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Milk, from ground to glass

  • Series
A digital illustration of a farmer in a field holding dairy products. The farmer is a white male with a dark beard, he is sat on the ground under the branches of a large tree. In his right hand is a large plate with various types of cheese, in his left hand is a pail full of milk. In the foreground there are yellow dandelions and in the background we see rolling hills with fences and a small herd of cows.
Soil health and dairy farming in the UK. © Cat O'Neil for Wellcome Collection.

It is no exaggeration to say that without milk we would not be here. But once we are weaned as babies and move to solid food, the milk we add to our diets is transformed. For some it’s a necessity, for others a luxury or even an ethical dilemma.

This series looks at milk from the ground up, literally. We will explore how the grass cows eat affects the flavour of milk; how colonialism altered topographies to create space for dairy farming; the mythologies of purity milk can imbue; and why turning away from animal milk can create bonds for marginalised communities.

In keeping with Sourced’s editorial vision, this series will examine the cultural, political and commercial systems in which milk participates, with a particular focus on the relationships between health (personal, animal or community) and milk.