Dear members,

We've got big news for local dairy lovers, as this week marks a fresh start for how milk flows through The Produce Box. We’ll now be sourcing our local milk, butter, and cream directly from Simply Natural Creamery in Ayden, NC.

After ongoing order fulfillment challenges from our previous local supplier, we set out to find a partner who could offer fresher milk, less food waste, and a more competitive price -- and we found that in Simply Natural. Their model allows us to expand our dairy lineup, including local butter! alongside the same beloved staples like chocolate milk.

Every Monday, our driver will personally visit the farm — the very place where the cows are milked and the milk is processed — to pick up exactly what members ordered over the weekend. Our contact told us that on Monday mornings, they’ll be making their chocolate milk just hours before we arrive to pick it up. That’s the level of freshness and connection that you deserve!

Simply Natural is everything we love about local food :

🐄 100% local Jersey cows, known for richer flavor, higher protein content, and creamier milk

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family owned and operated for nearly 30 years in Green County

⚡ Short pasteurization process to preserve nutrients and taste

💛 A2 milk, easier for many people to digest

🌾 Pasture-raised, with cows fed hay, grass, and supplemental grown right on the farm

We think you'll love them, too.

Why local dairy deserves a place at the table:

In the last 20 years, two out of every three U.S. dairy farms have disappeared, while the average dairy herd has doubled in size. Here in North Carolina, we’ve gone from around 400 dairies in 2003 to just 138 in 2020. And today, very large operations with over 2,000 cows produce nearly 40% of the nation’s milk supply.

Consolidation and industrialization are squeezing out the small family farms that once defined our food landscape, along with the care, flavor, and quality that come from raising animals on real pastures. That’s why it matters to support dairies like Simply Natural, who humanely care for just 160 Jersey cows on their farm located just over an hour from our warehouse at the State Farmers Market.

You can subscribe to Simply Natural’s products at anytime (not just when the menu is open!) and choose weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries. Skip or pause whenever you need. Their milk will also be available ala carte this weekend and every weekend, when the menu is open from 9am Friday - 9pm Sunday.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. And thanks for supporting the future of local dairy in North Carolina!

Warmly,

Bailey

Director, The Produce Box