Dairy Shopping Tips

American consumers are enjoying the safest and most available food supply in the world, but it
does come with increasing cost. As a dairy farmer and a consumer, I am concerned with the rising price of oil and what it is costing us on the farm and at the grocery store. It would be logical to think when the price of milk goes up at the grocery store that dairy farmers are making more money. Unfortunately, the dairy farmers are not putting more money in their pockets. The final price that we pay at the grocery store includes the increased fuel costs in transportation,packaging, and distribution of the product. Here are a few tips to remember when stretching your food dollars and shopping for dairy foods:

• All packaged milk is safe and antibiotic free


• Generic or store brands are usually cheapest but have same nutritional value as name brands


• Check the date when purchasing; the date on the package is the last date for the store to sell it; milk stays fresh 5-7 days after being opened


• Store milk at 36-40 degrees


• Buy milk by the gallon


• Buy low-fat,plain yogurt by the quart, flavor it yourself and use it as an ingredient for healthier recipes


• Buy cheese in block form and shred it yourself

You can find more information about dairy nutrition and the added value of dairy to your diet at http://www.dairymakessense.com/ and http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Do you have any other dairy shopping tips to share?