Old School Milkman and family farm

[dominiquer60]

While this news clip has nothing to do with draft animals, it is a feel good story about a family that still bottles their own milk and delivers to local stores and door to door. It takes all 3 generations to make it happen and with 6 grand kids that I know from 4-H, this farm will hopefully be continuing for generations to come. It is just a warm fuzzy for anyone looking for good news from the national media.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/08/earlyshow/main2546861.shtml

[near horse]

About 10 years ago the local dairy which had on-farm sales and was only a couple of miles out of town tried to stay afloat doing home deliveries but the public just didn’t respond. They’d rather buy from the supermarket. I thought it was a great idea going to home delivery but unfortunately national milk prices keep most folks from buying local.

As Robert Moonshadow has mentioned in other posts, mules, donkeys, or horses can be a great marketing tool – too bad one couldn’t deliver using a team. Or could you?

Didn’t ….. (I forgot your name) from this list that has the bakery talk about doing deliveries using a team?

It could work.

[dominiquer60]

It could work well especially in a small town/city situation with farms close to a population. The family in this news report have a 1500′ change in elevation and a half hour drive with their van to the area where they deliver, its not a horse friendly route.

Speaking of bakery deliveries, my grandfather used to deliver door to door with horse and wagon in the city of Schenectady, NY for the Freihofer company until they stopped that service in 1960. At the end of the day he would count the money and the horse would know the way home and would slow down for major intersections with the lines between his knees. Grandpa would look up once in a while to make sure the intersection was ok to cross. My grandfather is not a horseman and the delivery drivers hardly knew anything about the animals other than how to steer and offer them some oats and water at lunch. I know that a baker in Crown Point recently delivered to town folk using a Halfinger or Fjord, I don’t know if he does any more, I heard he is not baking much either.

My favorite part of the news report is the kids, I get the privilage of being around them for a week every year at the local fair and they are a pleasure to be around. They are respectful, hard working, caring and considerate, I really hope that at least a couple of them take on the family farm someday when it is their turn.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Nearhorse; I believe you’re referring to ‘Goodcompanion’, delivering baked goods… last I heard, he’s renovating or building a wagon to do it. Dominiquer; That milk route could still use a draft animal (or two), if they know someone near the town they deliver in, with a bit of room to stable a horse or two: drive to there, switch the cargo (milk) to the horse-drawn wagon, then drive the last little bit. A possibility, anyways. You’re right: it’s to be hoped that the young’uns will ultimately continue the tradition they have.

[Wamoo]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I’d resurrect it. My wife and I are slowly building a dairy, and while we’re a long way off, our eventual goal is to process the milk ourselves and deliver via horse drawn wagon.

When we originally bought our land, we had using a milk wagon for delivery in mind. We purposely made sure we were close enough to our market to be able to use the wagon from the farm to town. No transloading needed. Also, we can get to town without going on any busy roads.

I think the hardest part will be actually finding a milk wagon. I’ll probably have to build one from scratch.

I posted this elsewhere on DAP: http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?6123-Horse-Drawn-Delivery-in-Maine&p=39327#post39327 So, there may be hope for draft animal powered urban delivery yet…

Check out my website at: http://www.bluecreekdairy.com

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