The History of Home Milk Delivery

The role of the milkman has evolved through time. Initially, there was no refrigeration or way to keep milk fresh, so people had to rely on local dairy farmers for fresh milk.

As technology improved and more people moved into cities, home delivery became an essential way for farmers to sell their products.

Here is a brief history of how milk delivery has evolved over the years:

The Milkman

Milkmen delivered milk to people's doorsteps in glass bottles. The job of a milkman was to provide fresh dairy products to people's homes on their route.

In the 1940s and 1950s, many homes didn't have refrigerators; instead, they relied on fresh milk delivered by horse-drawn carts and later by trucks. Milkmen were limited to working near home because they couldn't transport their products very far or store them for long periods.

Milkmen were paid by the glass of milk they delivered. It wasn't until much later that the dairy industry started paying by weight instead of volume.

The introduction of pasteurization

Throughout the 1960s, dairy companies began selling pasteurized milk in plastic bottles and cartons at supermarkets. The rise of this new form of distribution was due to several factors:

• The supermarket industry was growing rapidly in size and influence.

• The popularity of disposable plastic containers increased as technology progressed, making them more affordable than glass bottles.

The switch from home delivery to store-bought milk had far-reaching effects on our culture and effectively ended the era of the door-to-door milkman.

Raw milk delivery

In the 1990s, some farmers' markets started offering home delivery of raw milk products. This continues today, with the popularity of CSAs and other farm product home-delivery programs.

The role of the milkman has evolved.

In the early 20th century, a milkman was common in many neighborhoods. He delivered fresh milk in glass bottles to homes on his route every morning and evening. People would leave empty bottles outside their door for him to pick up when he returned with full ones.

Throughout the 1960s, dairy companies began selling pasteurized milk in plastic bottles and cartons at supermarkets. In the 1990s, some farmers' markets started offering home delivery of raw milk products.

Today, milk is transported in refrigerated trucks that provide a safe, efficient option for milk delivery to supermarkets around the world.