
The Return of the Milkman - RickJWagner
https://modernfarmer.com/2020/06/the-return-of-the-milkman/
======
disillusioned
Our local dairy
([https://www.danzeisendairy.com/](https://www.danzeisendairy.com/)) just
started this and my wife jumped on it as quickly as possible. They've already
been selling milk in glass bottles since they started selling through grocery
stores here about three years ago, with deposits, but now since pandemic,
they've expanded to include home delivery routes, and it's pretty great.

We can get eggs and milk and bottled cold brew and other goodies delivered on
a bi-weekly basis. Since we're in Phoenix, they just have us leave out a
cooler out front with ice packs in it the night before (since their delivery
window is 4a-8:30a). Our old house had a milk door, but sadly our new (1921,
but new to us) house does not.

Still pretty nice way to support the local operation!

~~~
bluedino
How much is it? I know milk sales are way down in general but maybe on the
high end there's some growth.

I assume that in the days of the milkman, it was working class prices, but I
wasn't around back then so I don't know.

~~~
dan-robertson
I wonder what kind of economies of scale there are. A lower price can surely
be charged if everyone in several nearby streets is getting their milk
delivered by the same company.

There do still exist places in the U.K. with milk deliveries and it seems to
work pretty well. People generally leave out empty bottles in a basket with
some dial set to request how much they want.

The idea appeals to me. It intuitively feels less wasteful (but plastic is
very low energy to produce compared to glass and it might not actually be that
bad to put plastic bottles straight into landfill), and I’m not sensitive to
the price or particulars of the milk (except that it is milk and not some kind
of white-coloured water). Maybe it would be too expensive still. Or maybe
people would care too much about getting certain brands of milk.

~~~
RcouF1uZ4gsC
> A lower price can surely be charged if everyone in several nearby streets is
> getting their milk delivered by the same company.

And we can optimize it even more if the bottles can be delivered to a storage
location that will store the milk for the people in the nearby streets. Also,
to make it easier for the milk producers, maybe someone can be at the location
and pay the delivery person once for everyone. Then when people come to pick
up their milk from the central storage, they can pay based on how much they
pick up. We are now very close to the concept of a neighborhood grocery store.

~~~
kwhitefoot
> We are now very close to the concept of a neighborhood grocery store.

Which already exist in most places that have more than a few thousand people
in the UK.

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tartoran
I hope to see this trend come back. We pre-order milk and vegetables from an
Amish farmers market and pick it up at a drop off location in our
neighborhood. The quality is so good that we don't mind paying an extra bit
more, it is actually not a lot more expensive but one has to commit to order
and pick it up in specific location so this particular setup won't work for
everyone.

------
stevekemp
In the UK when I was a child, late 70s, early 80s, it was really common to see
battery-powered delivery vehicles.

The milk floats were definitely ahead of their time:

"In August 1967, the UK Electric Vehicle Association put out a press release
stating that Britain had more battery-electric vehicles on its roads than the
rest of the world put together."

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_float](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_float)

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esperent
Milkmen used to deliver milk daily because people didn't have refrigerators.
Now we do, delivery just for dairy seems redundant.

I'd much rather have a range of foods delivered to me a couple of times a week
- fruit, veg, salads, vegetables, eggs, and so on, rather than just dairy.

~~~
ghaff
We actually had milk delivery for a time when I was growing up. But, yeah, we
pretty much just got milk delivered and I assume it cost more than the grocery
store. My parents still got it for a time because my brother and I did drink a
lot of milk so it maybe saved a trip to the store.

Probably cant get it delivered but there may be a CSA around where you live
for vegetables, etc.

~~~
Melting_Harps
> Probably cant get it delivered but there may be a CSA around where you live
> for vegetables, etc.

CSA's are a good option, but in addition to them in Colorado we've had Milk
Delivery going strong for a while via Royal Crest Dairy, who also will deliver
other things like bread, eggs, bacon, pizza kits:

[https://www.royalcrestdairy.com/](https://www.royalcrestdairy.com/)

It was so successful it got more players into the space outside of Denver and
there are a handful of them still delivering during pandemic.

I don't drink animal based milk anymore as its pretty harsh on my immune
system and allergies, I was quite find of raw milk when I was farming, so I
have no use for these services; but it is a cool story in how localized food
supply chains can prove to be resilient despite pandemics.

But also a reminder how everything old will eventually become 'new' again
given enough time out of the limelight.

------
seesawtron
Have people also started growing vegetables and herbs at home as their
creative projects?

Unfortunately basics of agricultural farming are not part of school
curriculum. I wonder if that was so at some point in the past. Wouldn't it be
so great if everyone of us knew the basics of farming like we know basic
maths? It could in theory result in growing more plants (good for
environment), getting some fresh vegetables or fruits every now and then, a
past time activity to enhance one's mental health by getting to work with your
hands and creating something from bare minimum?

~~~
gcheong
I have a garden but dealing with bugs and weeds limits my enthusiasm for
planting crops outdoors and so in addition to just growing a few things
outside I’ve also been growing things in our AeroGarden and am experimenting
with Kratky style hydroponics
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratky_method](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratky_method)
.

~~~
lostlogin
This can be helped (but not solved) by sticking to a few basic things that
grow well in your climate. As soon as I try something that is borderline the
amount of work requires goes way up.

------
volkadav
Any other RED MEAT comic fans in here thinking "I hate you, Milkman Dan!"
reflexively upon reading that headline? :)

~~~
seany
"One of my coworkers at the dairy told me a joke at lunch today that was so
hilarious it made cottage cheese shoot out me nose. More disturbingly,
though... I wasn't eating cottage cheese at the time."

------
vondur
It always seemed cool to me from the old TV shows to see the Milk Man making
deliveries. Add some other staples like Bread and Eggs and I could see them
making a comeback.

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gumby
Even though the last dairy in Palo Alto shut down a few decades ago (and we
are down to two creameries) milk delivery was revived about 15 years ago. Milk
products and eggs. Pretty convenient when you have A teen ager at home, even
before the virus.

Plus they are just nice folks. When kiddo was small they took him for a spin
on the truck which is designed for quick-on-quick-off so isn’t controlled like
a regular vehicle.

------
seesawtron
I have also seen people going to local farms to pick their own fruits and
vegetables. This is because of the lack of workers who were not allowed to
travel during the harvest season because of border restrictions in Germany.
Not sure if that's good for the workers in the long run.

------
noodlesUK
I loved having a milkman when I lived in an area where they were available. It
was a bit tricky in the summer months sometimes as I’m a late riser, but
having twice weekly deliveries of basic essentials that I didn’t have to think
about really reduced the number of times I needed to go shopping. Now because
of covid I have to do amazon/whole foods orders to get my groceries, and it’s
a massive pain. I’m mostly ordering the same things each time, but the website
is slow (to add things to cart etc) and it takes me 20 min or so to order all
the things. I wish I could have a repeat order of simple things and then just
add on whatever else I needed.

------
shanecleveland
We have had milk delivery in our area for many years, and much more than milk.
We love it. A larger operation:
[https://www.smithbrothersfarms.com](https://www.smithbrothersfarms.com)

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nxc18
This is wonderful, and with the advent of the internet/easy telecommunication,
it would be great to be able to order additional things as part of the
delivery. I'm particularly interested in the reduction of packaging waste that
this would enable.

I've got a local jam maker who creates truly wonderful products. She delivers
and also can re-use jars; its one or two steps away from being a milkman type
deal. Farmers markets are a great way to find vendors who can do this, at
least in my little part of socal. I've got a nut guy, a baker, and a jam maker
and I love supporting these kinds of local operations.

~~~
enumjorge
I agree that our current situation might mean the milkman model is relevant
again, and it would be interesting to see how tech could assist!

But if I see some VC-backed startup try to do “gig economy for milk” I swear
to god...

~~~
nxc18
I very strongly agree with this sentiment.

I was thinking more along the lines of a google sheet where you can check off
what you want delivered. No need to complicate things.

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nemo1618
My milkman service has been a godsend during quarantine. They missed a week
early on while testing all their drivers, but other than that it's been
flawless. I get fresh milk, bread, eggs, even ice cream delivered every week.
They don't offer everything, but Amazon and the rare Instacart order fill in
the gaps. Highly highly recommended (if there's such a service in your area,
and they're still accepting new customers)!

------
mattkevan
Since the lockdown our local milkman has been a lifeline - milk, eggs, bread,
veg and meat delivered reliably every few days when every other home delivery
company had buckled under the load. Made getting through the first few weeks
so much less stressful.

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chihuahua
We signed up with Smith Brothers Farms last fall. It was good before COVID and
it's even better now. We get milk, cream, eggs, and carrots every week.

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dillonmckay
I wish this was still a printed magazine.

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twic
Well, that's certainly one way to address the decline in birth rates.

