Why is milk from Cliftons Farm so expensive?
Are you thinking; "Why is milk from Cliftons Farm so expensive?"
Let me explain.
We are constantly being told by the media that there is a major cost of living crisis and that food is more expensive than ever before. The reality is that food has never been as cheap as it has been in recent times but equally, in my opinion the quality has never been as poor. The law stops me from sharing how good raw milk is for your health without scientific proof, but we see on a daily basis the benefit diet changes have on the people we are in contact with, you, our customers. Society seems to have lost focus on the link between the food we eat and the impact that it has on our health. With this in mind I would like to take a moment of your time to explain what we do differently here at Cliftons Farm to ensure that although the milk you receive from us is just milk, it should not be compared on an equal footing with the supermarket offering at £1.20 for 2pt (1.14 litres).
In my opinion, our health starts with the soil our food is grown in or raised on. It is my belief that any man made chemicals have a seriously detrimental effect on the soil life. This soil life is essential to ensuring the uptake of the trace elements by the plants growing in the soil. Those trace elements are what keep our animals healthy and in turn, you, our customers healthy. Most of the land here at Cliftons Farm will not have seen any man made chemicals for over 25 years and we are working hard to ensure the soil life is nurtured in order to maximise its benefit.
The diet of the cows is predominantly grass based with a small amount of cereals and pulses used to balance their diet when the grass available would not give a balanced diet. Linseed is given to ensure the omega 3:6 ratio is kept in balance which is essential to maintaining health, along with Apple Cider Vinegar. We have not used any antibiotics in the milking herd since early in 2021 and believe our cows are healthier than ever before.
When producing raw milk you need to be sure that the milk the cows are producing is healthy milk, this means you need to know the cows and effectively give the cows a health check before milking. The larger the herd of cows the less chance this will happen. As we have a small herd we know our cows and their individual personalities and can spot issues much quicker. This means we cannot take advantage of economies of scale.
Temperature control is essential in limiting bacterial growth in raw milk and ensuring the maximum shelf life. Most of our milk is down to below 7℃ within 5 mins of milking and quickly below 2℃ to ensure it will last for a full week as long as this temperature is maintained. Equally as important is the cleanliness of the milking plant. Cold rinses with harsh chemicals are becoming commonplace in the dairy industry but producing raw milk especially with a very high fat content requires heat and lots of it. An essential when it comes to raw milk, teats must be scrupulously clean before milking which takes time and dedication. When deciding if a cow's milk is fit for us to sell we have far stricter criteria than those selling to the supermarkets. This results in more waste and cost involved. All of these extra costs added together means that raw milk produced across the country adds around £1.20 per bottle (2pt) to the price of the milk in the supermarket.
As I'm sure you are aware, most of our cows are Jerseys. The milk produced from our cows has a far higher fat content than that in the supermarket. Once seen as a bad thing, animal fat is now starting to gain the recognition that I think it deserves as essential to our health. In order to produce a higher fat milk the cow needs more energy and this is partly why our prices have increased in recent years as we have gone from around 4.5% fat to 5.6% fat with this costing more to produce. We have selectively bred for higher fats but this often means less milk. As a result we need to charge more in order to cover our costs. If you are comparing this in the supermarket you would see that the price difference between 3.5% fat whole milk and 5% fat jersey milk is around 45p for 2pt which equates to around 60p per bottle (2pt) of our milk at 5.6% fat.
It is well known that there are increased costs in organic farming. Supermarket organic milk carries a premium of around 30p per bottle (2pt). From lower yields and GM free, to increased regulation there are many differences that I could list. For me personally, farming organically is the only option, and if you want to produce food that's healthy and without chemicals, it is a requirement. I believe our children will thank the organic producers of today in the future, when the non organic land is too sick to produce anything healthy.
So if we add all of these extra costs up you will see that it comes to £3.30 per 2pt bottle collected from the farm shop. Doorstep delivery would be more to cover the cost of delivery. It is up to you to decide if the wholesome, unadulterated liquid gold you buy from us is expensive.
Written by Thomas Parkinson, January 2024