Dairy Production: Where Milk is (Really) From

In today’s food system, it is not too strange of a concept to think that your ingredients come from all around the world. During your shopping, you may grab pasta from Italy, coffee from Ethiopia, or even snack packs from China. Sometimes you are after the imported options, but there are other times when you want to support your farmers close to home.

Local Dairy Production

You shop by season and seek out local brands where you can, but expand your efforts outside of the produce section. There are local options to choose from, and they just aren’t under the “Local” signage. You can check the packaging for each item's origins. If someone is local, they want to share it with their customers and may announce it with a special call-out. Some of the packaging can be confusing if you don’t know where to look, though. Don’t worry if you are new to the practice. There are tools to help you choose local.

When it comes to your milk, know it is local. Milk can go from the farm to the grocery store in 48 hours. Dairy farmers near you work hard to ensure that milk is produced by happy, healthy cows to provide you with the quality product you deserve. Once collected, milk is stored in a temperature-controlled tank. The milk is tested for quality control and then transported to a nearby facility for homogenization, pasteurization, and bottling. Then, it arrives at a store near you!

Where your milk comes from will vary according to the store location and brand. If you want to know more information, it is easy to discover. To find out where your milk is really from, visit whereismymilkfrom.com/ to discover how local your milk really is. Simply type in the code printed on the jug and you will see your milk’s origins, proving it is a local product. You can also check in with a local farmer who can direct you to their product. So when shopping local, don’t forget to pick up a fresh jug of milk.