For those of us who remember life without cell phones, or even those who experienced the introduction of the first iPhone, we can’t imagine life without them. We don’t go anywhere without a smart device in our pocket. But we didn’t just wake up one day with the latest technology at our fingertips. Years of research and improvement got us where we are today, and the same is true for dairy farming.
Have you seen milk on shelves that is not being refrigerated? Or heard that some of the milk you can buy in the dairy case does not have to stay in the fridge until after you open it? Wondering what makes this possible? We reached out to several team members and checked the Tetra Pak website to get you answers about aseptic milk, so you can enjoy the convenience this modern processing method offers.
When Chef Fermín Núñez of Suerte – a Mexican-inspired, East Austin restaurant – started making his own cheese, he realized he was throwing away a good amount of liquid whey as a result. As part of his effort to reduce his restaurant’s food waste, he decided to try using the whey and created a whey-braised pork dish.
“Whey is great to use because it has a tasty salty flavor that adds another layer of flavor to the dish,” Fermín explained.
Our third stop in the journey of milk from the farm to the table is milk transportation from farm to plant and plant to store.
On the dairy farm, equipment pumps milk directly from the milking cows to a refrigerated storage tank, where it is quickly cooled to preserve freshness and safety. It is important to note that milk never touches human hands, which is just the beginning of the many food safety measures in place to protect your milk from farm to fridge.
Have you ever asked yourself what makes you get out of bed in the morning? It might be your family, friends, job, passion or a combination of them all! Dairy farmers are no exception: they work 365 days a year to bring us the milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream our families love! If you ever wonder what motivates dairy farmers, sustainability and their love for the land are two things that drive them day in and day out. Since 95% of dairy farms in the U.S. are family-owned, these efforts guarantee passing the farm to the next generation.
Our second stop in the journey of milk from the farm to the table is milk production – the heart (or milk) of dairy farming.
Is your vision of a plant-based diet limited to fruits, vegetables and whole grains? Have you considered that by ditching dairy and pitching out lean proteins, you’ve effectively cut out two of the five food groups you need every day? You may have heard that “plants only” is better for your health, but that simply isn’t true.
Our first stop in the journey of milk from the farm to the table is growing feed for dairy cows.
Food has become more than nourishment – it reflects our beliefs about sustainability, our feelings and memories. 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. I’d like to invite you to learn more about the story of dairy from the farm to your table. We’ll be exploring each step of the process, and I welcome your questions as you take this journey.
If you’re actively involved in dialogues around nutrition sustainability or food insecurity, it’s likely you’ve come across some pretty staggering statistics about food waste in America. While the estimates vary, it is believed that we waste anywhere from 30 to 40% of edible food.
