Frische Milch

It doesn't get any fresher than this. Meet my new milk vendor:

Bessie lives just up the hill from our town, about a 2 minute drive away. This nearby dairy farm has about 40 or so cows whose milk is vat pasteurized right in the barn and dispensed through a vending machine for about 80 Euro cent a liter. Three reusable bottles suit me and the kids for about 24 hours before we're out. It's whole milk, full fat, cream on top after it sits a while. Must drink within 3 days. And the taste? Actually it tastes a lot like earth and grass. But in a yummy way (?) They also make and sell yogurt and butter.

Interestingly, in most states in the US it is illegal for farmers to sell milk in this fashion. And in some states it is actually illegal to drink the milk from your own cow. It seems that the dairy industry has quite a lobby. There are pockets of effort to change the legislation so that farmers can sell directly and dairy can stay more local, but so far this type of fresh food is unavailable in the US.

Meanwhile, at least while we're here, the carbon footprint of our food is getting smaller and smaller.