Italian Farmers have set up a country-wide system of raw milk vending machines you can see here on: milkmaps.com and one of my favorite countries, Slovenia, on the other side of the Alps is also starting to set up raw milk vendors. Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands have started to install machines too.
Here’s one in Ljubliana, Slovenia. Thanks to: Lifeinluxembourg looks like these vending machines may be quietly taking over several European countries slowly but surely without us even realizing it. What a great enterprise for farmers, as they can obviously obtain more money selling milk this way than to the supermarkets.
Update, Summer 2006: A dairy farmer near Rome, Italy reports that as many as 200 farmers now offer raw milk—latte crudo—on the farm, using an automatic raw milk dispenser. Farmers must obtain permission from the local authorities and keep daily records on the amount of milk sold. Says our source: “Roughly 15-20 percent of consumers have serious problems with industrial milk, such as colitis and stomach pains. When they start to drink raw milk their problems disappear.” See his website. Italian farmers get three times as much for their milk when they sell it direct compared to selling
it to the dairy company. “Producers are going out of business in Italy, but nobody seems to care. This could be a way to keep them in business although it is not the final solution for every farmer.
Update Summer 2009: In Italy, in the past three years, Latte Crudo machines have sprung up all over the country and now raw milk makes up 10% of the entire nation’s milk market! In Parma which is a town of 200,000 there are 4 machines easily accessible within the town’s historic centre. Each machine is filled by different local dairy farmer’s daily and you purchase the milk in whichever increment of 1 Litre that you would like. Its only 1 Euro a litre. The milk is filtered and chilled and that is it. Very popular here now!
from: Realmilk.com
FRANCE:
This vending machine is in the Rhone area, not far from Lyon and from the look of the machine and from reading the farmer, Gerard Gayet’s site, it is originally from Italy. One liter costs €1.10, which is more expensive than the raw milk from the dairy near to us but still great value. The machine contains 300 litres at a time and is cleaned every morning and filled with raw milk from the farm’s herd of organic Brown Alpine Swiss cows. Gerard has three machines in the area.
This one is in St. Genis-Pouilly (74) near to Divonne-les-Bains in France. This looks like it could be a French vending machine, as opposed to an Italian one transported to France, so this gives me hope that more machines will be springing up around France soon! Thanks to Tethys and cernlove.org here is the picture (love the night shot):
Here are some more pictures of vending machines for sale (including a nifty truck).
BACK TO ITALY NOW: Rubber Slippers brings us some more pictures and a great account of her experience with a raw milk vending machine:
Goodness what a *wonderful* idea!! I am sooo jealous! :)
Yes, it is fantastic for the people of Europe, I hope that the idea spreads, it would be great if the UK got them too, just great, unfortunately the regulations there are more like the U.S. – effectively, it would take away the huge dairies’ monopolies and there will be fierce lobbying in government against it!!! :(
such a shame as it is what people need, even though they think they don’t
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Absolutely awesome idea! The world isnt evil and hell-bent on ruining our food supply. And i agree w the other comments re coming to the UK love it to happen but no chance. Would save me travelling all over the east of scotland evry saturday for our 16pints. Once travelled off-road in a micra and then abandoned car and walk rest of way just to get to the farm i had been told i mite get raw milk from if i sweet talk the farmer and i got it straight from the cow to the urn to a bottle.
yes, the Brits are too into their breakfast cereals and soya products to allow farms to have the right to sell directly to the public ;(
wow, was this epic milk gathering trip in the recent snow storms? i was trying to fly out of Southampton right at that time – long delays…….
I thought raw milk was ‘illegal’ in Scotland???
Lou x
yip it is illegal in scotland. used to be able to buy frozen raw organic goats milk from ireland in an organic shop in edinburgh several yrs ago but sadly it went out of business so 4yrs ago that started my hunt. obv the poor scottish people hv weakened immune systems and cant be trusted w milk thats alive w enzymes and bacteria so are only allowed the nuked to death non-food white water! sad!!
Weakened immune systems, Oh surely not? The Scottish? You have oats (and deep fried Mars Bars) that;s enough to keep anyone going……
Yes you would think that but obv something is affecting the gene pool up here! We need protecting from ourselves since we’re all so clueless. Its amazing we have survived until present day, 3 cheers for the government and corporate monopolies!
Stephen “going mad on raw cow juice” Duncan
So you are drinking the elixir of life then? Where are you getting it from?
There is actually a new raw milk vending machine also in the tiny French village I live in, St. Genis-Pouilly (nearish to Lyon, on the Swiss border). I had no idea that it was even possible to drink unpasteurized milk (I am American)! But anyhow, after reading this I feel quite lucky to have a raw milk dispenser within walking distance of my home. It’s quite tasty— I hope I don’t make myself sick. Does that happen?
Oh, how exciting, just down the road from us!! You live close by. I want to have a look at it, do you have a picture of it? I will get my husband to go and fill up in his lunch break this weekend – is it in the centre of the village or like others, in a supermarket car park?
read thisor this and then you will see why you will not get sick from drinking raw milk, in fact drinking it may stop you getting sick in the long run…..
thanks for this!
Lou x
There are some pictures of it here: http://www.cernlove.org/blog/2010/01/around-town-milk-to-go/
It’s near the center of village, by a roundabout on Rue de Geneve (the main road). Glad to be of help!
oh thanks, will add it to the post right now!!! So excited…..
x
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Love this article and the corresponding conversations. I wonder how long it will take to get machines like this in the US? I live in South Carolina and am about to purchase my first couple of dairy goats…raw milk is virtually impossible to find and very expensive when you do.
There is a machine in the Goods Shed farm shop in Canterbury. It sells raw milk and soon you’ll see more in the country with pasteurized and raw milk. Visit http://www.milkingthecowltd.co.uk
Regards,
thanks for your great website. I was visiting Slovenia this summer and was delighted to use the raw milk vending machine, called “melkomat.” They have spread all over the country. In Italy there are over 1300 machines!
Please read my blog about the Melkomat which had over 2000 hits to date. there is a U tube video demonstrating use of the machine and some photos.
http://hartkeisonline.com/2009/11/05/milk-o-matic-a-big-hit-in-slovenian-farmers-markets/
on Kim Hartke’s daily blog. Kim is the publicist for Weston A Price Foundation, which promotes the consumption of raw milk. http://www.wapf.org
Best, Sylvia, Nutritionist
Oh Sorry ! I see that you already published my blog about the Slovenian raw milk vending machine I did write a second blog about the opening of a Mlekomat in a shopping center outside of Ljubljana, Here is it is:
http://hartkeisonline.com/2009/12/01/supercenter-store-welcomes-raw-milk-with-huge-fanfare/
I do have additional photos of the mlekomats. How can I send them to you?
The Second International Raw Milk Symposium is taking place in Madison Wisconsin, on April 10 and I will be speaking about the automatic milk machines and availability of raw milk around the world.
Please email me sponusic128@yahoo.com
about the availability of raw milk- fresh milk as I like to call it- in your country. thank you as we say in Slovenia, hvala lepa!
Thanks, Sylvia P. Onusic
I know of a milknachine in the Netherlands: Heemstede I think it was, organic milk for 0,70€/litre
we get our raw milk from a nearby biodynamic farmer for 0,75€/litre which is cheaper than pasturized organic milk from the supermarket.
The only problem is, that the cows in winter stay inside and do not eat grass then:-(
This is the coolest thing ever!
Jana
I wish we had these here in the US! It would be a nice counterpoint to all the soda and junk food machines.
send me updates
thanks
Hi Louisa, just wanted to let you know that today (Sunday, April 18, 2010), a farmer in Calldentenes, Catalonia, Spain, installed a raw milk vending machine in his farm, Mas El Pujol. More information (in Catalan):
http://www.gastroteca.cat/ca/noticies/un_granger_d_osona_instal_la_un_expenedor_de_llet_a_l_explotacio
It is not clear from the articles I have read what the farm’s cow management and feeding practices are. There are other “fresh” milk vending machines in North catalonia, but this is the first raw milk machine in the country.
Isaac Rivera
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We require mobile bulk milk vending machines. Please reply with all available details like capacity ,
area required to mound in the truck, price, terms of delivary etc,c,
thanking you
C.S.N. MENON
Another machine is in front of City Hall in Roanne.
http://hiddenpasseges.blogspot.com/2010/05/vending-machine-for-milk-in-france.html
Saint Genis Pouilly is in 01, not 74 as stated. The milk costs 1 euro/litre. I’ve read that there’s another machine belonging to the same farmer in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois (74).
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