What Dairy Farmers Want You to Know About Dairy Farming

By Kimmi Devaney of American Dairy Association of Indiana, Inc.

 “Few other occupations require the passion and commitment that dairy farming does.  Time management and dedicated best management practices are essential for a sound and efficient operation. Managing an operation with enough scale to allow for individual time away for family members is critical for personal family involvement. However, a dairy quickly becomes a family venture as it allows for family members of all ages to be involved at a level that their age and development provides. It's easy to see why dairy farms are nearly all family farms because of the close ties they bring to families.” –Dave Forgey, Logansport, Indiana

“Dairy farmers work hard to make sure the animals are well taken care of and as a result produce nutritious dairy products for consumers.  We also strive to send a safe product to the consumer.  We love our animals!  Without them we would not be where we are today.  They give us a reason to get up every day and make sure they are healthy, fed right, and properly managed, so we can keep being a part of such a wonderful industry!” –Abbie Herr, Kendallville, Indiana

“I want the general public to realize the commitment we as dairy farmers have made to produce a safe, quality product in a responsible manner.” –Kerry Estes, Fountaintown, Indiana

“I want people to think about how hard the farmers work to make milk - and to remember that what your family drinks is the same yummy product that I am feeding to my children. I want them to come and visit to see how the cows have it better than me most days!” –Susan Troyer, Goshen, Indiana

“Nearly every activity that we do on the dairy is centered around one common goal:  To make the cows lives a little more comfortable.  We help to achieve this level of comfort in many ways, by providing:  a fresh balanced diet of hay, corn, vitamins and minerals every single day, fresh clean water to drink, a meticulously groomed bed of sand to sleep on, big fans to keep air fresh and cool, and a water sprinkler shower on hot days.” –Nathan Kuehnert, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Cool Treats

By DeDe Hausmann from Winners Drink Milk

Well let’s talk about cool treats.  We have been having one heck of a hot summer and everyone is trying to stay cool.  What better way than to have a nice cold, yet healthy, treat?!?!   

There are many ways to prepare cold treats like popsicles and what a great way for the kiddos to get involved.  My personal favorite is putting the containers of whipped yogurt into the freezer for a treat!!  They, and you, are going to love these recipes below. Enjoy!!

Yogurt Mango Pops

Source

1 cup Low-Fat Vanills Greek Yogurt

1 c chopped fresh or frozen mangos 

1 tsp fresh lemon juice 

3-5 Tbsp honey 

Purée yogurt, mangos, lemon juice and honey in food processor until smooth. 

Transfer mixture to freezer-pop molds, leaving about 1-inch of space at the top. Freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. 

To unmold, dip mold briefly in hot water. If you don’t have freezer pop molds, use small paper cups. After filling, place a sheet of plastic wrap over top, cut a slit in center and add a popsicle stick.

Strawberry Lemonade Yogurt Ice Pops

Adapted From

1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate 

2 cups cold water 

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 (16 ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries 

In a large pitcher, stir together the lemonade concentrate, water and yogurt. Place strawberries into the container of a blender, and puree until smooth. Pour in some of the lemonade if necessary to facilitate blending. Stir strawberry puree into the lemonade. Pour into molds, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. 

Orange Cream Popsicles

Source

6 ounce can orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 cups vanilla yogurt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Popsicle molds OR 3 ounce cups and craft sticks

Stir all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds or paper cups.  Insert sticks and freeze.

Table Talk: Dairy Tips, Recipes and Activities

As we shift from June Dairy Month to National Ice Cream Month in July, a group of our Indiana Table Talk Contributors have been busy in their kitchens preparing all kinds of dairy goodness for their families to celebrate.

And there is a lot as Hoosiers to celebrate--our state is home to more than 1,500 dairy farms with an average of 102 cows, and all 7 major breeds of dairy cows are represented-- with 98% of Indiana dairy farms being family owned.

We asked our Table Talk Contributors to share us some tips, recipes or activities to celebrate Indiana dairy and they did not disappoint!

Ann-Marie over at Chaos is Bliss shared her tips on how to jazz up your milkshakes while beating the Indiana heat.

Kat over at Kat's Cafe whipped up some adorable infographics to share all kinds of cow and Indiana specific trivia.

Katie at Evoked by Light is very much anticipating this year's Indiana State Fair and the Year of the Dairy Cow. She made a kid-friendly Peanut Butter Fruit Dip with yogurt to celebrate in the meantime.

Crystal over on Moms 4 Less has been busy celebrating birthdays but made time to celebrate her favorite food group with these super yummy Cream Cheese Muffins.

Jen over on 4tunate whipped up some no-cook Homemade Triple Berry Ice Cream just perfect for the Fourth of July and to officially ring in National Ice Cream Month!

Speaking of ice cream...

An array of local personalities representing sports, business and media are flexing their wrists and perfecting their scooping techniques in preparation for Friday, July 13-- The 23rd annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle.

The annual salute to the nation’s favorite summertime treat is sponsored by the American Dairy Association of Indiana. The event takes place from 11 am to 2 pm on the southeast quadrant of Monument Circle, in front of IPL, Hilbert Circle Theatre and the Circle Tower.

Gigantic sundaes made from Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream will be served up for $3 each. This year’s beneficiary is the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, an organization that provides education and support to young people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Whether you celebrate with a tall glass of milk or a sundae for charity, we hope you too will enjoy some dairy this summer thanks to all the hard working men and women that care for the "ladies" that provide you nutritious and delicious dairy products everyday.