The New Forest Food Challenge

eat local, grow local

sourcing local milk

I wonder if anyone can help me . I am trying to source milk as locally as possible - does anyone have any ideas where? I am in the Lymington area but work all over the area so can make a journey work probably!

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Comment by Tori Hishon on September 4, 2010 at 10:35: Hi Angela
we are 5 Aubrey Farm Cottages, Keyhaven Road - it's one of the red semi-detatched cottages before the green in Keyhaven. Or go to the end of Lymore Lane and turn right. It's about the 3rd or 4th house on right. There is a climbing frame in front garden, and our neighbours have chickens. Kirsty comes out regularly so might be worth liaising with her!
See you soon,
Tori

Comment by Angela on September 4, 2010 at 9:56: Hi Tori
That sounds great! I will be working in Milford every Friday afternoon from next week so that would work fine. I do know you anyway (through Lymington school/netball/Kirsty Radbourne!I'm Ella and Poppy's mum) but I never knew you had a Jersey cow - I'm jealous! Whereabouts are you in Milford?

Comment by Tori Hishon on September 3, 2010 at 20:09: Hi Angela,

We have a beautiful Jersey cow which we milk daily. Surplus milk is put into a fridge in our shed, along with Greek yoghurt, and there is a pot on the top to put money in. We live in Milford, but quite a few people come over from Lymington, so it would be easy to organise a collection rota. The milk is unpasteurised: If you are interested, please get in touch -
Cheers
Tori

Comment by Stephen Tarling on August 30, 2010 at 11:47: Hi again Angela,

It seems we're not the only ones having difficulty getting good local milk.

Setley Ridge Farm Shop stock Watsons milk: Watson Diary was a large diary based in Soberton (the far side of Southampton), but in 2004 sold to Medina Dairy which is the largest independent Dairy Company in the UK, and uses the Soberton plant as a major UK processing centre - which along with a processing centre in Yorkshire supplies nineteen distribution depots spread across the UK - see http://www.medinadairy.co.uk/watson.php

Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop stock Manor Farm Organic milk from Roundham, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8RR - the same source as Ocado use. This is part of the Coombe Farm group (it has exactly the same postcode) - one of the largest independent organic milk producers in the country, and certified Organic by The Soil Association - see http://www.coombefarm.com/ which website says that from 2000 Manor Farm organic milk was packed by Coombe Farm.

Any other thoughts on more local cows' milk anyone - please?

Comment by Stephen Tarling on August 15, 2010 at 11:28: Hi Angela,

And what a wonderful profile on "Why do you think local food production is important?" - welcome.

Yes - a tough starter for 10 there. A few random thoughts:

I see quite a few beef cattle but also a significant number of dairy cows - especially where SarahF describes.

I think Edgar's dairy in Keyhaven has gone now (can anyone confirm?) - it used to be a school outing for local children to find out where milk comes from.

As SarahF points out New Forest Ice Cream have, in the past, made a lot of using only... "locally sourced milk and cream.", see for instance http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/6947344/A-Telegraph...

The 2010 New Forest Show had a day of dairy cattle categories and a special category: "Local Dairy Cattle: Any Breed or Cross Breed" I wonder who won that? see http://www.newforestshow.co.uk/website/user/files/documents/Sheep_C...

The food tracing site lists just two dairies in our area:
NF/3/M Gouldings Farm, Blashford, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 3PA (New Forest District Council). Products: Raw Milk (cows), Heat-treated milk (cows).
NF/5/ Best Dairies, Long Reach, Shelley Lane, Ower, Southampton, Hampshire, SO51 6AF (New Forest District Council). Products: Raw Milk (cows), Heat-treated milk (cows), Cream (cows).
See http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/foodtracer/milk/south-east-england/#...

From The Independent: "Three-quarters of restaurant, pub and cafe menus were found to be making bogus claims for "fresh", "local" or "hand-made" dishes which turned out to be cheaper versions using factory farmed meat, frozen fish or cash and carry food." see http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/for-fre... so perhaps the best idea is to grow our own or at least buy reliable local raw ingredients.

The only good news I can think of is already on the New Forest Food Map: the New Forest Goat Dairy in Sway produces goats milk as well as yogurt and cheese. (To digress I had some of their Chive cheese the other day and that was astonishingly good - more at the fluffy and creamy end of the goat spectrum rather than the blow-your-socks-off mature goat. And it's suitable for vegetarians - and made with pasteurised milk).

Angela: so thanks for raising that: please will you report back to us the results of your research and let us all know where we can get New Forest cows milk.

Comment by Angela on August 14, 2010 at 22:03: Thanks for that Sarah. Trust me to start with a difficult one! I'll do some more investigating and let you know if I find anything out. If we don't don't ask for their milk I imagine there will be even fewer dairy farms left...

Comment by SarahF on August 14, 2010 at 20:52: Angela, Hi. There is a dairy farm on the coast land between Milford and Barton, but I don't think they sell their milk in small quantities locally. Off the top of my head, its Hordle House, or Hordle Manor Farm on Cliff Road.

However, I think I have spoken to New Forest Ice Cream before, and they don't get their milk from anywhere in the forest, because there aren't many dairy farms left. I think this will be an interesting one...

There are the two cheese makers up in the north of the forest, but other than that, I am as interested as you to find a local supplier.

thanks
Sarah