Things I learned about cows and dairy farming thanks to the California Milk Advisory Board

I always joke that my family needs a cow. We’re close to going through a gallon of milk a day and in the middle of writing this post, I’m sure I’ll be asked to pour at least one glass of milk for my youngest son. I’ll choose ice cream over cake any day and consider frozen yogurt a treat as well. Dairy products are a huge part of our family’s diet.

When I got invited to tour two dairy farms in the Riverside, California area, I knew I would enjoy seeing where my beloved milk products came from. I wasn’t disappointed. Not only did I love the intimate view I got of the dairy industry, thanks to the up-close tours from Scott Family Creamery and John Bootsma Dairy, I learned many things I never knew about cows and the dairy industry.

My top 10 list of things I learned about cows and dairy farming

1. Happy cows are quiet cows. If a cow is stressed or upset, that’s when it moos and makes noise. I didn’t hear any mooing from the cows I observed. These were happy cows!

2. California dairies operate under the strictest air and water regulations in the nation. I live in California and felt proud (and relieved) about this.

3. On these farms, food for the cows is stored on the ground in massive bags, not in silos.

4. Dairy farms are relocating due to suburban-occupation of regions that used to be rural.

5. Other foods can replace the nutrients found in milk, but milk is the number one food source for calcium.

6. Cows need to be milked on a schedule just like humans. If they aren’t milked by a specific time, their udders become engorged and painful. (After breast-feeding my three sons, I know this pain!)

***Excuse me…I need to get a glass of milk for my son.***

Okay, I’m back.

7. Cows don’t produce milk for the first two years of their life, and only after they’ve had their first calf. During this maturation time, they need to be well-nourished for future milk production.

8. If you want to experience an amazing beer and cheese pairing tasting (Yep, I said beer, not wine.) you should visit the Cheese Cave in Claremont, California. Oh man! This was outstanding!

9. If you can’t make it to Claremont, but still want to know a good beer paring for cheese, there’s an app for that! Real California Milk created “Pair Savvy”, a free app to help folks pair beer, wine, cheese – and even chocolate!

10. Even though I joke about our family needing a cow, I don’t want one! They require way too much work, responsibility, food, and space. Looks like I’m buying four gallons of milk at a time from the store and appreciating the farmers who work so hard to provide it for me.

Thank you to Real California Milk for the educational, wonderful tour. I feel more connected to the milk products I enjoy and know the pride of the farmers working hard to produce these products for me and my family.

When Eileen isn’t going to the store for the third time in one week to buy milk for her family, she is working as the Chief Mom Connector of Mom Central. You can read about other things she does over and over on her personal blog at calandroclan.com and connect with her on twitter at @MomCentralChat and @calandro5.

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Disclosure: Eileen was provided with lodging and meals during her visit with the Happy California Cows.

Eileen Calandro