Excited About Milk Again: Local Byrne Hollow Farm Lactose Free Milk

This sponsored article is brought to you by Byrne Hollow Farm.

In honor of National Dairy Month, let’s have a chat about lactose intolerance. Hey, they don’t call me Debbie Downer for nothing.

I have dealt with lactose intolerance all my life. My symptoms started when I was very young: stomach pain, gas, you know, all the fun stuff. Unfortunately, neither doctors nor my mother could point their fingers at the ice cream I was eating on a regular basis or the milk I was having in my cereal every morning.

Back in the ’70s, lactose intolerance was not as commonly known or diagnosed as it is today. As it turns out, “Lactose intolerance is exceedingly common, reportedly affecting up to 70% of the world’s population, leading to both abdominal and systemic symptoms.” That’s a lot of people.

So when the folks from Byrne Dairy reached out to me about their new Byrne Hollow Farm Lactose Free Milk that is now available in New Jersey, I was definitely intrigued. When I learned that the milk is a single-sourced product from one family farm in New York state, I was surprised, to say the least.

For 50 years, Hourigan Family Dairy and Byrne Dairy have worked together to deliver the highest quality milk. If you grew up around Syracuse, NY, or went to Syracuse University, you probably know the Byrne Dairy name and have had their beloved–and famous–Mighty Fine ice cream and chocolate milk.

For their part, the Hourigan Family Dairy has been putting the family in family farm for decades. Every member contributes in some special way. Brothers Dave, Richard, and Andy are all third-generation and each of their families maintains an important part of the farm.

Byrne Hollow Farm picks up milk daily from Hourigan Family Dairy and transports it less than 25 miles back to their bottling facility. It is then delivered to area grocery stores throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. This is a farm-to-table business that’s been operating for four generations, since 1933.

My own family has been enjoying the lactose-free whole milk in our coffee for a few months now. The creamy texture makes it very hard to tell the difference from half-and-half and at 1.5 liters per bottle, it’s far more economical than half-and-half. My sons have been using the lower-fat versions for their daily smoothies and are thankful Mom has released them from the nut-based milk regime. Protein shakes are big in our house. With two boys who both play football–one in high school and one in college–shakes are a daily thing.

The protein shake recipe below is one of my favorites during the spring and summer months, when Jersey blueberries and strawberries are in season.

Summer Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 cup lactose free, whole or low-fat milk

4 strawberries

¼ cup blueberries

4 ice cubes

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use a lactose-intolerant-friendly egg-white-based protein powder.)

Directions

Add ingredients to blender. Pulse until smooth.

You can find Byrne Hollow Farm Lactose Free Milk in select ShopRite stores in New Jersey. You can also find it in select national chains and independent retail locations throughout New York, such as the Byrne Dairy Stores, Best Yet Markets, Gristedes, and Peck’s Market.