People with food allergies and lactose intolerance are always looking for other options to cow鈥檚 milk. There is an ancient alternative that鈥檚 being produced in Colorado.
In the far eastern area of the state, eight miles from the Nebraska border, there is a dairy farm called 鈥淐amelot.鈥�
鈥淚 was looking to do something unique, something different鈥ust kind of the 鈥榳ow鈥� factor,鈥� said first generation dairy farmer, Kyle Hendrix.
In his case, the 鈥渨ow鈥� factor is 40 head of camel.
鈥淭he camel is a very overlooked animal, for sure,鈥� Hendrix told CBS4.
Hendrix and his family started with three cows and a bull in 2013. They鈥檝e grown their operation from there.
鈥淚t will be five to six years before they have their first calf, so it鈥檚 a long waiting game to get one into production,鈥� he explained.
Majestic, smart and curious, camels are kind, each with her own personality.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to get on a personal level with each one, and just kind of work with them, and work with their personalities,鈥� Hendrix said.
Camelot Dairy is a family operation. Kyle, his wife, Holly, and their children 鈥� Evan, 16; Asher, 12; Reed, 7; and Sarah; 5 鈥� all work on the farm together.
鈥淭o milk a camel, you have to maintain a cow/calf relationship at all times,鈥� Hendrix explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a process and you only have about 90 seconds to harvest that milk.鈥�
The harvest yields up to a gallon-and-a-half of milk a day.
鈥淲e鈥檙e averaging 8 to 16 pints a day per cow,鈥� he said.
Each pint is pasteurized to kill the bacteria, then bottled and frozen for shipping.
鈥淲e鈥檙e one of two licensed camel dairies in the United States, right now,鈥� Hendrix explained.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture licenses the operation, checking it monthly to make sure it meets health standards. The market for camel鈥檚 milk is growing in the United States.
鈥淎 lot of mothers are buying our milk for their kids with like sensitivity issues,鈥� Hendrix said.
Camel鈥檚 milk is considered to be a healthy milk. It鈥檚 higher in antioxidants, and has low levels of sugar and saturated fat. Some consider it a perfect substitute for people who can鈥檛 tolerate cow鈥檚 milk.
鈥淭here are some potential benefits for adults, or even children 鈥� not infants and young toddlers who need to be consuming formula,鈥� said Bonnie Jortberg, a registered dietician and nutritionist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. 鈥淵ou would not want to substitute camel鈥檚 milk for formula or certainly not for a mother鈥檚 regular milk.鈥�
However, there are cultures in the Middle East and Africa who primarily drink camel鈥檚 milk.
鈥淭he milk has helped a lot of people around the globe,鈥� Hendrix said.
One drawback is it is expensive in the United States. The time-consuming milking process and the limited supply push up prices. One pint sells for between $12-$16.
