticides.”
Despite their wholesome marketing, the same cruel and violent dairy industry practices that happen on large commercial farms are routine procedure at Three Graces Dairy.
As on commercial dairy farms, babies on this “humane” local dairy farm are traumatically stolen from their mothers shortly after birth, raised with other forcibly orphaned babies and, instead of receiving the mothers’ milk specifically created for them, are instead fed diets of powdered “milk replacer” formula.
Sadly, there is no replacement for a mother or child. Like other mammals, mothers and babies of all species exploited for dairy form powerful bonds during gestation and are deeply distressed when these bonds are severed.
At Three Graces Dairy, kids (young goats) are taken from their mothers “as soon as possible” after birth. They claim that when allowed to spend time together, “even several days with mom increases the attachment and makes separation more difficult.” Sheep and their offspring are often handled in the same way.
The one calf we encountered on the property was completely alone and locked away, forlornly separated from their mother by a fence. Female cows on the farm are forcibly impregnated through artificial insemination.
What happens to the elderly and “less productive” animals isn’t much better. The older animals are typically sold to folks who “may keep them around for one more year, or slaughter them immediately.” Occasionally, Three Graces Dairy “processes” older cows themselves.
While touring the farm, we kept stumbling upon more and more pitiful babies who had been forcibly separated from their mothers.
Unfortunately for males used by the dairy industry, they are seen as useless. At Three Graces Dairy, the male kids and calves are sold off as soon as they have had their colostrum. Someone else raises them (for whatever they want, including meat production) “to weaning age or beyond.”
Just like other farms in the dairy industry, Three Graces Dairy steals the milk of cows, sheep, and goats that lactating mothers are forced to produce for human consumption. Breaking this unique and powerful bond between newborns and their mothers is not “love,” and will never be.
Three Graces Dairy currently supplies to:
- Earth Fare in Asheville, NC
- Whole Foods Market (previously Green Life) in Asheville, NC
- Various restaurants and cafes in Asheville, NC
- Asheville City Market in Asheville, NC
- City Market South in Asheville, NC
- North Asheville Tailgate Market in Asheville, NC
- West Asheville Market in Asheville, NC
Asheville Dairy 