Yesterday, Wal Mart and Milk

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-24-2011, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

I think it's just an unfortunate consequence of the rise in gas prices. No matter how many dairies there are, they still have to pay to transport it to the stores, and you can be guaranteed they'll pass the cost onto the consumers before they'll cut into their profits. I would expect to see more of this.

There's that and the carbon tax here as well. Milk shot up to $4.19 for 2% and $4.39 for 1% and skim at Superstore. I gawked at the sticker price and DH told me that's probably what happened. The sad part is that butter and such has been on an eternal sale ever since we moved to Edmonton five months ago. At least I have something to be thankful for.

**Mrs K** · 04-24-2011, 06:57 AM

Here in Quebec the government also regulates milk. I pay 5,54$ for 4L ( about a gallon) of 1%. That is thw floor price determined by law! Of course higher fat is more.
I also expect it to go up!

**Spirit Deer** · 04-24-2011, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by OOwl

I only buy a gallon at a time and then it OFTEN will expire before we can use it all

You can freeze milk and it keeps just fine. The trick to using it is to make sure it's thawed completely before you use any of it. If there's any ice left in it, it'll taste watery. If you thaw it completely there's no difference in the taste.

I often freeze milk in Tupperware juice containers for camping, or reuse small beverage containers that have had stuff like coffee creamer in them if I want to use something disposable. Just leave a couple inches of head space to allow for expansion.

Milk is high here, too. We often pick up extra milk when we're out of town, as it's generally at least a dollar cheaper. We freeze it when we get home and have done so for years. I also freeze stuff like buttermilk in those old fashioned ice trays with the lever so they're easy to get out. Once frozen, I put them in zipper bags. That way it's easy to get a small amount for a recipe, nuke a couple cubes or so, thaw completely, stir, and it's the same as fresh. I freeze half and half and other milk-type items, too. And yogurt, yogurt cheese, and stuff like that.

We don't use any of the milk substitutes, so I don't know if you can freeze stuff like soy milk, etc.

**Spirit Deer** · 04-24-2011, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

I think it's just an unfortunate consequence of the rise in gas prices. No matter how many dairies there are, they still have to pay to transport it to the stores, and you can be guaranteed they'll pass the cost onto the consumers before they'll cut into their profits. I would expect to see more of this.

You're right about the price of gas affecting the price of milk, but it's not just delivery.

A lot of corn is now being used to produce ethanol, therefore driving up the cost of feed for dairy cattle. A lot of farmers are getting out of dairy farming, thereby lowering supply while demand goes up.

It takes a lot of fuel to produce grain to feed dairy cows. It has to be planted, tilled, fertilized, and harvested, all using fuel-powered implements. Then, if it's going to be stored, it has to be dried in propane grain dryers. Then the milk is trucked to the processing plant. Then it takes a bunch more fuel to process the milk, which is usually put into plastic milk jugs which are made of, you guessed it, petroleum. And, finally, there's the delivery to the store. Every step of the way in production, there are fuel costs of some kind.

When I think about it, it's amazing milk is as cheap as it is.