Buying Local Milk

Buying local products has become more important as people want to support their local economy and reduce waste. As a mom, I want to make sure I am feeding my kids healthy and nutritious products that also benefit our neighbors. Our local grocery store sells flour from Kansas, local eggs, and flowers grown in the county. But what about milk? Unless you are buying it from a farmer that does their own bottling, how do you know if you are buying local milk? Chances are, you are and you don’t even know it!

Milk is at the farm for 24 to 48 hours before it is shipped to the processing plant. There it is processed by pasteurization and homogenization as well as fortified with vitamins D and A before it is bottled and shipped to the store. Processing takes one to two days to complete to make the total trip from farm to store anywhere from 2 to 3 days. On average, milk travels 315 miles from the farm to your local store. – USDairy.com

Know You are Buying Local Milk

So how to make sure you are buying milk local to you? There’s a website for that!

Step 1: Check for the code on your milk bottle. It begins with 2 digits, has a dash and then ends with 1 to 5 digits. It’s usually by the best by date. More instructions here.

Step 2: Go to whereismymilkfrom.com and type in the code on the bottle. (Without the dash.)

Step 3: Press “Find it!” and discover where your milk is bottled!

Yes! It really is that easy! Plant codes can be found on other dairy products as well, like cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt. You can determine if the brand you are buying is local or if it is farther away. Some brands come from the same plant and are processed by the same equipment, they just have a different label. Being the same product from the same farms, you can expect the same quality and can choose to buy the cheaper brand if you desire.

From Our Family to Yours!

Milk from our family farm is shipped to Hiland Dairy in Kansas City, MO. It is bottled as a few different brands, but the plant code on each brand is the same: 29-162. Of course, there are many different farms that send their milk to Hiland Dairy, but as 97% of dairy farms are family owned, you can be sure you are supporting local family business. Thank you for doing so!