I feel the need to raise a glass of ice-cold milk to all dairy products this time of year. Something about all the holiday baking calling for oodles of butter and hearty cheese-filled meals getting served around full family dinner tables makes me think of this time of year as a big one for dairy. Not to mention the time-honored tradition of leaving a glass of milk — which is considered nature’s most nearly perfect food — out with the cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Getting all those delicious dairy products to family tables tends to be extra work in many areas of the country this time of year as plummeting temperatures and gusty winds cause equipment malfunctions and animal health problems. Plus, snowy and icy conditions make trucking raw milk to processing plants, getting finished products to the grocery stores and into household refrigerators extra tricky.
All the extra obstacles and long hours the winter season brings to those on the production side of dairy are worth it. Especially when you see full glasses of milk around the beautiful and crowded dining tables during family gatherings, or a little kid decorating their favorite buttery sugar cookies with their creative energy shining through.
This magical time is brimming with to-do lists for all since there always seems to be so much to get done between extra gatherings, volunteer efforts, decorating, gift giving, food making and cookie creating. And, while I know no one wants more on their to-do list, I, as a proud dairy farmer, must urge you to add one last thing to that big list. Please incorporate some of our nutritious, wholesome, real dairy products into your holiday festivities.
There are so many ways you can support the dairy industry throughout the year from making some extra cookies for your neighbors, arranging a charcuterie spread as your appetizer, providing milk or hot chocolate, to creating a crowd-pleasing butter board to share, and, of course, encouraging your kids to leave a full glass of milk out for Santa.
The author dairy farms with her parents and brother near Hawkeye, Iowa. The family milks approximately 300 head of grade Holstein cows at Windsor Valley Dairy LLC — split half and half between a double-eight parallel milking parlor and four robotic milking units. In the spring of 2020, Molly decided to take a leap and fully embrace her love for the industry by returning full time to her family’s dairy.
