milk vending machine

[farmer notsurewhattodo]

Whats the thoughts on milk vending machines? We're organic currently milking 120 cows, would like to expand the herd but getting extra organic land is difficult, so thought selling some of the milk we produce via vending machine could be an option.The farm isnt located near any town or village, so thought a vending ,machine could be sited in a local pub car park or similar. If anyone has any experience of doing this would be helpful. Thanks

 

[dinderleat]

Few neighbours doing it getting on really well. Having milkshake flavours will help sell double the amount.

 

[dinderleat]

https://themilkstationcompany.co.uk/ speak to this company they will help with what you need to do and will supply the vending machine.

 

[thewalrus]

Marketing is a big part of it. You’ve got to be prepared to push it through every channel you can find. Continually

 

[Tim G]

Whats the thoughts on milk vending machines? We're organic currently milking 120 cows, would like to expand the herd but getting extra organic land is difficult, so thought selling some of the milk we produce via vending machine could be an option.The farm isnt located near any town or village, so thought a vending ,machine could be sited in a local pub car park or similar. If anyone has any experience of doing this would be helpful. Thanks

@upnortheast would be a good person to ask. They can work well in the right situations.
You'd have to pasteurise the milk so factor in buying one of them too. You'd have to go there every day, how would you take the milk to it and bring back the surplus? I guess you'd need to sell bottles too, how would that work?

 

[Tim G]

Also, would your milk buyer allow it?

 

[upnortheast]

All comes down to having a location with plenty of footfall (or tyre fall )
Some folk in Wensleydale converted a horse box & leave it in local villages for a day. Seems to work OK

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www.thehomefarmer.co.uk

Possibly the man with most experience of vending machines is Bryce at Mossgeil in Ayrshire.
He has a number of machines in urban locations including Edinburgh & Glasgow & is usually happy to chat, if you can catch him between jobs

Home • Mossgiel Organic Farm

Mossgiel Organic Farm - we make and deliver tasty, healthy, organic, non-GM milk direct to your door and our happy cows keep their calves and horns.

mossgielfarm.co.uk

We supply a customer who has one in a shop in a suberb of Newcastle.

As noted above suppliers are milk station company

 

[Still Farming]

Does stand alone units need planning, parking,turning, main roads access as a few trying it ??

 

[Whitewalker]

Marketing is a big part of it. You’ve got to be prepared to push it through every channel you can find. Continually

Seems the two local in Ni are flying and from what I spoke to them they haven’t time to market much as they are happy with demand anyway

 

[___\0/___]

Whats the thoughts on milk vending machines? We're organic currently milking 120 cows, would like to expand the herd but getting extra organic land is difficult, so thought selling some of the milk we produce via vending machine could be an option.The farm isnt located near any town or village, so thought a vending ,machine could be sited in a local pub car park or similar. If anyone has any experience of doing this would be helpful. Thanks

Couple round here one on a main road next to a large town is always busy. Other one on a back road near lots of small villages is having to work a lot harder. Always interesting the feed back they get is that their milk is so much better than super market milk.

 

[upnortheast]

@farmer notsurewhattodo pm sent

 

[thewalrus]

Seems the two local in Ni are flying and from what I spoke to them they haven’t time to market much as they are happy with demand anyway

they’re flat out on social media! That’s marketing!

 

[bobk]

One of my customers put one in , said it cost him 40k .

 

[deleted user 837354]

One of my customers put one in , said it cost him 40k .

Bargain. What does 40K buy you on a farm these days?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Couple round here one on a main road next to a large town is always busy. Other one on a back road near lots of small villages is having to work a lot harder. Always interesting the feed back they get is that their milk is so much better than super market milk.

Of course it's better than supermarket milk- none of the cream has been stolen and the fat is in the original form.

 

[upnortheast]

One of my customers put one in , said it cost him 40k .

Top of the range machine circa £10k so must have needed to spend a bit on access & a "hut " for it. Suppose a pasteruriser would add another few thousand

 

[Whitewalker]

they’re flat out on social media! That’s marketing!

Flat out in social media. As in one or 2 posts a day which costs nothing or next to nothing. I’m sure if you asked them what % of their day is spent on marketing what would it be .

it’s not volume it imagination. Any how my vending machine is sitting in the shed , the bottles are on order and we’re making finishing touches before we kick off so time will tell and I will see for myself.

 

[onesiedale]

Flat out in social media. As in one or 2 posts a day which costs nothing or next to nothing. I’m sure if you asked them what % of their day is spent on marketing what would it be .

it’s not volume it imagination. Any how my vending machine is sitting in the shed , the bottles are on order and we’re making finishing touches before we kick off so time will tell and I will see for myself.

Don't underestimate the time involved in keeping social media activity up to date , interesting and creative. It really is an art.

 

[Servac]

Top of the range machine circa £10k so must have needed to spend a bit on access & a "hut " for it. Suppose a pasteruriser would add another few thousand

The costs soon add up, vending machine, building/hut for the machine, pasteuriser, building for the pasteurizer, milk cooling, transfer pump, vehicle to transport the milk if on another site, marketing, e.g. signs etc.

 

[deleted user 837354]

The costs soon add up, vending machine, building/hut for the machine, pasteuriser, building for the pasteurizer, milk cooling, transfer pump, vehicle to transport the milk if on another site, marketing, e.g. signs etc.

I agree, to do it properly will cost money, but again, what the heck does 40K of capital buy you in farming these days?