Shawna in North CA Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Would you mind sharing: 1. Where do you buy your milk? and 2. How much do you pay? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We own our own cow but we rent a share of it to a neighbor at a price that works out to $5.50/gallon approximately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We just had a thread on this a while back, but: 1. We buy our milk from an Amish farm a mile from our house. :) We know and love the family...I do a bunch of driving for them and their friends/family nearby. 2. Their price just went up to $4/gallon. It was $3.75. My friend (the owner) said it was b/c the rising cost of supplies and fuel. I don't mind the cost...so much better than store bought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We are part of a herd share. I own a part of a cow. We pay 150$ a share, and my family owns three shares. A share is a half gallon per week. We are allowed to pay off the shares over the course of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 There's a lady in town that puts together an oder from a large dairy farm to the south. I don't know exactly where but we've been buying from her for years and love our milk. We pay $3.50 per gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I'm a raw milk wannabe at the moment, but I'd be prepared to pay up to double the price of regular milk if necessary because I do think it's that much healthier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camche3 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We just started doing this. We get ours from a neighbor. He won't take any money but uses a lot of sugar for his bees and their honey so when we get a gallon we always leave a five pound bag of sugar at his place. It comes out to about 2.75 per gallon. He usually gives us fresh eggs too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I am no longer using raw milk, but when I was, I was driving to the farm and paying$6 a gallon for same day, Oberhasli goat milk. I miss that milk :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I barter college algebra tutoring for goat's milk and goat cheese. When the goat's owners dd is finished with her algebra, I'm not sure what I'll do. She is a good friend, and she's very sympathetic to my dairy allergy, so I'm thinking she'll probably ask me to be on standby to help her son with his high school math, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I barter college algebra tutoring for goat's milk and goat cheese. When the goat's owners dd is finished with her algebra, I'm not sure what I'll do. She is a good friend, and she's very sympathetic to my dairy allergy, so I'm thinking she'll probably ask me to be on standby to help her son with his high school math, too. What a fantastic arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I have 4 cows that are not in milk right now, but they eat $120 in hay each week. They are little cows. Their grain, plus feed for our 50 dairy goats is another $500 a month. I figure we get all the dairy products we can consume for a mere $1,000 per month. The lifestyle is priceless, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 What a fantastic arrangement. She barters piano lessons for milk, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) I agree with amy g. I just feel lucky that someone here does it. Edited June 30, 2013 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Through a CSA and at a local grocery store. About $18/gallon (same as LibraryLover). It's kind of crazy, but I don't think the dairy folks are getting rich off it. The cows are accustomed to a high standard of living, I guess. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) Since you are in Northern CA, you should be able to get it at an organic food co-op. I'll PM you where I know they carry it. The brand is Organic Pastures...Here is a link http://organicpastures.com/ Edited September 9, 2012 by Liz CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Through a CSA and at a local grocery store. About $18/gallon (same as LibraryLover). It's kind of crazy, but I don't think the dairy folks are getting rich off it. The cows are accustomed to a high standard of living, I guess. ;) I know our supplier is not getting rich. I just hope they make enough to continue on. I can't tell you the thrill I get when I see their cows on their grass! They are so happy & adorable!! Great town ambiance as well. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) Just wanted to add that I've read quite a few old books on nutrition, household management, and child care, and the authors often remarked on how difficult and expensive it was to get good food in the city. (They were writing in the days before canned, frozen, and heavily processed foods were so widespread. Apart from white flour and sugar, "whole foods" were pretty much the norm.) This is one of the reasons why country life was always thought to be healthier for children. This was especially true when looking at lower-income families in both places. But in many cases, even fairly well-off families in the city wouldn't eat as well as families of modest means in the country. The exception would be the very rich, who could have fresh food brought in regularly from their own country estates. I guess not much has changed. Although it's good that we now have the option of CSA shares and farmer's markets for those of us who are unable to maintain a manor of our own, LOL. Edited September 9, 2012 by Eleanor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We get raw milk from a local farm through a co-op. I think it works out to be about $8 a gallon. If that isn't available, we get grass fed non homogenized milk from Whole Foods, which is just a bit less expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna in North CA Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 Hey, thanks everyone. Here's why I ask. We live on a Northern CA farm and have 2 milk cows that we milk for ourselves and allow a few other close friends to come milk. As my husband transitions from his office job to full-time on the farm, we are trying to decide if it makes sense to begin a herdshare here. Problem is, our cost of hay this year was $260 per ton....pretty typical of the West Coast....making our cost of milk about $2.70 per gallon IN THE COW. That is before we do any labor to get it out of the cow, into the jar, market it, etc. So your responses are helpful. I know the cost of production is much less in other parts of the country. On the West Coast, our hay is being exported to China. Those of you who are getting fresh milk for $4 a gallon...wow. Go kiss your farmer. It also seems, from your responses, that milk of all kinds on the West Coast is more expensive. Organic, homogenized, is $4 a half gallon here. Raw milk from the retail store is $8 per half gallon. We will probably need to charge $8-$10 a gallon through our herdshare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I am drooling reading all of these low prices! I get ours at Sprouts and it's $9 a half gallon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 We're lucky (and also in northern CA). We have a friend who raises chickens, meat animals, and has a cow for milking, so we get raw milk for $6 a gallon. However, the cow in question is now pregnant - whoo hoo! - so her milk production is dropping, and in December, they're stopping milking until late next spring. I'll either end up buying organic (and non-raw) Clover milk or Strauss at $6-8 a gallon, or Organic Pastures raw milk at $8 a half gallon. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewsDK Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 There is an organic dairy outside of our closest town. If I buy it directly from them (waaaay out of my way) it's $8/gallon. If I buy it from one of the stores in town that carry it, it's $9.50/gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamzanne Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I drive about 15 miles out of town to buy raw milk from a little family run farm. It costs $6/gallon, which I consider to be a great deal. I pay about $6 in gas to get out there, but the fact that my daughter can see where her food comes from is priceless. Not to mention the farm eggs are the best things in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 we have our own house cow. I hand milk it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 When I was in San Jose, I bought mine at Whole Foods. I don't remember what I paid for it. In San Diego, I had home delivery from Alta Dena Dairy. Here in Texas, the only way to get raw milk is to be part of a co-op (at least, where I live). A gallon was about $7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I just started buying raw again after a few years away from it. Raw (Nubian) goat milk from a local farm for the baby at $5 per half gallon. (Skin is now almost completely clear:hurray:). Raw Jersey milk for the olders from a dairy farther away that is sold through our health food store for 10.95 per gallon. Both worth every penny!! Good luck to you all with the transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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