Is local milk better?

Chances are, you’ve heard the mantra ‘shop local’.

Whether it’s on the TV or in your Instagram feed, the idea of buying from local, small sellers seems to be everywhere right now.

In fact, local has become a bit of a buzzword in the food and drink industry over the last few years.

But what exactly does it mean? And when it comes to picking up a pint of milk from the shop, is buying local really as important as it’s made out to be?

Let’s dive into the benefits of buying your milk locally…

What do we mean by local milk?

The term ‘local’ can be a bit confusing when it comes to food and drink labeling.

After all, it’s not always clear exactly how far away ‘local’ food was produced — and more importantly, how far it traveled.

Generally though, when it comes to buying local milk, it’s likely that the milk will have been produced within a 100-150 mile radius, or within the same state.

There are no strict rules on this, but it certainly helps to have an idea of how far your milk has traveled before it reaches your refrigerator.

And 100-150 miles is pretty close!

Or, if you’d like to go one step further, another way to buy truly local milk is to purchase directly from your nearest farm.

7 reasons you should buy local milk

It supports local farmers

By buying your milk locally, you’ll be helping to keep local farms in business.

Purchasing milk directly from a nearby dairy farm will mean that nearly all of the profit will go towards keeping the farm running — and supporting local farmers!

Or, if you can’t get to a farm, buying local milk from your supermarket is another great way to support farmers in your community (as they’ll still get a big chunk of the profit).

What’s more, it helps to make sure that local dairy farms will still be around in years to come. And that means that our children and grandchildren will still be able to drink tasty, local milk!

It tastes better

When we choose which food and drink products to put in our shopping basket, one of the most important factors is how they taste, right?

Well, since local milk is so much fresher than other milk products, it’s undeniable that it tastes better too!

Local milk is more likely to taste creamier, and tastier, and will have undergone less processing — especially if you buy directly from a farm.

It stays fresher for longer

Local milk is much fresher than other milk.

This is because it has a far quicker turnaround time. Local milk will often go from farm to table in as little as 24 hours!

This not only means that the milk is super fresh when you drink it, but also that it will stay fresher for far longer in the refrigerator (because it hasn’t already spent days traveling in a lorry!)

It has a better carbon footprint

Fewer miles traveled = a better carbon footprint!

Just think about the quantity of petrol and packaging that can be cut down on if companies are only transporting milk a few miles down the road, rather than halfway across the country.

It’s no secret that local milk is far better for the planet — so, if you’re keen to do your bit, buying locally is a great place to start!

It creates more jobs in your local area

When you buy products from a non-local dairy producer, more often than not, all of the profit leaves your local community.

Alternatively, buying local is a great way to help to boost the economy of your local area.

This means that dairy farms will be able to reinvest some of that money into creating more jobs — and employing more people!

They’re also likely to support other small businesses in the community, which helps to continue boosting the local economy as a whole.

It boosts and strengthens communities

By buying directly from a local farm, you get the opportunity to learn lots more about the people who have produced the milk you drink every morning.

This also means that you’ll gain a better understanding of the area you live in, which is a really great benefit of buying locally.

By encouraging a closer link between the dairy farm and the customer, local milk seriously strengthens communities and boosts connections between people — something we all need more of in today’s world.

It preserves open space

If enough of us buy local milk, dairy farmers will be able to make a large enough income from farming alone!

But how does that benefit local land? Well, if farmers are able to generate a sizeable income purely from farming, they won’t need to sell the land off to developers in order to make money.

And that means that more beautiful, open farmland is preserved.

Want to find out more about the food on your shopping list?

There are so many advantages to buying local milk products.

So, if you’re keen to support your local dairy farmers, boost your local economy, and drink fresher, tastier milk, consider shopping locally for your next pint of milk.

At Buffalo Market, we’re all about food that’s both good for you and good for the planet. 

If you’ve got questions about other food and drink products, check out our blog!