June declared as Dairy Month in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – To honor the important role dairy farmers have every day and how they worked with food banks and other agencies statewide to help offset hunger in communities during the pandemic, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles has declared June as Dairy Month.

A celebration was held at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) on June 2 to honor the declaration.

“When much of the world’s workforce was on hold last year, Kentucky’s agriculture producers never stopped. Our dairy farms still milked every day and continued to provide residents with fresh, affordable and delicious dairy products,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Kentucky’s dairy farms adapted to the changing environment and kept products on the shelves. Kentucky’s dairy farmers do so much for Kentucky families and honoring them with their own month is one small way we can acknowledge their ingenuity and dependability.”

“Kentucky’s dairy farmers continue to work diligently every day in producing high quality milk for the consumer and we’re excited about June Dairy Month and the attention it brings to our industry,” said H.H. Barlow, executive director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council. “We truly appreciate every consumer and encourage them to drink and eat up great tasting nutritious milk and milk products.”

June marks the start of Dairy Month in Kentucky. Today, Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles signed a proclamation declaring the month in honor of dairy producers and their products. Joining the Commissioner at today’s celebration were dairy producers and members of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and The Dairy Alliance.
Source: Kentucky Department of Agriculture

The KDA’s Dairy Month festivities were open to the public and ice cream was provided by  the Kentucky Development Council who sponsored the event.

Dairy farmers not only produce milk, the state’s official beverage, with over 47,000 cows across the Commonwealth, but also a variety of products such as ice cream and artisan cheese. These products provide Kentucky families with the calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals they need to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.

According to the KDA, each of those dairy cows on average produce 7.2 gallons of milk a day. With more than 90 percent of milk produced consumed in liquid milk form, that’s 109 million gallons each year for the state.

Milk ranks eighth in its value in Kentucky among all agricultural products. Producers in the state received over $175,406,000 in cash receipts from sales of dairy products in 2020. Barren County was the top county in the state in the number of dairy cows with 6,500, followed by Adair, Logan, Christian, and Todd counties.

For more information about the KDA’s services to the dairy industry, visit their website.