Celebrating National Dairy Month – Texas-style
By Jessica Domel
Grab a glass of milk, a pint of Blue Bell or a wedge of cheese because it’s time to celebrate National Dairy Month!
There are so many things to love that involve dairy products.
If it weren’t for milk, we wouldn’t have creamy macaroni and cheese, banana splits, cheesecakes or pizza. Imagine a world without pizza. Or ice cream.
I don’t know how I would have survived college without them.
Milk helps to build strong bones and teeth, and it helps to reduce a person’s risk of bone disease and fractures.
read moreSchool lunches get a new look
By Nathan Smith
It’s that time of year again. Backpacks are packed with fresh supplies, new shoes are being tied, and school bells are beckoning kids across Texas and the nation. If your child chooses to buy the school lunch instead of packing their own, the lunch line will look a little different this year.
Earlier this spring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new meal pattern for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. The new requirements will go into effect this school year.
The new rules governing school nutrition include:
read moreMeet a Texas dairy farmer: Alan Vander Horst
By Nathan Smith
Visit Erath County and you’ll see small family-operated dairies scattered across the rolling landscape. Don’t let their size fool you, though. These farms employ some of the most modern technology to keep their cows safe and deliver that delicious liquid we pour over Cheerios.
Hardworking dairymen like Alan Vander Horst have a two-way relationship with their cows. He depends on his cows to grow and produce milk safely and efficiently. The cows depend on him for care year-round. The result yields a healthy, wholesome drink for all ages.
read moreHave you thanked a cow today?
By Nathan Smith
How would we get through the Texas summer without ice cream? Answer. We wouldn’t. That’s my solution for beating the scorching Texas heat anyway.
June brings sweltering temperatures to the Lone Star State—but it’s also time to celebrate National Dairy Month and the four-legged creatures that make it all happen.
Few things are better than enjoying a big scoop of Homemade Vanilla on a hot summer day. But behind that summertime treat and the hundreds of other dairy products we enjoy, there are hard-working dairy families (and cows) to thank.
read moreChocolate milk going extinct?
By Nathan Smith
To this Texan, the only thing better than milk is chocolate milk.
It’s a favorite part of my post exercise routine, so it’s a good thing I’m not a student in some Los Angeles or Washington, D.C. school districts where chocolate milk is a thing of the past.
School administrators in some districts in a few states claim the sugar content in flavored milk is a major contributor to the nation’s child obesity epidemic. Florida considered a statewide ban, citing the added sugar in flavored milk as a major culprit to the health of students.
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