We need an Uder App

What is one of the most common problems that strikes terror in homes all over the world? Imagine you just called the kids down to eat and you've poured their cereal in the bowls for breakfast and it hits you!

That's right!

"We're our of milk!"

In the miracle like technological world we live in you ask can this terrible problem be prevented? The answer is indeed, yes. Smartphones are ubiquitous and with the advent of the ride service Uber I think we need a milk delivery service. Lets call it Uder.

Launch the app on your phone and select how many gallons of milk you need. You'd be able to select from delicious full fat (technically only 3.5%) to skim and anything in between. Plus chocolate or regular. Maybe in the future you could even add more dairy choices like creamers and yogurts, but never, never offer any fake dairy product that doesn't come from an udder. If you're looking for nuts then go shake a tree or something.

Want an easy way to make money, dinero, or moo-lah? Then you could consider applying to be an Uder Driver. You'd be the one stopping by the store to pick up some delicious milk for whoever orders it. Being able to make people happy and make money at the same time is hard to fathom, but is a perfect description of an Uder Driver.

While How To Make Apps For Dummies may be heavy reading for me, maybe it isn't for you! Make this app happen and don't forget to give me some credit, and by credit I mean I need a cut of the revenue. Until then stock up on your favorite dairy products when you go to town. Buy gallons of milk like the weatherman is calling for snow no matter the season and you will never run out.

Dairy Farmers Are OCD About Milk Safety

Call us crazy, but dairy farmers are ocd about milk safety. All down the line from when the cow is milked to when the milk leaves the farm the farmers are checking and double checking the safety of the milk.

Inside Out: What Are Dairy Cows Thinking

The new Pixar movie Inside Out is coming soon and I know my family is looking forward to going to see it.



It imagines our emotions being characters in our heads and how they interact. My first thoughts on dairy cows is that there must be a couple in their heads that do nothing but watch and wait for me to get close to the cow's rear end.

"Is The Farmer in range?"

"He's not in the full splatter zone. Wait!"

"Is he there yet?"

"Getting closer!"

"Now?"

"Now!"

And that's when they press the "go potty" button and my t-shirt and jeans get an instant brown tie-dyed look.

Maybe we can't actually get a view of a cow's brain or have a conversation with her about her feelings, but we can watch her because actions really do speak louder than words. As I write this our cows are all laying in the pasture after the morning milking. Full, content cows taking a nap is a good sign. Most are chewing their cud and simply resting.

As it gets closer to lunch I know they are hungry because they will be lining up at the gate to come in to eat.

There are many things that can frighten the girls from loud noises or "funny" smells (cows have a keen sense of smell) to visitors to the farm. When those incidences occur the cows will often put their noses in the air and raise their ears to figure out what's going on. If they feel threatened they will run. Cow care and cow comfort, therefore, are a top priority on any farm.

Happy, content cows eat and milk well. When cows refuse to eat, go down in milk, or don't go in to be milked at their regular spot in line then we also know something is wrong. Paying attention to the cows and how they act with others and during their normal daily routine is very important if we want to know what they are thinking and therefore how they feel.

Maybe cows can't verbalize it, but how they act is as good as speaking. Of course, there may be good reasons for cows not talking. Dairy cows have been know to be a little sassy!

Vaccinating Cows

Getting vaccinated is not something reserved for humans. All of our cows and calves also get vaccinated and have their booster shots to make sure their immunity stays current. Keeping our cows healthy is good for them and good for us.

You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Vaccinated

Sweet Sixteen

Our most recent heifer that calved and entered the milking herd is #16. Previously she was only identified by her ear tag, but now she has a "big" number, also. The big blue number is the one we will now use for her record keeping. We escorted her into the headchute to restrain her for her safety as well as ours.

She received a vaccination to aid in the prevention of diseases caused by infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine virus diarrhea (BVD types 1 & 2), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), and bovine respiratory syncytial (BRSV) viruses, Leptospira pomona, L. hardjo, L. grippotyphosa, L. canicola, and L. icterohaemorrhagiae. That's ten in one dose! My children might wish their pediatrician could be so efficient.

Also, we poured on her back a liquid dewormer that will prevent internal and external parasites. After that she was free to go back to eating and relaxing until the next milking.

Our calves are vaccinated when they are a few months old and wormed when they are ready to go out on pasture. They will receive regular boosters for the rest of their time on the farm.

Now, if only I could convince my wife to get vaccinated for her flu shot this year.....

Cows In Space

I opened the gate and called to the cows in the pasture. It was time for them to come in and eat lunch. Most of them stood up and took a few steps. Thinking they were on their way I proceeded to feed a group of calves that were in a nearby barn.

The cows, however, didn't move. They stood silently. Were they doing some kind of protest? Were they pondering which Christmas special to watch on tv? I noticed their ears and eyes pointed to the heavens and it was obvious what they were doing. Cows, as you know, have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. What they had to be doing was "sensing" one of NASA's new spaceships, Orion, circling the globe.  

The spaceship was unmanned for this trip, but one of the future goals of the new craft is a trip to Mars. Of course, when the astronauts are on board they will definitely need some milk. What are their options? As impractical as it is, the first choice is to take a real cow with them.

Monkeys and rats have made the trip so why not our bovine friends? While one little girl did take a baby calf into her house to snuggle with, a cow in space does bring its own issues. Cows need room to move, lots of food to eat, and let us not forget about waste. Then you have the issue with the milk. Raw milk for the astronauts? No. The last thing you need is a group of astronauts getting sick from an E. coli outbreak or having renal problems.  They would need to pasteurize the milk. More equipment and more work for them. We might not be ready for a cow in space.

As a kid I remember the astronauts drank Tang.


I also remember that it was the yuckiest thing I had ever drunk at the time and if that was what it took to become an astronaut then there was no point in me thinking about becoming one. Thanks but no thanks and pass the milk, please.

Due to it's perishable quality milk might not have an option for early astronauts, but today you definitely have more options for your dairy cravings. Ultra High Temperature pasteurizing allows milk to have a long shelf life. You can find conventional milk as well as organic milk on the shelf like this.

Via milkunleashed.com

Coming soon nationwide is a product called Fairlife Milk which uses a new version of UHT and has a unique twist on milk's inherently good properties by increasing the protein and calcium while lowering the sugar content. Perhaps the biggest impact it will make is that it is lactose free making it a perfect choice for those with inherent lactose allergies. Does it taste delicious? I don't know, but I can't wait to try it.

It's National Chocolate Milk Day tomorrow. Make sure you share a glass of @Fairlife Chocolate Milk with a friend! pic.twitter.com/3dSARTufGh
— fairlife (@fairlife) September 26, 2014

Cows in space? Maybe not yet. Milk in space? You betcha! All systems are go!

Why We Need Spider-Man Milk Cartons

What's wrong with this picture? Well, for starters you would probably say that a grown man is holding a kid's juice drink. Then you might add that the grown man is a dairy farmer and he's holding a juice drink instead of milk. Why? Because his little boy likes Spider-Man.

How should dairy products improve their marketing? One definite way is to take advice from my son. When he goes into a convenience store he sees things first at his eye level. In the drink coolers what is at his eye level? Juice. Lots of juice boxes with cool packages with superheroes or princesses. There are also "kool-aid" type drinks with easy no spill lids. Where are the single serve chocolate milk bottles at? They are in mostly very plain packaging and shelved at the very top where little kids will look last.

Single serve chocolate milk here goes for around $1.50 give or take. The Spider-man juice drink is priced around $2.00. I'd say that's good money being made on juice packaging. The juice people are advertising to their target audience by placing their product low on the shelf just like kid friendly cereal makers place their product low in the grocery store. Single serve chocolate milk is placed high on the shelf like grandpa's high fiber cereal is at the grocery store.

If my son saw a superhero emblazoned milk carton, or something else kid friendly, on the bottom shelf next to the cool juice containers maybe he would pause to consider which one he wanted. Maybe other kids would, too. Realtors say location, location, location sells a house, but maybe it could also sell more milk.

Why We Number Our Cows

There are many good reasons that we have numbers for our cows. When each life event happens for them, whether it be their birth, breeding, calving, or vet check, we can record it for future reference. I know some dairies name their cattle but we never have. It doesn't keep us for caring for the well being of each animal.

When a calf is born we put an eartag in her ear and record it. We also photograph the calf in case she ever loses that tag. We've been able to identify many over the years this way. When she calves we give the cow a chain with a number on it, like a graduation into the milking herd present. Sort of like a Hawaiian lei done dairy style.

Now in a perfect world I would have some kind of gps tracking device on our cows and calves so I could easily find their exact location by looking at my phone. "Look! Old 237 has gotten out of her field again." I think that would be pretty awesome. Maybe someday. 

Is The New York Times Right About Organic Milk?

The New York Times ran a story last week that reported a study on how organic milk was better for you than conventionally produced milk. The study by researchers, including Charles M. Benbrook, at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources found that organic whole milk had more omega 3 fatty acids than omega 6 fatty acids in comparison to whole milk from conventional farms. Their conclusion from the article was that

The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the organic milk was 2.28, much lower than the 5.77 ratio in conventional milk. (The figures do not apply to nonfat milk, which strips away the fatty acids.)

But I think the article left out three major points about the study.

Actually Pasture Based Milk Is Better

The article made a point, very briefly for its importance, in that all cows that were on pasture (organic or not) produced milk with the better ratio of fatty acids:

Nonorganic cows that graze in pastures also produce milk with greater amounts of omega-3s.

If research does prove that milk with the higher omega 3 fatty acids is better then there is no reason that all or most milk could be improved. The cows on my farm are on pasture most of the day and their rations consist of lots grass that we harvest. We mow wheat and other grasses, chop them up, and store them in silos. We do the same with then entire corn plant, not just the grain. Of course, we also feed hay.

My point is that our cows, as well as those on larger farms, are already getting lots of grass in their diet. We already know that what we feed them changes their milk's components, such as the amount of protein and butter fat. Farms change their rations in order to achieve certain component goals they have. There is no reason that rations for cows cannot be changed in order to achieve a better ratio of fatty acids if it makes milk better.

How Many Servings of Omega 3's Does Milk Have?

Greg Miller wrote in his post that the first thing we should question is whether or not the fatty acid ratio of the pasture grazed cows' milk is superior. There's still research to be done on this to find a definitive answer. He also went on to say that even if it is, the ratio of fatty acids in your daily servings of milk is going to have far less impact on you than other sources in your diet. In other words, this is good news, but if you want a larger amount of Omega 3's in your diet then you should look for foods that have it in higher concentrations.

Whole Milk Is Good For You

The study was only about whole milk because

 (The figures do not apply to nonfat milk, which strips away the fatty acids.)

Instead of going for nonfat milk maybe the real benefits of milk are in the fat.

The good news is that this study reaffirms that milk is good for you in more ways than you knew. If you want to drink organic milk, that's fine by me, but you don't have to.  All milk is good for you and safe, and there are plenty of great reasons for you to drink it. As long as you are enjoying some real delicious dairy products, no matter the kind,  I will be happy.

Hollywood On Dairy

Hollywood Gets It Wrong

Actor Ryan Gosling recently came out against dehorning of dairy cattle because evidently he doesn't think dairy farmers care for their animals. The only reason we dehorn our animals is to keep them from endangering others and themselves. 

I have no desire to be poked or hit by a horn while I'm feeding them or simply walking by. I also don't want to see them do the same to other animals which is exactly what they do when they have horns. Mr. Gosling has probably never seen a horn do like one of his ingrown toenails and try to grow back into the animal and need to be removed.

I would love to breed our cows to polled bulls, those born without horns, but polled bulls are not widespread for dairy cows. For an even more in depth response check out another dairy farmer's response to Mr. Gosling from Dairy Carrie.

Hollywood Gets It Right

I mean who am I to argue with Dr. Sheldon Cooper? 

Of course, what I would've recommended to Leonard would be to check out SUDIA's great information on lactose intolerance and find out how he could still enjoy the taste and benefits of dairy products without side effects. When you can still have real milk why would you want to bother with the fake stuff?

Have you seen dairy done wrong or right by Hollywood stars or on television or movies? What did you think?

Soda, Water, and Milk

An AP story on America's drinking habits caught my eye earlier this month:

America's new love: Water (by Candice Choi) Americans now drink an average of 44 gallons of soda a year, a 17 percent drop from the peak in 1998. Over the same time, the average amount of water people drink has increased 38 percent to about 58 gallons a year. Bottled water has led that growth, with consumption nearly doubling to 21 gallons a year.

I think that people are looking for something healthier than soda and by the rate of increase in water consumption I believe they are willing to change their habits.  While in 2011 Americans only drank 20.2 gallons per year, milk could be the healthy alternative to soda that people are looking for. The handout below from SUDIA really illustrates the uniqueness of milk.

Dairy products can meet the wants and needs of consumers. Milk is more than an alternative to sodas and cokes, it is nature's most perfect food.

See The Hidden Value of Milk

I was sent a video a few weeks ago about the costs of milk. I let the cows respond to it, but the more I thought about it I the more I realized it was the wrong conversation. What it should be about is the value of milk and dairy products. Milk, fresh and natural, is probably the most regulated and tested food on the market. It is nutrient dense and the research proving its value to our diet is overwhelming and still growing.



Milk is more than just a great tasting drink, as my cows might agree. Milk is so much more.

• A bargain of 9 Essential Nutrients
• Dairy and Heart Health
• Dairy and a Healthy Weight
• Protein in Dairy
• Dairy and Mental Performance 

Whether you choose milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, or any other dairy product you enjoy know that you are always getting the hidden value of milk.

Changing Dairy On The Go

I wrote a post a week or so ago about how dairy needs to capture more of the on the go market and how they need to innovate to do so. After a bit of brainstorming I came up with three ideas.

Better Milk Containers For Kids

Let me go ahead and admit something, something that might seem terrible: I don't often buy milk for my kids when we go out unless we go to a restaurant. If you've ever had to clean up two pints of chocolate milk soaked into the carpet and seat of your car you might have some sympathy. My main two reasons of not purchasing the milk is because of the size and the lid. While I have found one pint containers of milk at convenience stores, more often than not it is the two pint size with a big lid.

 Milk's competition for on-the-go drinks for kids is in an approximate pint size and has an easy open push up to open push down to close lid. For the kid that doesn't need a sippy cup anymore but is still too small for a big drink these are perfect! Why can't milk be packaged like that?

Diet Milk

You can buy low calorie or no calorie sodas and other drinks, but not milk. Someone on a diet may look at milk and the calorie counts in the two pint container and think it will totally blow their diet and choose a Diet Coke instead. Obviously I know they are missing out on all the nutrition that comes with the natural goodness milk has, but isn't there a way to meet the wants of this consumer too?

I propose Diet Milk, all the nutrition with less calories. I'm not a food scientist so I can't say how to make this, but I do know that the dairy industry is asking to be allowed to add non-nutritive sweeteners to milk, like Stevia, for instance. My friend Dairy Carrie has a great post on the facts on this. This would allow flavored milk to be of lower calorie counts as well as doing my proposed Diet Milk.

Milk Is For Adults

I think adults have the opinion that milk is a kid's drink. When you go to a fast food restaurant the combo meals comes with tea, soft drinks, or water. No option for milk. How often do you see a photo of a meal for adults in restaurant's menu with a tall glass of milk to go with it? Maybe on the breakfast menu, but not the lunch or dinner menu. 

I think we should remind people that milk is beneficial for adults as well as children. The research proving how chocolate milk is a great recovery drink for athletes has been good for this and so has the coffee and milk drinks being sold. Still, what's wrong with a serving of milk to go?

So good ideas? Bad ideas? Room for improvement? How would you innovate dairy on the go?

Dairy On The Go Vs The Competition

There was an interesting piece from Tom Gallagher in Hoard's Dairyman on the decline of milk sales over the last 30 years and how to change it. One of the quotes that jumped out at me was this one:

Away from home meal consumption stands at 30 percent, compared to just 16 percent in the late 1970s. Additionally, 48 percent of consumers' food expenditures are now spent on food away from home.

--Tom Gallagher, CEO of DMI., from We must work together to fix fluid milk  Hoard's Dairyman December 2012 

I knew anecdotally that people ate out more today, but I had not read any statistics on it. Also I wonder about a link between the 48% of food sales away from home and obesity. I know when I eat on the go rarely do I eat as healthy as I might at home. If I'm traveling by myself then I often eat cheaply in a frugal manner.

Dairy products in the marketplace purchased on the go are lacking compared to other options. For example, you're driving home and decide to stop for a quick snack. Most fast food places have ice cream or milkshakes as a dessert item, but how often can you choose from yogurt, cheese, or plain milk for a snack? I more often stop at gas stations to grab a bite. The dairy cooler is usually limited to gallons or half gallons of milk and a few flavors of one size single servings.

Dairy Cooler at a Gas Station:  1/2 of one door

Pepsi, Coke, and the juice makers have all kinds of selections. How much do you want to drink? They have sizes from less than 12 oz, to 12 oz, 20 oz, and even bigger single servings. (Of course, if you drink the larger sizes it won't be long before you have to stop again!) Then you have all kinds of flavors to choose from and within those you can choose on calorie and caffeine content. So they have oodles and oodles of selections versus dairy's white, chocolate, or strawberry offerings.

It is no wonder that consumers walk past the plain milk cooler. Obviously, some stores offer more dairy options such as ice cream and mix your own milkshake machines, but even with those it still doesn't compare to the alternatives.

My friend, Randy, disagrees with me on this as far as grocery stores go. He points out that you can buy most any size of milk you want in different flavors, fat content, and production methods. He says that the high quality of milk as a product should sell itself and maybe consumers only need a reminder of all the good it has.

What would make you excited about a dairy purchase on the go? What makes you choose a coke and a candy bar over a milkshake?

Edge of the Dairy Cliff

While there has been much talk about the fiscal cliff in Washington D.C. the so-called dairy cliff is also a major problem. With the end of the current Farm Bill milk would be priced by laws from 1949 which would double the price of milk at the store. This has been reported in the Washington Post as well as on the Today Show.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I agree with the farmer in the video in that high prices sound good for me, but they come at a cost. I am a consumer that is always looking for a way to stretch my dollar. The farmer in me wants a high price for dairy products, but the consumer in me realizes there is a limit to what people will pay for milk before they choose something else.

Hopefully Congress will at least pass some kind of Farm Bill extension that will cover dairy. The Secretary of Agriculture can take his time implementing the dairy laws that would take effect thereby giving more time to enact new laws. Also, Congress has the authority to make laws retroactive upon passage.

The big picture: I don't expect to be paying double for milk on Jan 1st at the grocery store. However, being in a state of limbo on how milk will be priced is a terrible place for a dairy farmer to be. There is still much haggling taking place on future dairy policy in Congress, and unlike many other agriculture commodities, milk is perishable. I hope they don't wait until it is all spoiled before they take action.

Learn How To Be A Dairy Farmer Over Lunch

I've often said if they, whoever they are, had just come to me first I could've told them how they should have done the thing they were doing. That's probably a lot of big talk and the line to my door asking for my advice has been very short indeed. This week there actually was somebody knocking and I hope the advice I gave was somewhat helpful.

This began with a phone call from my county extension agent who asked me to meet him for lunch. Some folks had contacted him about a missionary from Kenya who wanted to know about dairy farming who I will refer to as "Ken." So, being totally motivated by the offer of french fries and a barbecue sandwich I made plans to go.

The lunch meeting consisted of my extension agent and one of his friends, Ken, and two men with the organization that are helping Ken to meet people to learn about dairy farming. Maybe I should preface the rest by saying everything I know about dairy and agriculture in Kenya I learned from Ken.

Teach A Man To Fish Equals Teach A Man To Milk?

Ken began explaining how he was college educated in what he called something like community outreach. He wanted to learn how to milk and care for dairy cattle and then teach that to the people in his community. They could then sell that milk and improve their lot in life. That sounded inspirational and like a huge project.

Ken continued by talking about how he needed to get registered cattle (meaning certified by a breed organization) and how it would take a few generations to do that. I spoke up at this point to let him know that my dairy cows are not registered and don't need to be. I sell milk and healthy strong cows that make milk are all I need and I suggested that might be a simpler approach for him to take.

He went on to describe how each family's goal would be to have up to a dozen cattle to milk. We then began asking him about breeding the animals because I reminded him that cows have to have a dry period of no milking while they are pregnant and if they are never bred they will eventually stop producing milk. Ken wasn't aware of that and perhaps that was the first clue I had of how big a hill he was trying to climb. I offered that the families could buy/rent a community bull to service all the animals as needed. A simple approach, I hoped.

Feed and Milk Processing

We asked Ken about available feed for the animals. He said that Kenya was in a warm climate and that he had been feeding his one cow and calf dried corn husks and some other plant from what I gathered was a grocery type store. He also picked leaves from a native plant. When we inquired how the community would feed their animals he said the children could pick leaves so they could do their part. Wow, that was going to be many leaves to keep just one animal going. Cows need lots of feed and forages in a well balanced diet to produce milk. Without good nutrition they are not going to make much at all. We suggested that some families might earn their money by growing and harvesting crops for the animals.

When asked about processing the milk Ken said there was a processing plant nearby that you could take your milk to and they would pasteurize it and give you a portion of it for yourself to drink and a small price for what you sold them. Questions we thought he should ponder were how to get the milk there in bulk quantities as well as how to ensure food safety when in storage and transport. 

Man on a Mission

Sunset in Kenya

Ken was excited to meet and talk with us and get more questions answered. The best suggestion the group gave him was to work on a dairy for at least a week, if not a season or so. Hands on training with animals and milking is probably the best way to understand how to do it. Unfortunately Ken had to return to Kenya almost immediately. I told him something I would never imagined myself saying just a few years ago: go look on YouTube. You can find examples of practically anything on dairy farming there from milking to forage production. It wasn't a perfect solution, but in this case I hoped it would be of some use. 

Will he be able to implement his dream of helping his community by teaching them how to care for dairy cattle and become dairy farmers? I don't know. Did I teach him how to be a dairy farmer over lunch? Definitely not. He's got a very long row to hoe, but I think he really wants to make a difference and I wish him well on his pursuit.

map

Chocolate Milk Please!

Kids can be picky eaters and mine are no different.  My wife, bless her heart, tries to make us eat healthy meals.  She hides veggies and fruits inside dishes to sneak nutrition in.  And if ketchup or ranch dressing for dipping help the kids to eat things that they might not eat otherwise then so be it.

Consuming diary products has never been a problem.  We can put away milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt with the best of them.  I asked the kids at supper about chocolate milk in school.  One said she drank both flavors and the other confessed with a smile that she always chose the chocolate.  I asked about their friends' habits and they said many always chose the chocolate milk.  I then followed up by asking what those kids would do if no chocolate milk was offered.  They replied that many wouldn't drink plain milk and would drink water or soda and sports drinks brought from home.

Many well-intentioned health conscious people would like to do away with chocolate milk in schools.  Unfortunately studies agree with what my kids reported in that if you remove the chocolate milk then total milk consumption drops.  This is bad for all children and especially so for those at risk kids who get their most nutritious meal at school.

One way to solve this problem is to make the chocolate milk healthier.  Innovation in the dairy industry can meet the demands of the consumer.  Many varieties of chocolate milk are now being made with a lower fat percentage and with less sugar.  In his blog post Time to modernize chocolate milk industry, Dino Giacomazzi  throws out the idea of using stevia instead of sugar to sweeten chocolate milk.  Less calories, same nutrition.

Milk packs a major punch in nutrition providing children with many of the things they need. If a little chocolate encourages them to drink milk the health benefits surely outweigh the costs.  But don't take it from me, take it from my kids.

Make Memories With Ice Cream

June is dairy month and there's no better dairy treat to have on a hot day than ice cream. One of the best things about ice cream is how it brings people together and the memories that you make.

We often had large family gatherings at my house while I grew up and we always enjoyed a homemade summertime treat.  I remember my job was to bust the ice and wait.  And wait some more as the ice cream churn turned.  Everyone was all smiles when they scooped some cold ice cream in their bowls.

I will never forget the time we took our daughters on their first trip to an ice cream parlor.  My oldest had a beautiful ice cream smile around her mouth that dripped down on her clothes. My neighbor hosts a farm day each year and invites all the local schools to learn about dairy and agriculture.  There's nothing like seeing several hundred kids licking and biting into ice cream sandwiches.

What are your ice cream memories?

June is Dairy Month!

June is dairy month! Woo-hoo! (You can't see it but this is the part where I'm jumping up and down.) Imagine having your birthday celebrated everyday for a month, that is what June is like for a dairy farmer. All over the country for a whole month people will be talking about dairy farmers and dairy products.

There's a lot to love about dairy.  From milk to ice cream, all types of cheeses, butter, and don't forget yogurt because I know if I forgot to buy yogurt my girls would be upset!  The cows, too, there's a lot to like about the cows out there producing nature's most perfect food. Look at them there eating hay and getting ready to go be milked.  That is dairy delight!

So be sure to celebrate June dairy month and support the cows, farmers, and everyone else down the line that brings delicious dairy products to you!

Antibiotics and Milk

There are always people who worry about antibiotics in the food supply, and they should when it is warranted. Recently the FDA has decided it wants to inspect milk for more antibiotics.  This is in itself sounds scary, as if dairy farmers are pumping up cows with drugs and not getting caught.  The truth is much different.

Dairy farmers do not want to give antibiotics at all.  That goes for plain and organic varieties.  If you need to give any drug it probably means the animal is sick, producing less milk, and will be costing money for treatment and lost revenue.  That said, animals, like people, get sick.  Sometimes you can isolate a cow, give her plenty of rest and extra attention and she will get better on her own.  Other times, she may need medicine, like antibiotics, to get well.

On our farm we only give antibiotics when a cow needs them to be well.  When we treat a cow that is giving milk we separate the animal from the main herd and mark her so we know that her milk should not be put in the milk tank.  We then throw her milk away for the designated withdrawal time for the drug.  Before we mix her milk in with the other cows' we check it with an antibiotic test kit on the farm to make sure it has completely left her system.  If she still checks positive for antibiotics, we will continue to discard her milk until it is clean.

Before the milk truck driver picks up our milk he takes a sample of it to take to a lab for testing.  When he takes the load to the milk plant they, too, will take a sample of it and check it for antibiotics.  If the load contains any residue then the load is turned down.  If the sample taken from the milk on your farm was the bad milk, then you will be responsible for that entire load.  I would not want to pay for an entire load of milk.  I also know some farmers that use the on farm test kit to check every tank of their milk before they even allow the milk truck driver to load it.