National Dairy Month – From 1 June

How National Dairy Month Was Born

What month is official National Dairy Month? Well, June is Dairy Month! The celebration of dairy as “National Dairy Month” first started as “National Milk Month” back in 1937 as a way to promote to people the benefits of drinking milk. It was created with the purpose of stabilizing the dairy demand when it was at a surplus during the summer months.

Diary and the Way We Use it Today

Now it is an annual tradition to celebrate all the contributions the dairy industry has made in the world and the impact it bears on our daily lives.

Milk has offered a variety of forms in which we can enjoy it and consume it. Whether is that plain milk or fermented milk products, the shapes and colors are endless, and so are the tastes.

Dairy products are proven to have many health benefits, especially the products made out of fermented milk. They have an abundance of “good bacteria” and probiotic capabilities that some people cannot live without.

Some people, on the other hand, can be lactose intolerant which means that they cannot process the lactose in milk products adequately and it causes gastrointestinal problems among others.

Dairy farming is a whole, big industry that begins with a cute cow (or a sheep, or a goat) that is being milked and ends with an amazing product on our tables.

Want to learn more about the process in the middle? This is the month to do it! Take your time and read more about how milk is made, how milk farms are working, and how various dairy products are created.

If you have the chance, offer to volunteer at a dairy farm, or to shadow the veterinarian or the farmer there and learn “first hand”. And don’t forget to learn how to milk a cow, it’s quite fun.

The Importance of Dairy Farming

98% of the dairy farms on the planet are owned and operated by a family whom has been seeped in the rich culture and tradition thereof.

This practice has been a family tradition for centuries and have been passed down to many generations with great success.

Dairy farmers take pride in the condition that their cattle are kept in and work very closely together with Veterinarians to ensure that the cattle’s wellbeing is exercised.

Dairy farms work extremely hard to ensure that from animal to table that you are receiving only the highest of quality and safety when it comes to milk and its by-products.

Dairy farms are governed by strict inspections and protocols from the Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Interesting Facts About Diary

• In order to make one pound of butter, 21 pounds of whole milk is required.
• On average a cow produces about 55 pounds of milk on a daily basis.
• In the United States the Hispanic-style soft cheese, is growing more popular as a preferred dairy product of its people.
• The United States comprises of 50 states and all these states possesses dairy farms.
• The reason that butter is yellow in color, is due to a compound called Beta-carotene that is found in the grass that cows are fed.
• The average cow weighs 1400 pounds and needs to eat about 50 pounds of dry food a day to keep up with the milk production.
• You will need 12 pounds of whole milk to produce one gallon of ice-cream.

• Did you know that the average cow drinks about one bathtub of water a day?
• Cows can smell aromas up to six miles away!

Happy National Dairy Month!

You can read more about other observances that are celebrated around the world in June on our blog, such as World Environment Day! We’ll leave you with this last thought – milk, June, dairy – they go together!