Who among us doesn’t love a cold glass of fresh milk and a few (just a few!) Oreo cookies?

In 1937, National Milk Month was proclaimed as a way to promote drinking milk. This has since evolved to its current designation as National Dairy Month to largely celebrate the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world.

A little known fact: dairy products like milk contain nine essential nutrients considered to help with things such as weight management, reduced risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. Studies point to the positive impact drinking milk has on the development of children. Parents worldwide beg their children to drink their milk to ensure the development of healthy bones as milk is a great source of Vitamin D.

For children from 2-18, milk provides almost two-thirds of the Vitamin D in their diet.

Cheese is another favorite dairy product. It is almost a stable at family parties and events. And, what about your favorite burger that is further enhanced by adding a slice of your favorite cheese? It is interesting to note that today one-third of milk produced in the country is used to make the variety of these cheeses we love.

Fun fact: Did you know mozzarella is the most popular cheese followed by cheddar?

With summer upon us, many will pay an occasional visit to our favorite place for a scoop of dairy delight– ice cream! Americans love their ice cream so much so that the third Sunday in July has been designated National Ice Cream Day.

California produces the most milk in the United States followed by Wisconsin and Idaho. Seven (7) states produced over 10 billion pounds of milk: California, Wisconsin, idaho, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Michigan.

Currently there are 1,750 California dairy farms that house 1.79 million milk cows. Approximately one out of every five dairy cows in the U.S. lives in California. The average California dairy cow produced 22,000 pounds of milk in a recent year.