Enjoy a cold glass of milk this morning? Dive into a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream on a hot summer day? What about butter on your biscuit or queso for your chips?
Texas dairy farmers keep milk flowing to our favorite dairy treats.
Where does all that milk come from? Well, the Lone Star State has about 350 dairies with more than 560,000 cows.
And Texas is the fifth-largest milk-producing state. Dairy delivers a $50.3 billion total state economic impact, and about 253,000 jobs are related to the Texas dairy industry.
Did you know the average Texas dairy farm has 1,487 cows, and they produce about 14.8 billion pounds of milk per year? Cowabunga! That’s a lot of milk!
And that helps give the Lone Star State legenDAIRY status.
Our dairy farmers have a significant impact on Texas agriculture and our daily lives. So, it’s fitting we highlight their product during National Dairy Month and all year long, of course!
Let’s start with the basics.
Milk: It’s delicious and nutritious, and farmers are investing in new and innovative versions to please even the pickiest palate. High protein, low fat, low sugar, lactose free and more.
That’s not all. Let’s milk a few more udderly delightful facts about dairy:
- It takes 12 lbs. of whole milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream.
- It takes 10 lbs. of milk to make 1 lb. of cheese. And the U.S. produces more than 300 varieties of cheese!
- A single serving of milk provides 9 nutrients and vitamins.
- 95% of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated.
- Dairy farmers have decreased their carbon footprint by 2/3 since 1960.
- Holstein cattle, which are known for their black and white markings, are the most common dairy cattle in the U.S.
- Milk travels from the farm to the grocery store in about 48 hours.
And don’t forget, milk products are part of a healthy diet. All brought to you by the hardworking men and women who care for their cattle all year long—early morning milkings, late night feedings and all hours in between. Just like this family who’s bottling tradition on their Comanche County farm.
So, let’s raise our glasses to Texas dairy farmers and our state’s legenDAIRY status. Because every month is a dairy good month if you ask me.
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