Vitamin D

We don't put Vitamin D in our milk. Unlike Vitamin A, it's not required by law. We looked into Vitamin D and learned that the human body needs about 30 minutes of sunlight each week to make enough Vitamin D to stay healthy. We were pretty sure our customers would be getting that.

I hadn't realized, until I had little kids, how easy it is to stay inside. All the snowsuits, mittens, boots and hats are a major undertaking and there is so much to do to keep the house and business end of the farm running, that sometimes Oliver and I don't get out at all.

Yesterday was bright sunny and when Oliver awoke from his morning nap, Jackson announced that we needed "sunshine for our vitamins." So we packed up and went for a walk and it was amazing. The sun was warm on our faces, the sky was that color Earl calls RockBottom blue, and the boys were full of wonder. They found sticks and mud and giant snowballs and Loud Mouth, the farm cat, sleeping on top of the back-up generator. We watched Erik shred a round bale for the milking cows, saw Shiloh, the calf, try to nurse on Loud Mouth's ear, and took this picture of the finger wheel rake's shadow on the snow. We came back to the house for some hot chocolate (our chocolate milk heated up) and I couldn't help but think that not putting Vitamin D in our milk might be a public service of sorts. Like a prescription to get outside.