Happy National Milk Day!

National Milk Day commemorates the day  in our dairy history when milk 

deliveries were made in glass bottles. Alexander Campbell of

 New York Dairy Company is believed

to be the first to make deliveries.

It's fitting to continue celebrating this event because it 

represents the ongoing changes in our industry that have brought 

convenience and a wide variety of  products to give us more 

options in feeding our families. 

From home deliveries

to the wide variety of dairy products available today,

as the saying goes,"we've come a long way,baby."

                                   I'm raising my glass to day in celebration of our dairy industry.
                                                                   Will you join me?
                     
                                                  Happy National Milk Day!

Earth Day is Everyday

                                          Down on the dairy farm, Earth Day is everyday.
                                            Every day in each season  is filled with tasks
                                         that utilize the land for sustaining our family farm.
                               
                                       It's our job as caretakers of the Earth to use our natural
                                            resources wisely and strive to leave the land in
                                                 better condition for the next generation.
                                             
                                       As farmers, we take our job seriously  and recognize
                                       that we are blessed to have the responsibility of being
                                               caretakers of the Earth and producers of food
                                                              for families across America.
                                         

                                                                Happy Earth Day!

Cheese and Bacon Celebrate June Dairy Month

Can you imagine a better start to June Dairy Month than getting to sample delicious dairy recipes prepared by a group of amazing young cooks?  It was my privilege to be one of three judges for the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest last week in Little Rock.

Each recipe is judged on the use of dairy products, originality, the availability of products used, and serving technique. Contestants for this contest are selected from the winning recipe submitted from  each county Farm Bureau.

Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Shells prepared by Kendall Yarbrough,14,  4-H member from Benton County  won second place in the Main Dish Category. I can tell you first hand--it is rich, creamy, and deliciously loaded with dairy products. Kendall told us that she loves this recipe "because of the cheese and bacon" and  "likes stuffing the shells." 



Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
2 cup chopped  fresh mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup butter,divided
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened and divided
1 1/2 cups Asiago cheese,divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
2 tablespoons  minced fresh parsley,divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
2 cups shredded Romano cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:
 Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, sauté  mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. In a large bowl, beat ricotta and 4 oz. cream cheese until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese,bacon, 1 tablespoon parsley, garlic salt,nutmeg, pepper and mushroom mixture. Spoon into shells and place in a greased 13"x 9" baking dish. In a large saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in flour until smooth and then gradually add the cream,
broth and milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Romano cheese and the remaining cream cheese, Asiago and parsley. Pour over shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes longer.

Serving Size: 2 stuffed shells
Servings: 12

 

How much milk does an average dairy cow produce per day?

Answer: The average dairy cow produces anywhere from six to eight gallons of milk per day.

This means the average dairy cow produces more than 2,000 gallons of milk every year!

Feelin' the Farmer Love

Dairy farms can be found in all 50 states and even though each farm is unique, we are all working for the same outcome--producing nutritious, high-quality milk by caring for our animals and the land we call home. 

This video thank-you from McDonald's  was shared at the National Milk Producer's Annual Meeting in Phoenix this week.

I  felt the farmer love all the way to Arkansas---thank-you from all of us dairy farmers!

Value Added Investment for Dairy Farmers

While waiting to attend our Dairy Farmers of America cooperative summer information luncheon meeting, I was gathering information provided by different vendors about new products we can use on the farm, dairy promotion materials, and newly developed dairy products. As a dairy farmer that produces milk for consumers, I find it fascinating to learn about new products that our dairy cooperative is developing to meet consumer needs and requests. With no breakfast and just before lunch, I enjoyed sampling the new cheese spreads that are being introduced into markets across the country!

Janine Smiley,who works in the Global Dairy Products Group division of our cooperative, kept busy as she gave explanation about the new products and provided samples for us to enjoy. Developing and testing new food products, manufacturing and marketing consumer brand name products and marketing ingredients such as nonfat dry milk powder are handled within this division. You can find more information about our cooperative and our products at http://www.dfamilk.com/.

Dairy Farmers of America products are sold in every state and exported globally. Those products represent a farmer owned cooperative with 16,000 members across America. As one of those members, I appreciate what our cooperative is doing to develop,manufacture and market dairy products for all of our members and consumers.

Dairy Farmers Party

Dairy farmers have been partying in June since the first National Milk Month in 1937. That first celebration of milk was sponsored by chain stores to help stabilize dairy demand during periods of peak production. It's been called "June Dairy Month" since 1939. You can learn more about the history of June Dairy Month at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Dairy farm families are now celebrating in a variety of ways to share how we work everyday to produce a wholesome, nutritious product. Offering samples of the many products produced from milk is the fun part of the party!



June Dairy Month really starts on the farm with every dairy farm family. Ninety eight percent of all U.S. dairy farms are family owned.


Each dairy farm family has their own unique story about their family farm. Farming with our family is not only a business, it is our way of life. The family makes the farm! Our farm began in the early 1920's when Ryan's Grandfather purchased the farm where we live. He produced apples,pigs, chickens, and milked a few cows. Ryan's parents raised broiler chickens, milked a few cows and had a beef herd. In 1972, Ryan started milking 17 cows and has grown the dairy to 300 milking cows. Our two sons are the fourth generation to live and work on our farm. In 1972 when Ryan began dairy farming, there were over 300 dairies in Benton County. In 1985 there were 119 and today we are one of 18 dairies remaining.


We take great pride in working to provide wholesome and nutritious milk for all consumers. June Dairy Month gives us a perfect opportunity to promote our product and celebrate what we do everyday. I hope you will party with us by enjoying your favorite dairy products this month!