A Posting I wrote for the Dairy Council of California blog.
3 Reasons why you can be Proud of the U.S. Dairy Industry
June is dairy month. A time to appreciate the delicious dairy products we have in our refrigerators, and the people that help bring these products to our tables. Do you know the story behind the milk carton. Surprisingly I find there are fewer and fewer people who understand where their food comes from.
Know Where your Food Comes From
People should know where their food comes from though. After all it’s something that affects us every day.
We have been so fortunate to have a constant supply of food at our supermarkets so we don’t have to worry about where our next meal will come from. We also don’t need to worry about the safety of our foods noting the U.S. has some of the most stringent food safety standards in the world.
Perhaps these are some of the reasons why people have become less concerned about their food.
Our Farm
I actually started my own blog to show people how we produce milk at our farm, and to get people interested in learning about food production.
We put a lot of effort in delivering the highest quality care to the animals so I decided to openly show people what goes on at the dairy though my blog. If you’re interested in seeing our farm, you can read more here. https://www.dairymoos.com/
I actually think people really have a lot of reasons why they can be proud of dairy farmers. Here are 3 great reasons:
1- Dairy is a Family business
Dairy is one of the most family oriented businesses today. Our family has a long history in the dairy industry. My grandpa immigrated to the U.S. with next to nothing, and was able to start our farm over 50 years ago. Quite an accomplishment.
Our family is still involved on the farm today. I am one of 8 children, and have 3 brothers, and 4 sisters. We all work on the farm to help take care of the animals.
It might surprise you that most other dairy farms are also family owned and operated. In fact, 99% of dairy farms in California are family owned and operated. Dairy is still one of the most family oriented businesses in our economy.
2- First Class Animal Care
If anyone knows how to treat a cow, it’s definitely dairymen. Dairy cows are given the very best care possible. Cows are pampered with specially prepared diets, clean and comfortable bedding, and a cool, dry home to live. The cows are also monitored daily, and even listen to music while they are getting milked.
Comfortable cows give more milk, so it’s really in the best interest of the dairy farmer to treat the cows well. As a result, only the best care is given to the cows.
3- A Sustainable Industry
Dairy is actually a very sustainable industry as well. In fact, greater efficiencies have helped the dairy industry reduce its carbon footprint quite significantly.
More milk is produced today with only 9 million dairy cows than with 26 million dairy cows in 1944. More milk produced with less cows means there is a smaller carbon footprint.
I think these are 3 great reasons why people can be proud of the dairy industry. We are very blessed to have access to a safe, wholesome array of dairy products in our stores and refrigerators, but I think it’s equally awesome that the industry also cares about things like family, animals wellbeing, and sustainability. If you agree, let’s be proud of the U.S. dairy industry, and celebrate the rest of dairy month with some tasty and delectable dairy products.
