Food has become more than nourishment. Our food choices tie into our beliefs – beliefs that combine the need for sustenance with the feelings and emotions around animals, the environment, health and so much more. With the average person being three generations removed from the farm, it’s not surprising that there’s growing interest in the farm to table movement. As consumers continue to request information about where their food comes from and how it’s being produced, we can play an integral role in helping tell the farm to table story.
Nutrition misinformation abounds, and dairy is not immune to inaccuracies. Thus, over the next several months, we will be using this space to tell the entire story of dairy, from the farm to the table. We will discuss everything from dairy farm management practices and animal welfare, to milk transportation, processing and packaging, distribution and retail. We’ll put a face to our farmers who work tirelessly everyday so their cows are healthy and producing wholesome, high-quality milk. We’ll answer the tough questions about antibiotics, organic versus conventional dairy farming practices, pasteurization, and more.
We want you to feel good about milk – how it’s produced, its freshness and simplicity, and the story that connects your glass of milk with the local dairy farm families who produce it. Regardless of whether your choice in dairy is influenced by taste, nutrition or the story behind how it was produced, you too can feel good about milk, cheese and yogurt as part of a balanced diet.
What I love most about dairy is that milk, cheese and yogurt connect me to a place I love – my kitchen – whether cooking with dairy or sharing a meal and the day’s happenings around the dinner table with my husband and kids, dairy foods always have a place there.
Join us as we take a journey from the farm to the table in our series of articles titled The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table. If you have specific questions you’d like answered, please e-mail allenj@dairymax.org or send a message on twitter to @RDJenna. I can’t wait to share this amazing story with all of you.
Check out the full series:
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: An Intro
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: Production of Feed and Reducing Waste
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: Milk Production
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: Raw Milk Transport
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: Processing and Packaging
- The Art and Science of Dairy from Farm to Table: Retail and Distribution
