How to shop for farm fresh milk

Ask about fresh-milk delivery, which should be done by suppliers daily or every other day.

Ask about the diet of farm animals that produced the milk sold. A small business with close ties to suppliers can say right away what kind of diet is fed to the animals that produce milk for their products. Dairy animals in a natural farming environment are often fed grass, madre de cacao, sugarcane tops, corn, peanuts, mongo leaves and other organic produce.

Ask about the shelf life of dairy products. Products that do not have preservatives often have short product shelf life. Watch out for businesses that claim their milk is “fresh” but can guarantee that the product lasts for months

As a rule of thumb, fresh milk and other fresh milk-drink variants in unopened containers have a shelf life of about one week. Once opened, these must be consumed within five days or less. Kesong puti or white cheese has a shelf life of about two weeks. Freezing can extend the shelf life without affecting taste but the texture of milk and cheese will likely change even slightly.

Pack ice, or ask your milk provider to pack your purchases in ice to keep the products fresh during travel. Milk and related products packed in ice will stay fresh for 6 to 8 hours of travel.