June is an eventful and versatile month—the start of warm summer days, school vacations, and holidays like Father’s Day and Flag Day. We also celebrate many unusual observances in June such as Heimlich Maneuver Day, National Yo-Yo Day, and National Donut Day. But who can enjoy a donut without a nice, cold glass of milk? June is the perfect month to combine the two as USDA joins the rest of the country in celebrating National Dairy Month.
For more than 75 years, we have celebrated dairy and all of its goodness during June. What started out as National Milk Month in 1937 to promote milk consumption and stabilize the dairy demand has turned into a month-long celebration and tradition that acknowledges the dairy industry’s contributions to the United States and around the world.
Dairy has played an important role in America’s history since before the Revolutionary War, but it was not until the early 1900s that the U.S. dairy industry began to change dramatically. Many scientific advances and processes radically changed the industry, including pasteurization, the development of the centrifugal separator that removes milkfat and allows the manufacturing of more dairy products, and the Babcock test that determines milk fat content. When it comes to dairy products, our country has a rich history. The versatility of dairy products makes it easy to participate in this month-long celebration. The National Dairy Council has some great recipes for dairy-based foods.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA Blog
