Smith Brothers Farms

This post is sponsored by Smith Brothers Farms

Please, take a gander at this photo. Take a good hard look.

Can you guess how many “what color hair did the milkman have” jokes my parents got when I was growing up? It was quite a few.

While many people will still occasionally joke about visits from the milkman, sadly very few communities have them anymore. The milkman, much like reading a physical newspaper seems to be something that has vanished from most cities and towns. However, if you are in the greater Puget Sound area, you are lucky because Smith Brothers Farms is still delivering milk and other products to your door after 90 years.

When Troy and I moved back from Los Angeles, I came across a Smith Brothers Farms representative at our local farmer’s market. It was easy to hook me, because they were giving out pints of chocolate milk. I’m a very cheap date. I learned about their services, and then went home to sign up online. You can imagine my sadness when I found out they didn’t deliver to my area. Most small independently owned coffee stands in my area get deliveries from Smith Brothers, so the next time I was in the drive-through at my local place, I was thrilled to see a Smith Brother’s van. I jumped out of my car and went over and asked how I could get my own service. The driver kindly directed me to call customer service at 1-877-MILKMAN for more details. At the time, we lived in a triplex, and the helpful customer service operator told me it is hard for them to deliver to some apartment complexes. Once I let them know we had our own outside entrance and front porch, they were able to override the system and sign me up. At last, that creamy chocolate milk could be mine!

We had their service for three years, and I loved it. At the time, I used it almost exclusively for milk and eggs. Then I discovered raw milk at a local farm, and we got chickens, and it didn’t seem to make sense to keep getting items delivered. I stopped our service and it was bittersweet. I’m sure my driver felt the same way, since I used to leave him goodies in the porch box on delivery days.

A few months ago, I found out that our local farm family and raw milk suppliers had sold their farm and moved to Montana. And how did I find out? By driving up to the barn, walking in to the little attached room per normal, and realizing everything was different. There were no more coolers full of milk, no more money box, and holy crap I was totally trespassing on these people’s property! I hauled ass out of there as fast as possible, and then quickly decided I needed a new source for great milk.

Given Jack’s history with dairy, and the fact that Troy kinda has lactose issues, I mainly purchased our raw milk for cooking, and homemade yogurt and ice cream. With Bennett turning one, the transition to actual cow’s milk was going to be a new experience for our family. You can imagine how excited I was to be able to reconnect with the team over at Smith Brothers Farms to not only set up service again, but to bring you all some unique recipes over the next 12 months!

My mom was recently hospitalized for a night, and Smith Brothers was the highlight of her super exciting liquid diet.

Smith Brothers is a family owned business that has been around for over 90 years. Back when we originally had the service, they mainly sold milk, eggs, and some yogurt. A ton has changed in terms of their available products in the last few years, but their awesome customer service and quality remains the same. Their milk is delivered to your door within 24-48 hours of being produced (milked), fresh from local Washington dairy farmers. Both organic and non-organic are available, and the milk is pasteurized. But not the crazy creepy ultra-pasteurized that allows milk to be “fresh” in your fridge for eight weeks. Does that freak anyone else out that some milk is like that?

The eggs are also crazy fresh and from a farm in Yelm. They offer non-dairy milk, as well as salad, cream (so excited about this) juices, coffee, oatmeal, lunch meat, bakery items, bacon, fresh pasta, cheese, and yogurt. They currently have over 200 items available for sale, and are always looking to add more. The majority of their items are from Washington brands, and you know how much I love to support local businesses when possible!

Let’s talk pricing, since this blog is about saving money and eating quality stuff. As I said, we had this service for years and paid for it out-of-pocket, even when we were at our brokest level (2010-2012). For the best customer experience, it is recommended to have weekly delivery, but every other week is allowed as well. If you’re going out-of-town or need to skip an order for whatever reason, that is totally ok and can be handled up until 6 pm the night before your delivery. The minimum order is $10 (weekly), but if your order falls below that amount, you can still get delivery for a reasonable fee of $1.29. Some of the items are a bit more than conventional stores, some items are priced the same as grocery stores, and I have even found certain items to be cheaper than my local market. The pricing is reasonable, and you are also getting fresh items delivered to your front door with a smile from a local company. Not to mention saving time and gas money by avoiding the grocery store. I’m great about going in to my grocery store and sticking to a list, but I know not everyone can do that. If you’re tempted by impulse purchases, this service can save you money.

Organic whole milk, organic eggs (my chickens are still in lazy winter mode, Tony’s Cold Brew for a delicious treat, and two packages of fresh cheese tortellini – $20.95

When you set up service, you need to keep at least one standing item in your account at all times. Pick something you use a lot of such as milk, eggs, or coffee. You can always edit your account to exclude that particular item for a week, but something has to be used as a placeholder.

Smith Brothers has generously offered Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity readers a $10 credit on their account when you sign up for new services. Use promo code “FRUGAL”. You will also receive a free porch box with your first order. You can sign up online, or by calling 1-877-MILKMAN. If you live in an apartment or condo, please call directly as they may be able to accommodate your particular location.

Check it out, taste the difference, and tell them Sarah sent you. And please, for your own sake, try the chocolate milk.

This post is sponsored by Smith Brothers Farms, but all opinions are my own. As always, I’ll be brutally honest with you all, because while sponsored stuff is rad, selling my soul for milk is not my jam.