As we say goodbye to May and hello to June, it signals the time to celebrate June Dairy Month. Personally, I think it is pretty awesome that for a whole month every year we have the opportunity to acknowledge and honor the dairy industry. From cow to gallon, there are so many reasons to celebrate.

It gives us a great reason to share and connect with consumers about dairy. We are taking so many steps to ensure a healthy, nutritious, and delicious product. From cow care to nutrition to milking procedures, the list goes on and on with everything we do daily for that end result. And behind all those steps, are the literal steps that we put in to make it all happen.

So I'm excited to announce the idea of #MilkSteps in celebration of June Dairy Month. I know many of us wear a Fitbit or carry a phone in our pockets that has a daily step counter on it. I'm encouraging you to join me and fellow dairy advocates in sharing our steps throughout the month of June. Use screenshots, post felfies (farmer selfies), and incorporate messages about the actual steps involved in producing quality milk.



The idea came to me after occasionally seeing posts from fellow dairy farm friends in social media sharing those crazy days where we literally walk miles to get our jobs done. My husband and I were discussing the reality that most people probably have no idea the steps we put in each day to help bring milk to their tables. If you don't have a Fitbit or step counter on your phone, there are several free apps you can download.

Join me at Guernsey Dairy Mama and fellow blogger, Sadie of Dairy Good Life in sharing with consumers the steps we take every day in producing milk. You don't have to have a blog to join; I'm sure most of you are on some form of social media: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. And as dairy farmers, we don't go this alone; it would be fun to see the steps that so many people on our team put in to make sure we are successful; nutritionists, veterinarians, semen salesmen, service techs, and milk processors. Simply use the hash tag #MilkSteps when sharing.

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The author is a third-generation dairy farmer from Oregon where she farms in partnership with her husband and parents. As a mother of two young boys who round out the family run operation as micro managers, Darleen blogs about the three generations of her family working together at Guernsey Dairy Mama. Abiqua Acres Mann's Guernsey Dairy is currently home to 90 registered Guernseys and is in the process of transitioning to a robotic milking system.