TAKE THE MILK! BY SHERI SHIPP, RDN, YOUTH WELLNESS MANAGER, AMERICAN DAIRY ASSOCIATION INDIANA
WANT A CLOSER LOOK? Visiting a dairy farm is the best way to learn more and to reaffirm con - fidence in encouraging your stu - dents to choose milk. If an in-per- son tour is too difficult to arrange, dairy checkoff organizations across the country offer Virtual Farm Tours (VFTs). I encourage you to reach out to your local dairy checkoff organi - zation (find yours here) to find out if VFTs are available in your area. Dairy isn’t just nutritious, it’s local, sustainable, and rooted in responsi- ble farming practices that make it a powerful partner in school nutrition programs. By encouraging students to take the milk, you’re not just nour- ishing them, you’re supporting local farm families and reinforcing your program’s commitment to nutrition and sustainability.
M ilk is a required offering in both the NSLP and SBP, however students are not required to take it. Read on for just a few powerful reasons why we should encourage students to take the milk. NUTRITION POWERHOUSE Dairy milk, whether flavored, un - flavored or lactose free, provides a unique nutrient package with 13 essential nutrients , includ- ing high-quality protein. Just one 8-ounce serving contains 8 grams of complete protein, which is more than one egg. It delivers three of the four nutrients of public health concern, as identified by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. The add- ed sugar in flavored school milk has been reduced by 57% since 2007. School milk processors are com- mitted to meeting upcoming add- ed sugar guidelines. Check out the Healthy School Milk Commitment for more information. Encourage your students to talk the milk! LOCAL AND SAFE Fresh milk is local, often sourced less than 200 miles away. It typi- cally travels from farm to store, or school, within 48 hours or less, de- pending upon your location. During this short amount of time, it passes through several strict quality and safety controls. For more on the
steps that milk takes from farm to your fridge as well as answers to commonly asked questions about the safety and wholesomeness of milk, click HERE . Encourage your students to take the milk! RESPONSIBLE, CARING PRODUCTION MAKES DAIRY SUSTAINABLE Approximately 95% of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and op- erated. These families aren’t just producing milk, they’re caring for the land that has been entrusted to them and that they will pass on to the next generation. Dairy farmers are committed to doing more with less: from 2007 to 2017, dairy farms reduced their carbon footprint by 19%, water use by 30%, and land use by 21%. Many reuse water up to five times and recycle manure as fertilizer or renewable energy using anaerobic digestion . This short video, Dairy’s Tie to Renewable Energy , explains how dairy can be a part of the environmental solution! Cow care is central to life on a dairy farm. Healthy cows produce high-quality milk! While farm prac- tices vary by region, all dairy farmers prioritize clean water, balanced nu- trition (including byproducts of oth- er industries that would otherwise end up in a landfill), and comfort - able bedding such as cool dry sand or water beds. Encourage your students to take the milk!
NXTGEN
Members of the NxtGen team had the o Farms in Hudson, IN as Ashley Stockwe Rookie Milk Person , hosted a virtual far generation dairy farm. Each year, Ame hosts approximately 4 virtual farm tour tours for various groups. Check out this scenes footage captured by NxtGen as after the live VFT.
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