Real milk takes the spotlight on World Milk Day, always on June 1. The day is intended to bring attention to activities connecting the dairy sector.
The annual observance is marked with events across the globe: milking demonstrations and farm visits; games and competitions; concerts; distribution of milk products; and conferences, seminars and information sharing.
Did you know: The dairy sector supports more than one billion people’s livelihoods. More than six billion people globally consume dairy products, making it a $413.8 billion market.
China is the fastest-growing dairy market. Europe, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina are the primary dairy-producing countries.
However, drinking milk in the U.S. has been on the decline since about 2000. In the 1980s, more than 50 percent of the dairy products regulated by the USDA was beverage milk. By 2015, that had dropped to 33 percent. Prompting the downward trend, according to market watchers, is the annual decline in the market consumption of ready-to-eat cereals. (source: American Farm Bureau)
WORLD MILK DAY HISTORY
In 2001, the United Nations selected June 1 as World Milk Day to celebrate the essential contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, livelihoods, and nutrition.
Watch for local promotions of dairy products in your area and take advantage of specials. Visit the website https://worldmilkday.org/ to learn more about the day. Use the social media tags #WorldMilkDay, #RaiseAGlass to be part of the trending popularity on World Milk Day.
National Dairy Month in June celebrates the many contributions of the dairy industry to our health and economy.
Dairy products contribute to our health in numerous ways. An 8-ounce glass of milk has more nutrients than the same serving size of juice. It’s packed with protein, too. And cheese is udderly delicious!
Here’s a list of popular dairy products you might find during Dairy Month:
Milk (whole, skim, 2%, lactose-free, flavored)
Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, provolone, feta, blue cheese)
These are just a few examples of the dairy products you might come across during Dairy Month. Keep in mind that availability may vary depending on your location and personal preferences.
Beyond the benefits that go into our bodies, the dairy industry fuels our economy. From the farmer and cheese production to distribution and the grocers who stock their shelves with products there’s a non-stop demand for all the delicious ways we enjoy dairy products.
HISTORY
National Dairy Month began in 1937 to promote dairy products. The Dairy Council sponsors the month.
Savor the recipes made with dairy all month long. Visit a dairy farm and thank a farmer. Pick up your favorite cheeses or have some frozen yogurt. Learn the difference between whipping cream and half and half. Take a tour of an ice cream factory. What’s your favorite dairy?
National Milk Day on January 11th commemorates the day many think the first milk deliveries in glass bottles began in the United States. Alexander Campbell of the New York Dairy Company professed to the New York State Senate that his company was the first to make these deliveries in 187)8.
The United States and Australia export more milk and milk products than any other country. Those products include cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cream, powdered milk, and much more. Throughout the world, more than 6 billion people consume milk and the products we make from it. One of the reasons is because milk provides nutrients such as calcium, potassium, vitamin B12, and vitamin A.
Production History
During the Middle Ages, people called milk the virtuous white liquor because alcoholic beverages were more reliable than water. In 1863, French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur made it possible for milk and other food and drinks to be stored for more extended periods. He developed a method of killing harmful bacteria that is now called pasteurization.
In 1884, an American doctor, Hervey Thatcher of New York City, developed the first modern glass milk bottle. He called it the “Thatcher’s Common Sense Milk Jar.” He used a waxed paper disk to seal the milk in the glass bottle. Later, in 1932, plastic-coated paper milk cartons were introduced commercially as a consequence of their invention by Victor W. Farris.
Modern industrial processes use milk to produce casein, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk, powdered milk, and many other food-additive and industrial products.
Animals
The females of all mammal species can, by definition, produce milk. However, cow milk dominates commercial production. In 2011. FAO estimates cows produced 85% of all milk worldwide. Apart from cattle, many kinds of livestock contribute milk used by humans for dairy products. These animals include buffalo, goat, sheep, camel, donkey, horse, reindeer, and yak. Like cattle, their milk produces cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, ice cream, and cheese, too.
In 1915, The International Association of Milk Inspectors submitted a request to Congress in October of 1915 for a resolution naming an observance of National Milk Day. Their request did not suggest a date for the observance. We have no record that the incoming Congress ever presented a resolution for National Milk Day, nor did incoming President Woodrow Wilson ever declare the day.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL MILK DAY
The ultimate way to celebrate is with a large glass of milk. However, a serving of anything made with milk would count, too! Does a milkshake sound good to you? We’ve gathered up some other ways to celebrate, too!
Make your own cheese
Add chocolate, strawberry, and malted flavorings to your milk. Then blindfold the kids and have a milk tasting!
Invite a friend for homemade hot chocolate
While drinking your milk, learn more about the nutrients in milk
Use #NationalMilkDay to post on social media.
Today you can purchase milk from both cows and goats in the grocery store. There are also a variety of plant-based milk on the market, too.
August is National Goat Cheese Month! Chances are you’ve tried it, whether you realized it or not. If you have ever tried a Greek salad with Feta, you have tried goat cheese.
The history of goat cheese goes back to Ancient Greece, circa 5,000 B.C. when the goat was first domesticated. Fresh goat cheese has about half the fat, cholesterol, and calories of commercial cream cheese made fro cow’s milk. Also known as Chevre, goat cheese has always enjoyed a strong popularity and spread from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe, Africa, South West Asia and India.
The first settlers in America included goats in their inventory of dairy animals and the dairy goat has always been a presence on the typical American farm. Today, Alpine (France) and LaMancha (Spain) are among the top goat breeds for cheese production.
It takes about a hundred pounds of goat’s milk to make around twenty-five pounds of cheese. Goat cheese can come fresh, aged or hard or brined. Castelo Branco goat cheese originated in Portugal. It has a fluffy texture, white color and is available salted or spicy. Caprino goat cheese is Italian in origin and popular in traditional recipes for its tangy flavor, salted and sour. Bucheron goat cheese is very popular in France. This goat cheese is known for its unique appearance of ivory color with brown edges. Bucheron has a soft and creamy texture and strong taste. Originating in Holland, Gouda goat cheese is popular on pizza and pasta. This cheese has a tangy, sweet/salty taste.
“The variety and shapes and qualities of goat cheeses is matched only by the diversity of the American regions of their origin. Be it the hills of New England or upstate New York; the countryside of the Virginias or Carolinas; the Mid-West or Upper Mid-West; from the Texas plains to the Rockies and on to the coastal valleys of the West Coast; each cheese reflects the individual terrain and local traditions of the area of its production.” -Buffalo Creek Farm & Creamery
HISTORY The American Cheese Society launched National Goat Cheese Month in 1998 to promote the benefits of cooking with goat cheese.
HOW TO OBSERVE Try some goat cheese combinations, such as goat cheese ice cream. Add some goat cheese to your salad. Goat cheese pizza might be fun too! Use #GoatCheeseMonth in social media correspondence.
