Remembering the milkman

BY ROBERT SNELL

March 20, 2008 12:38 pm

— The next time you go to the grocery store and pick up some milk from the refrigerated cooler, take a close look. There are several different brands each offering white milk in either half-pints, quarts, half-gallon or gallon jug containers. You have a choice of whole milk, reduced fat, 2 percent or skim milk. The cartons themselves are plastic or cardboard covered with a wax coating. Each has a label telling not only the type of milk but the fat content, the calories, amount of cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugar, vitamins and the percent of each, protein and calcium contained per serving and the serving size plus the number of servings per container. So many decisions to make.
I remember growing up we had our own home town dairy. It was located not too far from where we lived and very close to being within the city limits. The daughter of the owner was a classmate from elementary school all through high school. Looking back I wonder why our class never took a tour through that business. It would have been a most educational and memorable experience.
That dairy farm had a huge barn where the cows were milked and the dairy processing was done. Since it was a family operation I don’t know how many employees there were outside of family members. But one thing for sure it was a very clean and efficiently run business.
Our milk was delivered to our doorstep daily. It mostly came in one size, that being a quart glass bottle, and there wasn’t any label to read. The cardboard top contained the name of the dairy and a statement saying it was homogenized or pasteurized milk. Pasteurizing being the sterilization of milk over time while homogenized means the fat content is distributed evenly throughout the milk. The bottle was opened by pulling the tab on the cardboard top and replacing it after pouring out the amount needed. We always washed the empty bottles even though they would he sterilized back at the dairy. Empty bottles would be placed in a container outside your house where the milkman would pick them up when he delivered fresh milk.
We could always go to the grocery store to purchase milk, but is was more convenient to have it delivered to your door. Our dairy farmer was our neighbor and our friend. Every year at Christmas he would give his customers a small token of appreciation. One such “gift” I remember was a small dust pan. Inscribed on it were the words “Dust a little thank you.”
Today we are able to purchase chocolate milk in a variety of different carton sizes as well. The smaller half-pint containers are most convenient for lunch and are offered to school students for their hot and/or cold lunches. Some grocery stores even offer two one-gallon cartons held together with a strong plastic handle. After consuming milk today, we wash out the containers and place them in the recycle bin.
Milk delivery to your door was convenient and dependable. It came early in the morning and was sometimes noisy. I can still hear those bottles rattling when it was delivered. It was a friendly sound that has faded into the past but one that will be remembered.
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Robert Snell is a retired Ottumwa educator.