Meet the Barnes Family
Ranching is more than a lifestyle for our family of 5. You will discover cattle, horses, dogs, chickens, and the occasional stray cat when visiting our property. Malloree was no stranger to riding horses in her hometown of Pueblo, CO. After moving to Nebraska and eventually meeting Ty, she fell in love with the ranching lifestyle and never looked back! The ranching lifestyle has taught their children many life skills that many kids won't experience in a lifetime.
Ty and Malloree were always feeding extra bottle calves throughout calving. Ty had grown up with nurse cows that helped to support extra babies throughout calving. After weighing the benefits of having a nurse cow on the ranch, one day they decided to buy their first milk cow together, Gertrude. This cow would now help support their extra calves, and she did just that! Later one of Malloree's friends would approach her about buying another nurse cow because, as she said, "You can't just have one!" The rest is history. Malloree got the bug and decided to start milking her cows for some friends asking about raw milk. New to raw milk, never had they tasted such good, wholesome milk!
They started making other goods from raw milk, including butter, whip cream, and ice cream. Word of mouth spread quickly, and Malloree had established a weekly customer base and some bulk buyers. The "milk stuff" began taking up Malloree's kitchen, so she started the search for a larger space.
In December of 2020, Malloree's father in law, husband, and good friends helped her secure a building. It soon became known as The Milk House.
The Milk House is convenient to Interstate 80 and only a 15-minute drive from Gothenburg or Brady, NE. Enjoy our varied nearby scenery, from rough cedar tree hills to the beautiful Nebraska Sandhills.
The Cows
Quality... not quantity!
We are proud to use home raised cattle that are raised from conception here at The Milk House! We strive to produce high quality, gentle genetics that will last. From Jersey Crossbreds to full blood Jersey's, we keep quality on the forefront.
The girls who produce "the good stuff," for The Milk House are all put to the test from the day they are born. Through a rigorous training program that we put every cow through, they gain confidence in all tasks that we ask of them. From milking twice daily to making trips into town to visit the school kids or nursing homes or even feeding the extra calves throughout calving. Most of our girls even get to go through our local 4H program where they help kids develop skills with cattle that they would have never had an opportunity to do.
We pride ourselves on having dairy girls that are not just pushed through the system to make milk and eat hay. We build relationships with them from day one and don't take shortcuts getting them confident in their jobs. Taking our time with them has proven to develop an outstanding cow that anyone can work with right down to the people who come to visit our facility! Hand milking is a favorite of all!
From afternoons hand grazing the luscious green ditches to spending time in the big pen grooming their winter hair off in the spring on a warm day, these girls are sweet and curious and love attention! We love to invite people out to interact with our gals and get in a little "cow therapy!" They know how to keep the visitors entertained and will have you leaving with memories that will last a lifetime!
If you would like to come meet our girls and tour our facility, give us a call and we will get a time lined up!
We do have cows available for purchase occasionally!
Our girls are what this is all about! They are the ones that keep the lights on as some would say. We have developed a program from conception to birth, training to breeding, calving to milking and finally to selling.
That's right, selling. Attachment is the name of the game and these girls are worth being attached to! At some point, our girls come to a point where they have mastered their job and can continue their life teaching someone else what a high quality milk cow can be like. From the beginner homesteaders to the person starting their own micro dairy, these girls know their job and have been exposed to many situations.
Our goal is to get our beloved girls in the hands of people who will give them the best forever home! We are here to help and mentor new owners through the new cow transition and to keep owner and cow safe through the learning process.
If you are looking for a high quality cow that can help you start your dream of owning your own milk cow to supply your family with the best raw milk, look no further because we may have the gal just for you!
Contact us to see what cows we may have available for purchase. We like to discuss what you are trying to accomplish with your goals to line up what cow may be just right for your needs.
It isn't easy to let these girls go, but knowing our hard work of training a gentle all around cow to help benefit a new milk cow owner, it is 100% worth it when the perfect home comes along!
