Ever wonder why our food costs more? Here are the 5 big reasons why.
posted on
August 2, 2024
Ever wonder why our food costs more? It costs more than most supermarket food (even the organic stuff). And, when you compare to other farms, it often costs more, too.
Here are 5 big reasons why:
1- We have super high standards.
We do this in sooo many ways. Here are what I think are the most notable ones:
- Our farmers pay close attention to soil health in their naturally regenerated pastures. This usually includes yearly soil testing and amending the soil for specific things to create the the healthiest soil, plants, animals, and food for you.
- Our farmers farm regeneratively. This requires a lot more land than feedlot animals. For example, to raise beef cattle regeneratively on pasture, you need about an acre per cow. Compare that to indoor beef cattle, which require about 200-500 square feet per cow (that's about 1% of an acre).
- Our feed isn't any old feed. Our feed suppliers source locally as much as possible from farms they know and trust. And, if they buy in, they are getting organic ingredients. It's not just "GMO-free".
- We take milk safety very seriously. We go above and beyond what's required. We have meticulous cleaning standards, which makes our raw milk last longer than most. Plus, we test every batch of cow milk on site for general bacteria counts to ensure the cleaning is happening (read more here).
- All of our packaging is as sustainable as possible. We offer foods in glass. If in plastic, it's the kind with the least potential for toxins and leaching. When we pack an order, most of what we use is compostable (and if not it's recyclable or drain safe).
We consider the nitty gritty details, from the soil to your door. This means you get the most pure and nutrient dense foods possible.
2- Everything is corn & soy free.
The norm is that animals are fed corn & soy, because they're cheap (and subsidized, too). Although they're cheap to grow, they also deplete soil. So they're cheap now... but will cause expensive problems later.
Corn and soy are high in PUFAs and are particularly omega 6 fatty acids. Eliminating this from the animal feed creates low PUFA, balanced omega foods for you. This has in fact been tested with our chicken, which has a perfect 1:1 omega 6/3 ratio (read more here).
And finally corn and soy have become big allergens. I've heard anecdotally from customers with severe allergies that they can handle our corn & soy free food but not others. And, if you're not allergic to corn or soy, removing it from our food also prevents potential allergies for you later. After all, allergies typically develop over time (read more here).
3- We pay our farmers fairly.
We believe that farmers should be able to make a living farming and NOT need a second job off the farm.
Did you know that 80%+ of income of US farm households comes from sources other than farming? This is starkly different from the 1970s, when only 37% of farmers held a primary job off the farm. It's on the rise, and it just keeps getting worse. Farmers are notorious for not making money. At the end of the year, it's not uncommon to take a loss.
Not our farmers! We want them to be paid fairly. The rates we pay are definitely higher than coops or mega companies. And, they're also higher than any competitor we know.
4- We watch our finances very closely.
Our prices are set based on the actual cost to produce a certain food. We want to be as financially sustainable as we are environmentally sustainable, so we can be a reliable food source for you.
This is different from how we did things years ago, when prices were set by what our competitors were asking. And that led to a big issue. The farm thought it needed more sales, so we worked hard and got them. Yet, the farm was still in the red, losing money. Why? Well of course no matter how much you sell, if it's not profitable, it really doesn't matter.
So we set prices exactly. And we get complaints about it sometimes. The biggest example I can think of is with cream and butter. Here's the breakdown:
It takes 1 gallon of milk to make about 1-1.5 pints of cream. And then it takes 1 quart (2 pints) of cream to churn 1lb of butter. So, it takes at least 2 gallons of milk to make 1lb of butter. And then there's the labor and the packaging, too.
5- We roll (almost all) of the cost of delivery into the product prices.
This is how we can offer free delivery over certain amounts in the eastern half of the US. I mean, even though there's really no such thing as "free" delivery (you're paying for it one way or another), people just love free delivery - thanks, Amazon.
This is why the closer you live, the better the prices. And this is why we ask you to create an account and choose a delivery option before viewing prices.
The second reason we like it is because it makes it easier for you to shop. We're not making it seem like our food is affordable and then having mega fees at checkout. We try to roll it in so you know how much each item costs before checkout. It's easier to shop within a budget.
Wish you could afford our food... but can't?
Gee, how I wish our food was affordable for everyone! I mean, Miller's food should just be the norm. But, the reality is that we live in a messed up food world where pure, clean food has now become special.
On the other hand, how Americans spend has also changed. In 1947, the average household spent 24% of income on food from the store. Today, it's just 7%. Our priorities as a society have shifted. Instead of buying high quality food, we spend more on things like bigger houses, air conditioning, vacations, nice cars, and technology.
All this being said, if budget is a concern, my recommendation is to switch out one food to buy farm direct. Maybe it's milk or eggs or ground beef. It's somewhere to start as life unfolds your next chapter.
Every feel guilty about spending more on food than most can afford?
In my opinion, you shouldn't. Because, when you buy food like Miller's, you're not just eating... you're supporting causes at the same time. You can read more about the 7 impacts you make by buying farm-direct.
Why do you spend more on food? What is the #1 most important reason you shop with Miller's?
I'd love to hear from you. Comment below ⬇️
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