June is National Dairy Month. Let's give the Michigan dairy industry the recognition it deserves!

Milk cows in Michigan worked hard over the past year - 312,000 cows produced 6.7 billion pounds of milk! The average milk cow in Michigan produces more than 21,600 pounds a year…all by herself! These hard-working cows made Michigan the eighth most milk producing state in the nation.

Thanks to Michigan cows, consumers are able to enjoy many delicious dairy products including milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream and butter. Evaporated, sweetened condensed and dry milk are also made from cow's milk.

Dairy products are excellent sources of calcium and protein. Eating three daily servings of milk, cheese or yogurt is an easy way to get a powerful punch of nutrients to help build stronger bones and healthy bodies. In addition, for adults who need to lose weight, research shows that enjoying three servings of dairy each day as part of a reduced calorie weight loss plan can help achieve better results when it comes to trimming the waistline than just cutting calories alone and consuming little or no dairy products.

The next time you go to the grocery store, make sure you show the hard-working Michigan cows how much you appreciate them by selecting Michigan dairy products. Or, check out some delicious dairy recipes here!

For a fun family outing, contact a local dairy farm and arrange a visit. Michigan boasts several on-farm markets featuring milk processing and dairy product sales. For help locating a farm near you, contact your County Farm Bureau or MSU Extension Office. You can also visit our searchable Farm Market, U-Pick and Agricultural Tourism database online at www.michigan.gov/mda-upick.

For more information about Michigan's dairy industry and more delicious dairy recipes, visit www.udim.org or www.3aday.org.

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