Milk around the world
By tammyr
@tammyr (5946)
Etowah, Tennessee
April 4, 2007 8:05pm CST
I am fed up with the price of Milk! we have a large distributor here in our little town, Mayfield's. It is less than 5 miles from any of our grocery stores. It is a supplier for much of the South Eastern United States. You would think that milk from them would be a little less than out of town Dairies. But no! It is higher.
I am paying from $4.09 to $4.39 for a gallon. The other brands are a lot cheaper. The one at the store I shop at the most is about $3.29 and the prices for the other brands go up to $3.89 or so.
I can not believe the prices are higher for an in town dairy than they are for one that comes all the way from Mauldin, SC. (Southern Home Brand)
I realize it is a good quality milk and taste is a factor. It is very good milk, but not that much better. I have been thinking hard about this. I am upset that our milk is higher than the ANY other persons I read in another discussion. Does having a dairy in our town hurt us, or is it cheaper than it is in other towns?.
So my questions of you are;
What kind of milk do you buy?
Where is it made?
How much is a gallon of this milk?
What state ( or equivalent) do you live in?
Is Mayfield's available to you? and if so, How much is it where you are?
.
I am on the path of boycotting the company and getting others involved. I bet the people in our town would love to know these things as much as I do, So I will thank you in advance for suppling me with this information.
I read and rate EVERY response even if I do not comment on everyone of them. =o}
6 people like this
24 responses
@4cuteboys (4099)
• United States
5 Apr 07
OK here we go. I buy Cream O land Brand milk, whole and 2%, it's made in Pennsylvania I believe (we are in new jersey), the milk runs between $3.10-$3.50 at the local store, some other stores are $4 and more.
I also think the price is ridiculous, a gallon of milk is more than a gallon of gas! And as I have youngsters I can't boycott it but I agree with you, totally ridiculous!
2 people like this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I was just thinking about this tonight to. I usually buy my milk at the little store/gas station right near my house since a trip to town costs too much now with the higher gas prices (guess that could be a good discussion too!) The only brand they have available at the little store is Crowley's. It's local milk distributed by a plant about 30 miles from here. A gallon of whole milk was $3.89 tonight. I'm in northeastern PA. I've heard of Mayfield's but I think it was while on a trip. I don't remember what other brands are available at the actual grocery stores. I'm all for making sure the farmers get paid what they deserve and I still don't think they are even with these higher prices. I'm considering starting to buy my milk straight from a farm nearby that sells it themselves. Last I checked they were selling it for $1.50 per gallon. Considering everything you get from one gallon of fresh milk, that seems pretty cheap.
2 people like this
@weemam (13372)
•
11 Apr 07
I am from Scotland and I pay £1 for 2 litres , I have no idea how much two litres is to a gallon , I do know that its isn't really expensive though , £1 is about 60cents I think , so I will leave you to work it out lol , my brain can't get around it , I think it works out a lot cheaper than yours does though , sorry If I'm not much help xxx
1 person likes this
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
12 Apr 07
Are you sure about the conversion. The one above gives $1.45 per liter. She is in Ireland. I have a currency converter, but it is not working.
I think 3 liters is about a gallon. So that would mean you would pay $.90 . That would be a VERY good price.
You have helped. Before long I will take all the info and get it all converted and see how it all compares.
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I don't plan to move to Canada, as that is high. I'm in Southern California and I purchase milk by the half gallon 1% and its 2.50, so a gallon would be $5.00. I think this is terrible, as soda costs less and regularly has a coupon in my paper. On the news, they mentioned milk prices would be going up again in my area. I have heard many doctors saying children aren't drinking enough milk and its not surprising to me, as its not affordable now.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
6 Apr 07
Hi Tammy
Actually, I posted the following:
"I'm in Southern California".
If I bought a gallon of milk one half would go down the drain, as I don't have room to freeze it. Most of the time I only purchase a quart and with the price going up its likely to be less.
1 person likes this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
5 Apr 07
Okay, I realize that this may not count because I live in Canada but I'll try anyway lol.
We buy a brand called Lucerne. For 2 liters it's around $3.49 so if we double that for a gallon and transfer it to USD we're paying around $5.92 for a gallon.
I'm not sure if we get Mayfield's here in Canada, I've never sen it but who knows? The price of milk is going up everywhere these days, not just in the states. It's getting ridiculous.
1 person likes this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
6 Apr 07
LOL. Lets not even start with the gas prices. Ours are high enough to induce heart attacks!
1 person likes this
@MarkyB21 (1545)
•
13 Apr 07
Is a gallon 8 pints? Is a US pint 568ml?
Here in the UK I can buy 2 pints for 66p which is about $1.20 so a gallon would be about $4.80.
(My maths may well be wrong)
That is more than you are paying and it still seems very cheap to me. Try comparing it to the price of a bottle of Coke or mineral water and you should realise how cheap it really is.
Milk is a good, healthy product that is worth every penny in my opinion.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
17 Apr 07
I fully agree and would pay more if I had too. The thing I am seeing is we pay more than the average person in the US. We pay less than many in other countries though.
I had a person from who knows where tell that they drink the brand manufactured in our town. She pays less than we do. Why would that be? They save on delivery costs. Would be helping the home town, and they would look better if we at least paid the same as people who live 100 miles away.
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
5 Apr 07
What seems important to me is whether the farmers who produce the milk are treating their animals in the most ethical way possible and whether they are getting a fiar price for the product. I don't like paying over the odds to supermarkets, but I would rather pay enough to make sure the farmers can afford to treat their animals well and live peoperly themselves that I would want the stores to constantly drive down the prices. Whenever I have the chance I buy milk direct from the farmers at farmers markets. Interestingly, often the price is a tiny bit higher than it is in the shops, but I know its all going where it should so I would rather that anyday. Milk here is about 60-80p a litre depending on where you buy it. I don't get through much as I only have it in tea, unless I am making cheese in which case I will buy several gallons.
1 person likes this
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
14 Apr 07
My point is that some others that posted above are from Tennessee, she pays less than I do and I am about 6 miles from the plant.
I have never drunk farm fresh milk before. I do nott know if I like it or not. If I ever find some for sale, I will try a little bit to see.
I think it is very cool that you make your own cheese. I can remember churning butter at my great aunt's and great grandmother's homes, but I don't recall ever having met anyone who makes cheese.
@SageMother (2277)
• United States
14 Apr 07
We use soy milk in our household.
When my kids were young I never had them drink milk by the glass because I have never felt it to be healthy. Most ot the calcium is unavailable to the body after the milk has been pasteurized so there's no point in loading up the stmach with it. Besides all that, most people are truly unable to handle the lactose effectively, even when they don't consider themselves lactose intolerant.
And...do you see how big a calf is? There isn't really any reason to place something that supports that kind of growth in a human that isn't going to get that large!
LOL
1 person likes this
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
5 Apr 07
Well, I don't have much of a complaint since the price of a gallon of milk is cheaper where I live than were you do. I buy Kroger brand whole milk by the gallon, I don't have a clue where it's made. I pay around $ 2.58- $ 2.89 for a gallon of milk. I think we have Mayfield, if it's the yellow container instead of the white, I think the price is around 3.59-4.00 a gallon. I can't afford to pay the higher price of milk with having a family of four. So I always buy the store brand. Almost forgot the state I live in is Tennessee. I know the price of milk varies around the state just like gas does. Small towns get ripped off because people that run the stores know these people can't afford to drive to the nearest big city to buy cheaper milk.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
6 Apr 07
I also live in Tn. I would really like to know the city or county you are in. Mayfilds is " The one in the yellow jug" Scotty Mayfield and his family are from here and the company is here. If you are not in Mc Minn county you are farther away and you pay less than we do!!
@royal52gens (5488)
• United States
5 Apr 07
OMG!!! No way! I would never pay that much money for milk. I would buy a cow and milk it myself before I would pay over $4.00 for a gallon. I live in Michigan and we are surrounded by the dairy farms. At the grocery stores, I throw a fit if milk is too much. $3.29 is about the highest price I have seen in a long time. I usually try to get it on sale at about $2.99. I don't think we get Mayfield here. I buy "country fresh" milk. I buy 2% or whole milk.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
5 Apr 07
A friend told me that Wisconsin sets the price for milk since the start of mass production. She said the farther away you get the higher it is. I really hope someone that buys Mayfield's answers from a different state.
I did not think about the difference in the price of the !,2% and whole. I use 2%.
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
5 Apr 07
For a gallon of milk, $4 plus is way too high, tammy. I can understand how infuriating you can be. Here in my country, I always buy the Nestle brand. Its about $1.30 for a gallon. Other brands are lower than $1. The name Nestle has been with us for generations and I trust this company when they said their milk is from New Zealand. Thank goodness, Mayfield is not available here. I also buy fresh soya milk from time to time as I'm allergic to cow's milk. A liter cost less than $1. Can't you switch to another brand that is lower than Mayfield. $4 plus is not an attractive price for people who are on the budget.
1 person likes this
@princeworthy (1909)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I think that milk is overpriced too! I try to stock up on milk with good dates when it goes on sale for $1 per half gallon. If I buy it at the regular price at the grocery store it is $3.99, at Walmart it is about $2.99. There are so many brands of milk here I can't remember them all to tell you sorry! I do know that I have never seen Mayfield's here in New Mexico or in Kansas where I am from.
I also live in a dariy town and their are other dairy towns next to our town. I can go to the dairy (Nature's Dairy) here in my town and buy a gallon of milk for $2.75, at least that is how much it was the last time I bought milk there (6 months ago).
I think that it is crazy that they are charging you MORE at the dairy! I mean they are saving the money of having to ship and stock it at a store. You should at least be saving what they would have to pay the store to sell their milk! I would be complaining to the dairy if I lived in your town!
1 person likes this
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
11 Apr 07
Keep in mind I am in Ireland :-)
I don't buy milk unless I am cooking because it just does me in and turns me into snot central. It is the same with the kids, so it is only my husband who drinks it and he buys a LOT. He drinks non-fat to avoid all the cholesterol and ussually buys store brand becasue it is about twenty cents cheaper. So, to translate from euro to dollars, one liter of milk would be about $1.45. The don't sell gallon sized, not half gallons. All you can get is a liter or smaller.
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
6 Apr 07
I am so with you-I am tired of having the basic necessities so high in price. They know everyone buys it! Lower the price!! Anyway, I buy milk by the gallon usually. I am not brand specific, as I shop at various stores, but most of them come from the Fresno Californai area, as that is where most of our state's dairies are. That is about 4 hours from us here. Our gallons are about the same as you listed price wise. NEVER under 3 dollars a gallon that I have seen, and usually right at about 4 dollars per gallon.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
5 Apr 07
Our milk is state mandated in Pennsylvania. There is a price limit as to how low it can go, but nothing as to how high. That is to assure our farmers that nobody will price cut them and put them out of business. So they are assured they will make so much per gallon.
As for what I purchase, generally I purchase local products. Here it is called Meadowbrook Milk, which has been bought out by Dean Foods but is still distilled and pastureized here locally in a milk plant.
I think a gallon is around $3 but to be honest, I can't recall. I just buy it. It's not a question for me. My son loves it, drinks it and I'd rather have that then sugary soda and such as a drink. My girls use it now, quite often in smoothies and milkshakes, which I love to see them getting their calcium that way.
I don't believe I've ever seen Mayfield's brand locally.
@sweetee (420)
• Australia
5 Apr 07
I am in Australia and our milk comes in 1 litre, 2 litre and 3 litre containers (not sure what that converts to in gallons). I just buy the supermarket brand full cream 3 litre milk. I pay $2.99AUS for this. I can't justify spending $5+ for something that we can't taste any difference in. So the plain label one does us just fine. Which is good because a while back we were going through at least 12 litres a week!
@pourfolkes (19)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I got fed up with the prices on milk after hurricane Katrina. I went and bought some goats and have been drinking goat's milk ever since and love it!
1 person likes this
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
11 Apr 07
Keep in mind I am in Ireland :-)
I don't buy milk unless I am cooking because it just does me in and turns me into snot central. It is the same with the kids, so it is only my husband who drinks it and he buys a LOT. He drinks non-fat to avoid all the cholesterol and ussually buys store brand becasue it is about twenty cents cheaper. So, to translate from euro to dollars, one liter of milk would be about $1.45. The don't sell gallon sized, not half gallons. All you can get is a liter or smaller.
1 person likes this
@CinnamorollTK (263)
• United States
5 Apr 07
Over $4 a gallon? That's too much! I've bought milk locally for $2.39 per gallon when CVS/Pharmacy has a special. Otherwise, I might buy a cheap brand of soymilk. Have you contacted the dairy farm and asked them to lower their prices? Maybe they're doing that to see if they get a response. Or maybe they use only organic foods to feed the cows and don't keep them trapped like in larger dairy farms. Sometimes the cows aren't allowed to move.
At least you're lucky enough to have found a place to pay less than $4 a gallon.
1 person likes this
