It’s June Dairy Month!
It’s June, which means it’s National Dairy Month! Originally called National Milk Month, this celebration was created in 1939 to encourage families to buy and drink milk during the summer. Here in Wisconsin, “June Dairy Month” has become a time-honored tradition, celebrating and educating Wisconsinites about the dairy industry’s place in Wisconsin’s economy, its culture, and its history. It also encourages families to learn more about Wisconsin’s traditional dairy products, and encourages them to put nutritious dairy products on their tables, on their plates, and in their stomachs!
Dairy Breakfasts: Fun Activities for the Whole Family
This June, you can celebrate the dairy industry’s contributions to Wisconsin with fun activities and delicious food. Bring your friends and family to a Dairy Breakfast near you for the opportunity to participate in fun, family-friendly activities, learn about the Wisconsin dairy industry, and eat delicious breakfasts that include pancakes, sausages, cheese, and of course, milk! Beyond this tasty tradition, you can attend other dairy-inspired events across the state.
For details on farm breakfasts and other dairy events near you, check out:
www.dairydaysofsummer.com
So Why Dairy?
Dairy products have great nutritional and health benefits that keep your bones, teeth, muscles, and skin healthy. Besides the great health benefits, dairy products are also often much cheaper than alternatives, such as soy or almond milk.
With these kinds of benefits, it’s no wonder that the Wisconsin’s dairy industry brings in $43.4 billion every year, accounting for half of Wisconsin’s agriculture income. As no surprise to any Wisconsinite, about 90% of our milk production is used to create our world-renowned Wisconsin cheese. Wisconsin cows produce an average 2,739 gallons of milk yearly, which accounts for 14.2% of the milk production in the United States. And now, thanks to the hard work of 4th grade students from Mineral Point Elementary School, cheese is Wisconsin’s official state dairy product.
Dairy Industry
With the dairy industry being an integral part to Wisconsin’s economic health, making sure farmers are set up for success is a key to keeping farms running. Legislation that helps dairy farmers maintain and replace their already-licensed wells was just signed into law, ensuring our dairy and agriculture industries can continue to thrive. These high-capacity wells are necessary for some farms, including many dairy farms. Allowing transfers of well licenses and allowing maintenance without re-licensing will reduce government waste and cut suffocating red tape surrounding our farmers.
This legislation keeps current regulations on environmental safety of high-capacity wells and does not authorize the creation of new wells. The DNR will continue to have the authority to approve or reject new wells and ensure areas surrounding existing high-capacity wells are protected from possible adverse effects on surrounding water tables.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the people in the dairy industry for their hard work and for the products they produce for everyone across the country. As many of them are people of my district, friends and family.
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