June is National Dairy Month

ANNAPOLIS, MD –June is National Dairy Month, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture encourages Marylanders to celebrate by enjoying healthy and nutritious dairy products this month and all year long.  National Dairy Month celebrates the value of milk and dairy products as part of a well-balanced diet for every American, as well as the importance of milk production to the agricultural industry. Maryland dairy farms accounted for $173 million in sales in 2015, according to USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service.

“Dairy farming is a vital part of Maryland’s agriculture, generating about 10 percent of all farm cash receipts,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “Dairy farms provide us with milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and many other nutritious foods. I encourage Marylanders to support our dairy farmers.”

National Dairy Month was established in 1937 and initially supported by the National Dairy Council to celebrate the dairy industry and to help stabilize dairy demand during periods of peak production.  Originally called National Milk Month, the celebration is now led by the American Dairy Association and has broadened over the years to promote the greater use of dairy products through sales promotion programs and marketing campaigns.

There are many great ways to celebrate National Dairy Month:

• Include milk – Maryland’s official state beverage – in your diet. Maryland dairy farmers supply about 113 million gallons of milk to several dairy cooperatives whose milk ends up on grocery store shelves in the region
• Buy cheeses produced by Maryland farmers. Fourteen farms in the state either produce cheese on their farms or have it produced off-farm with unique recipes.
• Experience Maryland’s dairy farms first-hand on the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream trail, which features eight dairy farms that produce farm fresh ice cream and sell it directly to consumers on the farm. Anyone who visits each of the eight creameries before Sept. 23 will have a chance to be named Maryland’s Best 2016 Ice Cream Trailblazer and win assorted prizes. For more information about the trail: http://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-release/2016/05/20/marylands-best-ice-cream-trail-opens-for-2016/
• Find local Maryland dairy products near you at marylandsbest.net

Fast Facts about Maryland Dairy

• Dairy is a $1.1 billion business in the state, with 4,255 citizens employed in the dairy sector, according to a 2013 University of Maryland study.
• There are 443 dairy farms in Maryland, according to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
• The most popular dairy breed in our state is the Holstein.
• Milk is Maryland’s official State Beverage.
• Maryland’s dairy industry accounted for nearly $173 million in sales in 2015.
• Maryland’s top three dairy producing counties are: Washington, Frederick, and Garrett.
• Maryland dairy cattle are routinely judged among the best in the world at competitions.
• Washington County dairy farmer Mary Creek was chosen Dairy Woman of the Year at the 2012 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
• There are about 49,000 dairy cows in Maryland.

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