At Momma’s Grocery, located at a cozy corner of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the shelves are lined with local foods, natural wines, and community chatter. But these days, the spotlight belongs to a few bottles of Miller Farm’s Creamline Milk, quietly waiting in the dairy fridge.
A throwback to traditional dairy, this Vermont milk is non-homogenized, allowing the cream to naturally separate and rise to the top. It comes in four rich flavors: whole, coffee, chocolate – and maple. And the maple flavor has become very popular because it is unique with agreeable sweetness. It’s not overpowering, more like a drizzle of Vermont maple syrup stirred gently into creamy whole milk.
“We’ve carried it for about two years,” said Maya, who works at Momma’s. “It was a quiet favorite, local and delicious with a simple charm.” That changed when someone posted about it on Red Note, a Chinese social platform with international reach. The post went viral, and as more Chinese buyers discovered it, demand surged and customers began showing up in droves.
The recent attention has brought its challenges. “We had to set a one bottle per person limit to ensure everyone could get a taste,” Maya shared. “It’s been a balancing act, but we’re happy it’s resonating so well with our community.”
For Momma’s, it was also a moment of affirmation. The store has always prioritized food from small regional farms, especially in Vermont and New Hampshire.Long before the buzz, Momma’s had already been sourcing from Miller Farm.
For Maya, the experience is about more than just selling a product. “We hope people take away the importance of shopping locally. When you shop at Momma’s, you’re not just getting great products, you’re also caring about the local food.”
Running an independent grocery store has its challenges, especially when working with small, local suppliers. “We sometimes don’t always have enough supply, and that can be tough,” Maya admitted. But despite these hurdles, she remains hopeful for the future. “We want to keep celebrating good food, supporting our farmers, and growing our community space. There’s so much more to look forward to.”
It’s a story of local agriculture, a community’s gathering place, a reminder that even the simplest products, like a bottle of milk, can stir something much bigger.
