Matanuska Moose Milk

An old, wooden sign from the world famous and entirely mythical Matanuska Moose Milk dairy farm in Willow Alaska; not too far from Anchorage. The image features a milkmaid hand milking Matilda, the farm's first dairy moose. Choose your background color. Believe it or not there are moose dairies; a small number in Russia and one in Sweden. Moose milk is commercially farmed in Russia. A farm-born moose calf is taken from its mother within 2–3 hours after birth and is raised by people. It is first bottle-fed with a milk substitute, and later fed from a bucket. The animals imprint and become attached to humans. The milk is high in butterfat (10%) and solids (21.5%), according to data collected on Russian moose; research into American moose milk is in a less advanced state than in Russia, but appears to indicate that American moose have even higher concentrations of solids in their milk. Moose milk is said to be a bit salty and bitter; with a hint of pine or spruce needles. Moose milk is commercially farmed in Russia. A farm-born moose calf is taken from its mother within 2–3 hours after birth and is raised by people. It is first bottle-fed with a milk substitute, and later fed from a bucket. The animals imprint and become attached to humans. As with dairy cattle, calves are removed from their mothers after a short time.The Russians say moose soon recognize the milkmaids as their substitute as her substitute calves. At this point they are released to the forest; but visit the farm every day to be milked during the lactation period (typically, until September or October). During winter the animals roam free throughout the surrounding forest. But they usually do not stray too far, but spend much of their time at nearby woodlots where trees are being cut, feeding on the byproducts of timber operations. And they know the farm as the place for a daily rations of oatmeal, and as a safe place to give birth to their young. One Russian sanitorium serves moose milk to residents in the belief that it helps them recover from disease or manage chronic illness more effectively. Some Russian researchers have recommended that moose milk could be used for the prevention of gastroenterological diseases in children. The Elk (Moose are called Elk in Europe) House (Älgens Hus) farm in Bjurholm, Sweden is believed to be the world's only producer of moose cheese. The cheese sells for about 500 dollars per pound. Algens Hus' restaurant offers moose-cheese dishes. Cheese plain with bread or biscuits, or better yet, frozen moose mousse. Best served with raspberries.