# How mad are the cows near you? (Milk prices) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498 "2004-07-04T15:19:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/1 "2004-07-04T15:19:01Z")
Around here they are about twice as mad as OPEC. $3.79 to $4 a gallon a milk mad. A slice of pizza is now more than four dollars-- one _slice_. This reminds me of when iceburg lettuce went buck wild last year (or was that the year before last?) when they went from .69 cents a head to about two dollars. Things went back to normal after a while. I hope the same thing happens with the milk. How are the milk prices in your neck of the woods? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/2 "2004-07-04T15:52:16Z")
My daughter and I are both lactose intolerant, so we buy Dean’s Easy lactose-free milk, which ranges from 2.59 to 3.29 a HALF gallon. The WryGuy mentioned that it’s cheaper for us to buy Lactaid drops and regular milk, but we discovered that the drops do not work very well for either of us, so we just do our best to stretch our half-gallons. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/3 "2004-07-04T16:27:54Z")
Local major supermarket brands—3.86 “major” milk brands/major supermarkets—4.29 Liquid Nitrogen is less costly. Smaller supermarket, the site of bitter inter-family warfare, with a gaggle of lawyers getting their retirements funded----2.86 WTF? Yah they are only makeing 2%. _Suuuuuuurrrre_. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/4 "2004-07-04T16:46:10Z")
It’s about 3.79 if I’m lazy, i.e, if I walk across the street. If not (about three blocks), I can get two for $5.00. I think they take a loss on it though, kind of to get people in the store. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/5 "2004-07-04T16:51:12Z")
$4.09 a gallon at Food Lion. $3.99 a gallon at the little store up the road. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/6 "2004-07-04T17:01:26Z")
One local chain has made a decision to artificially keep the milk prices low, so a gallon, last time I checked, was $1.99. So, of course the other main competitor in the area is being forced to keep their milk prices at normal levels, too. Mind you, it’s just the one gallon size that’s being subsidized: since I live alone, and don’t drink that much milk, I’m stuck buying the quarts at $1.21 for my last one. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/7 "2004-07-04T17:10:57Z")
Since it’s just me, I buy half-gallons. The last one I bought was $2.19, but most of the time I manage to schedule my trips so that they’re just around the “sell by” date - then I’ll pick up one with a .50 or .75 cent coupon on it, making it a lot more tolerable by my checkbook’s standards. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/8 "2004-07-04T17:23:58Z")
> [@The Vorlon](#): > > Local major supermarket brands—3.86 > “major” milk brands/major supermarkets—4.29 > > Liquid Nitrogen is less costly. > > Smaller supermarket, the site of bitter inter-family warfare, with a gaggle of lawyers getting their retirements funded----2.86 > > WTF? > Yah they are only makeing 2%. _Suuuuuuurrrre_. This may be due to where the smaller supermarket is getting their milk. You see, when the ISB-OLU (International Sisterhood of Bovines and Other Lactating Ungulates) went on strike earlier this year over feed quality and lack of disclosure concerning the nature of retirement plans, some dairy farmers sold their union herds and bought scabs. Perhaps the small supermarket has a deal with one of those non-union dairies. ---
**Author:** ![GoodGrief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2acd7d/32.png) [@GoodGrief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodGrief)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/9 "2004-07-04T17:44:35Z")
For my daughter’s whole milk- 1/2 gallon is $1.93. For the 1% milk we drink, it’s $2.93 a gallon. I buy the brand name milk, the generic isn’t much cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/10 "2004-07-04T18:31:40Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > How mad are the cows near you? They’re simply \*furious, \*snorting and stomping their hooves and whatnot. And, yes, it seems that they’ve joined OPEC. ---
**Author:** ![holdmytail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@holdmytail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holdmytail)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/11 "2004-07-04T18:34:53Z")
I knew it, it’s the Got Milk? conspiracy! Oh, the evilness! _cries for iced cream_ ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/12 "2004-07-04T18:48:05Z")
Full homo milk, 2% milk - $2.40 a gallon here. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/13 "2004-07-04T18:54:25Z")
I don’t buy milk, but I noticed cheese is getting expensive, no doubt as a direct result of milk prices. Standard store-brand cheeses like cheddar are $5 a pound down here. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/14 "2004-07-04T19:18:19Z")
Yikes! I might not like much about Detroit, but the milk prices aren’t too bad, compared to what I’ve seen in this thread. At the local Meijer, a gallon is regularly $2.79 and goes on sale for $1.99 pretty regularly. I just got 12 oz of store-brand cheddar for $1.62. ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/15 "2004-07-04T19:28:47Z")
I just bought a gallon of 2% at SuperTarget for $2.59. A half-gallon of the same is $1.99. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/16 "2004-07-04T23:33:14Z")
West Virginia cows are on strike. A gallon of 2% at Kroger’s is $3.18. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/17 "2004-07-05T00:15:55Z")
A gallon of whole mile is $3.59 at Kroger’s here. I’m not sure what the price on butter is, but they bring it in by armored car. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/18 "2004-07-05T02:06:00Z")
The cows in CA are happy cows and milk is 2.80 a gallon here in Fresno County. No, they don’t smile much, but I KNOW they’re happy. I just know it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/19 "2004-07-05T02:20:52Z")
**UPDATE** We have a sale! Big supermarket had huge dairy “G” milk for 3.49. Store brand Moo (from the same dairy, mind you) is 3.75 The Commonwealth has a priceing law that does not allow milk to be a loss leader. There was one enterpriseing dairy owner who started up a small chain of storefronts that sold his milk. The big guys did not like it, and sic’ed the state on him. Even though the dairy owner proved that he was makeing money on the milk, the AG made him raise his prices. The store that was by me is now empty and abandoned. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498/20 "2004-07-05T02:28:02Z")
> [@The Vorlon](#): > > **UPDATE** > > We have a sale! > > Big supermarket had huge dairy “G” milk for 3.49. Store brand Moo (from the same dairy, mind you) is 3.75 > > The Commonwealth has a priceing law that does not allow milk to be a loss leader. There was one enterpriseing dairy owner who started up a small chain of storefronts that sold his milk. The big guys did not like it, and sic’ed the state on him. > > Even though the dairy owner proved that he was makeing money on the milk, the AG made him raise his prices. > > The store that was by me is now empty and abandoned. And of course everyone involved, but the little guy, will say, with a straight face that the whole purpose behind the law is to protect the consumer. :smack: Do you mind if I ask which Commonwealth you are in? PRM? Virginny? Or one of the other ones? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mad-are-the-cows-near-you-milk-prices/253498.md?page=2)