THE BLACKMORE VALE
Milk Vending Machines are popping up all over the Blackmore Vale and it’s surprising what you can buy from them. Do you know where your milk comes from? Most of us pick up a bottle from a shop without a second thought but the milk may have been transported hundreds of miles. But here in North Dorset we're seeing a slow transformation, particularly since the lockdown. Over the last few months milk vending machines have popped up all over the Blackmore Vale and are serving the community with quality dairy produce on a 24 hour basis.
So what’s the difference between milk from a local vending machine compared to a supermarket brand? Food miles for a start! At Woodbridge Farm near Sturminster Newton the cows are literally within sight of the machine, and the machines from Dorset Dairy Co are within a five mile radius of the herd at Stalbridge. But the main difference is the milk in a local vending machine is unhomogenised. Fresh milk is collected from the milking parlour and poured into a vat where it is heated to 65 degrees. The taste of the raw milk is preserved, more nutrients are retained and the shelf life
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Dorset Dairy Co's machine outside Harts of Stur.
extended. Once the milk is cooled it is poured into a vending machine for sale. The milk in a vending machine is fresher, and on sale within a day of production. Milk vending machines allow for social distancing, automatically
machines require the exact amount so do take change!). Customers can buy refillable bottles, avoiding single use plastic. And of course all money goes straight back to the farmer, supporting the local economy. Dan Miller, a third generation farmer from Dorset Dairy Co installed his machines ten months ago and saw them increase in popularity during the Coronavirus lockdown. “It’s a great way to sell milk to the public and avoids using lots of plastic. I love when I’m filling the machines up and people ask me lots of questions”
cleaning after each use. Payment The milk vending machine at Calf at(some Madjeston Farm Woodbridge Farm arrived as is by card or cash