Actually Peter, I don't like, but I applaud you for bringing this to our attention. rfk jr, is a menace to modern society. The man is a raving lunatic and needs mental health treatments. As a science major and science teacher, I cringe every tie I read another of his abominable conspiracy theories. To put a man like rfk jr. in charge of the health of the Nation warns us the magats and 2025ers are hoping for mass deaths of ordinary US citizens.
Agreed, he also warned us he intended to be dictator, not President. He denied knowledge of Project 2025 but has quoted directly from it. But it appears the only people who believed him were those of us on Substack and of course all the magats.
That photo of Mulberry St is gold. So much to unpack.
Back to the point: I knew a of guy who ran his own (very small) dairy in a suburb of San Jose´. His family moved to California from Switzerland when he was a kid, and he started the dairy in the 1920's. The community grew up around him and the dairy managed to operate til he was too old to carry on. The kids in the community volunteered to work there because it was cool to be around the cows and the machinery and to be part of producing their own food. (The cows were treated like beloved pets – each one had a name, and when the dairyman came to the paddock they would run to him for a skritch).
The dairy not only produced the milk but also filtered, bottled and delivered it to retail customers. The bottling machinery was Swiss and so were the bottles(!) And the milk was raw. For a time it was the only raw milk dairy in California that bottled its own.
I only know about this because my boss at the bicycle parts factory lived in that community and bought milk from the dairy. His kids worked there after school. And he would fix the old bottling machines free of charge, because he felt it was worth it.
The punch line is that the bottles used were unique in size/shape and no other bottles fit the machines. So those bottles were precious and absolutely essential to keep the business going. They were probly worth more to collectors than the rest of the operation combined, which made it vitally important to set out the empties the morning just before he would deliver more milk.
Fantastic story. Who knew? As a kid, I remember milkmen coming around daily. We had a pass through milk box built into the wall outside kitchen. But I don’t think it was raw.
thank you for this story. i fear we will go back to things like this and "the Jungle" by Upton Sinclair with all the cuts the monstrous incoming administration would like to make.
Luckily for us, it looks like our population will cap pretty close to where we are today (by 30,000 foot view standards, mind you!), so I think we can do it with better allocation of resources... but that's a pretty big "if", isn't it?
The other thing to worry about is the fact that Private Equity firms have been gobbling up sectors of our food production, and then mandating farms produce more while lowering costs in every way possible, such as cutting safety measures like using untreated human and animal waste as fertilizer, eliminating food safety inspectors, or not putting in measures to stop cross contamination as we've witnessed in the various causes for the slew of massive food recalls lately.
Wow, great post as usual. "Tourism played a strategic role in Nazi Germany’s economic plans. The influx of foreign currency from international tourists was crucial for funding the regime’s expansive military ambitions." Yet another thing I never thought about!! Very sobering to see images in these posters and be able to immediately recognize the buildings and landmarks myself after living here. Thank you for sharing!
Actually Peter, I don't like, but I applaud you for bringing this to our attention. rfk jr, is a menace to modern society. The man is a raving lunatic and needs mental health treatments. As a science major and science teacher, I cringe every tie I read another of his abominable conspiracy theories. To put a man like rfk jr. in charge of the health of the Nation warns us the magats and 2025ers are hoping for mass deaths of ordinary US citizens.
He warned us … Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild on health”
Agreed, he also warned us he intended to be dictator, not President. He denied knowledge of Project 2025 but has quoted directly from it. But it appears the only people who believed him were those of us on Substack and of course all the magats.
Thank you Peter you are doing important work. Keep it up! The people need to know this history. It is vital. Scary stuff.
Many thanks. It’s grateful readers, like you, that inspire me
Getting worms back into milk must have a unique appeal for Bobby.
You break me up. Grin
That photo of Mulberry St is gold. So much to unpack.
Back to the point: I knew a of guy who ran his own (very small) dairy in a suburb of San Jose´. His family moved to California from Switzerland when he was a kid, and he started the dairy in the 1920's. The community grew up around him and the dairy managed to operate til he was too old to carry on. The kids in the community volunteered to work there because it was cool to be around the cows and the machinery and to be part of producing their own food. (The cows were treated like beloved pets – each one had a name, and when the dairyman came to the paddock they would run to him for a skritch).
The dairy not only produced the milk but also filtered, bottled and delivered it to retail customers. The bottling machinery was Swiss and so were the bottles(!) And the milk was raw. For a time it was the only raw milk dairy in California that bottled its own.
I only know about this because my boss at the bicycle parts factory lived in that community and bought milk from the dairy. His kids worked there after school. And he would fix the old bottling machines free of charge, because he felt it was worth it.
The punch line is that the bottles used were unique in size/shape and no other bottles fit the machines. So those bottles were precious and absolutely essential to keep the business going. They were probly worth more to collectors than the rest of the operation combined, which made it vitally important to set out the empties the morning just before he would deliver more milk.
Rochester NY. City neighborhood. 1910 ish vintage house. I also remember an outside metal box with some insulation in the early 50s’
I lived on Woodrow st in Rochester in the early 2000s and I also had a milk delivery door by the back door. Pretty neat!
Went to a big fat Greek/Lebanese wedding in Rochester last May. Was a hoot.
Lots of dancing!!!
And oh, the slaughter of the plates!
Opa!
Fantastic story. Who knew? As a kid, I remember milkmen coming around daily. We had a pass through milk box built into the wall outside kitchen. But I don’t think it was raw.
Where was your house then? Temperate climate? or major snow site? Trying to figure how that milk portal would work when it's 30 below...
thank you for this story. i fear we will go back to things like this and "the Jungle" by Upton Sinclair with all the cuts the monstrous incoming administration would like to make.
I wonder if the SCOTUS gutting the Chevron Doctrine will limit some of the damage Trump 2.0 can do?
they seem to be, unfortunately, bought and in his pocket. i wish that could happen.
Kinda feels like we're our own worst enemy, you know?
Always the case?
Reminds me of an old favorite book: Human Scale by Kirkpatrick Sale (1980]…too many progressive humans for a balanced planet to sustain…what do we do?
Thanks. I need to check that book out.
Luckily for us, it looks like our population will cap pretty close to where we are today (by 30,000 foot view standards, mind you!), so I think we can do it with better allocation of resources... but that's a pretty big "if", isn't it?
True. Birth rates are way down. Both a blessing and a curse.
This is wonderful writing, and a history I never knew. Thank you!
The other thing to worry about is the fact that Private Equity firms have been gobbling up sectors of our food production, and then mandating farms produce more while lowering costs in every way possible, such as cutting safety measures like using untreated human and animal waste as fertilizer, eliminating food safety inspectors, or not putting in measures to stop cross contamination as we've witnessed in the various causes for the slew of massive food recalls lately.
That’s why we shop at a farmer’s market
Fascinating!!! Thank you for sharing. There’s so much I never knew!
After years as a high school history teacher - I’m trying to offer up “bite-size” history lessons tied to current events.
I find it invaluable! I look forward to your future posts :)
I see you’re in Germany. You might like this old post. Tourism to Nazi Germany? https://forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/vacation-in-the-third-reich
Wow, great post as usual. "Tourism played a strategic role in Nazi Germany’s economic plans. The influx of foreign currency from international tourists was crucial for funding the regime’s expansive military ambitions." Yet another thing I never thought about!! Very sobering to see images in these posters and be able to immediately recognize the buildings and landmarks myself after living here. Thank you for sharing!