Oklahoma family is working to master the art of organic homesteading
WESTVILLE, OKLA. – Twinkle was a beautiful Jersey cow that was not only a family pet, but the provider of the Coleman family’s raw milk. It’s her picture that is the foundation for the Full of Life farm logo. The Colemans have continued to purchase and raise Jersey cattle with a small herd of about four cows located in Westville, Okla.
Amber and Grant Coleman, along with their five children, live in eastern Oklahoma and are working to master the art of organic homesteading. They produce A2 milk for their own family and a growing number of customers.
What started as a quest to be a homesteading family and to raise as much of their own food as possible has turned into a small raw milk business with a growing customer base.
“We’re a homesteading family. We had some extra raw milk and we wanted to share what we couldn’t use. It’s really grown from there,” said Amber Coleman.
Amber and her husband, Grant Coleman, have five children: Goldie, 8, Glory, 6, Halo 4, Beacon 1, and Shepherd, 1 month. Almost the entire family gets involved with milking and taking care of the animals, Amber said.
All of the Coleman’s dairy cattle carry the A2 protein gene, which means that many of their customers who have previously experienced digestive issues when drinking milk found they can enjoy the Coleman’s milk.
“They can have dairy again and they are thrilled,” she said, adding that for many, including the Coleman family, the Jersey milk is also the most delicious.
“Everyone has been agreeing it’s some of the most delicious milk they’ve ever had,” she said. “The cream caps are 15 percent to 40 percent.”
What makes the difference in the milk besides the A2 gene? Amber is quick to tell you that it’s how the animals are raised, including how they’re fed.
“We take a totally holistic and natural approach,” she said. “Our cattle are pharma-free. No hormones, vaccines, or antibiotics. Thankfully, we’ve had really healthy cows.
“Not all milk is created equal, just like anything else. It matters what the animals eat, same as humans. Whatever they eat, you’re eating and drinking it,” Amber said later.
The cattle are fed hay that is grown and baled on the Coleman’s land and they are also fed a blend of organic molasses, alfalfa, and sunflower seeds. They also have access to mineral salt licks. None of the crops the cattle are fed have pesticides or herbicides sprayed on them, either.
“It’s how God grew it,” Amber said.
Where did this philosophy of cattle raising and dairy production come from? It started when the family lived in Oregon, and Amber was seeking treatment for what was discovered to be CRPS – Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Complex regional pain syndrome is a rare and severe form of neuroinflammatory and dysautonomic disorder causing chronic pain, as well as neurovascular and neuropathic symptoms.
“I was trying to be as healthy as possible,” Amber said. “I’ve really been learning about healthy living.”
Amber and her family started consuming raw milk and and sought out the most healthy raw milk possible to help not only feed the family, but to help manage Amber’s symptoms.
What they thought would be a short-term treatment plan turned into 10 months at Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Ark., which is world-renowned for treating CRPS.
The family decided to move to the eastern Oklahoma/Northwest Arkansas area because not only did they love the area, but it would be easier to find the kinds of food and milk that they wanted. They found their home in Westville, which is near the Oklahoma/Arkansas border.
That’s when they purchased Twinkle and, eventually, more cows. The family also has chickens and pigs as farm animals.
Amber said that when they got Twinkle, she had never touched a cow before, but she and her older children quickly learned how to milk it. The cow was so gentle that they could milk her in on the pasture.
What’s the Coleman family’s goal? They would love to grow their production and work with other local homesteading families to help provide all the food the families need. They would also like to produce enough to provide produce, milk, and eggs for other area families.
“We want to find more ways that we can live off this land for generations to come,” Amber said. “We want to basically grow as much as we can for ourselves and provide for others.”
