South Mountain Creamery Delivers the Goods

As parents, I think we often compare the lives our children are living to the lives we had as children. Growing up, we were limited to three broadcast television channels. My kids, in contrast, can choose from over 200 channels. While I was in high school before I ever touched a computer, my five year old is already computer literate, able to enter his username and password, surf the web (parentally-controlled websites only), and play games without assistance. Also back in my childhood, milk was delivered to our doorstep by a milkman. Thanks to South Mountain Creamery, for the past year this has been one thing my kids' childhood has had in common with mine. These days, our milk is delivered to our doorstep, if not by a milkman, by the South Mountain Creamery delivery person.

South Mountain Creamery, located in Middletown, Maryland, has been doing home deliveries from their farm since 2001. The delivery area includes most of metropolitan Washington. Starting with milk from its own cows, the Creamery has expanded its product line with additional products from both its farm and other local farms. Beef comes from grass-raised cows on the Creamery's own farm. Pork from farms in the Hagerstown area, and chicken (free-range) from farms in New York state. Cheese, butter, juice, eggs, and a number of other products are also available. Recently, ice cream has been introduced.

While the Creamery's products are not certified as organic, farming practices are very close to those used by organic farmers. No growth hormones or pesticides are used, and antibiotic use is very limited. The cows are fed only food that is raised on the farm itself.

The Creamery's farming practices are traditional, but the sales system is a throughly modern web-based system. Deliveries are made once a week. At least two days before your delivery day, orders can be placed through the Creamery's website. Standing orders can be set up for recurring deliveries on a once a week, every two weeks, or once a month schedule. While arrangements can be made to deliver directly to a refrigerator in your house or garage, most customers leave a cooler outside for the delivery person. It is not required to be home for deliveries.

We signed up with South Mountain Creamery primarily for the milk. However, we soon added cream cheese, butter, and eggs to our orders. We've also tried beef, chicken, and a selection of prepared dinners. We have never been disappointed with anything from the Creamery. The milk is delivered in glass containers, for which a deposit is charged. We simply rinse the containers when empty and place them in our cooler for return. Nothing to throw away or recycle.

Pricing is generally reasonable. The delivery fee is a meager $3.75 and a half gallon of 2% milk is $3.25. Ground beef (grass fed) is $4.25 a pound, chicken breasts are $7.99 per pound, and butter is currently on sale for $4.00 for a 16 oz. container. Our every-two-weeks delivery has normally been costing less than $30.00.

Recently, two members of the family that operates South Mountain Creamery left to start a new business, South Mountain Veggies. The new business follows the same model, but based on fruit and vegetables. They will deliver a box of locally-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables. The selection changes with the seasons. According to their website, this week's "small" box includes a mesculun mix, spinach, cauliflower or broccoli, cucumbers, pears, and strawberries. We haven't tried this service yet, and being Washington's Green Grocer customers, might not have the need. But, given that South Mountain Creamery also delivers bread from a local bakery, these two services might be able to fulfill the majority of your grocery needs.