By Anson Tebbetts
Dairy contributes to our diet every day, and in June, we celebrate our delicious local dairy options. We fuel up at breakfast with fresh Vermont yogurt, at lunch with grilled cheese. For dinner, it’s something from the grill— perhaps a juicy burger with Vermont cheese. Time for dessert? Don’t forget the treats. Cheesecake with Vermont cream cheese, cakes with fresh butter, and pudding with Vermont cream. Maybe it’s visiting your favorite ice cream or creemee stand after a long day of work. It’s the season to celebrate the farmers who make it possible.
Maybe you like your milk with maple. A cool maple milkshake serves up the best of both worlds. Several of our dairy farmers are also maple producers. Maple is a spring tradition rooted in Vermont’s working lands. From spring sugaring season to colorful fall foliage, we think of our farmers and the work they do so that local food, recreation, and tourism can thrive in our Green Mountains.
Like craft beer, wine, and spirits, dairy is another quality Vermont product produced on the farm. And like our winning beverage industry, we take our world-class cheese seriously: Vermont has the most artisan cheese makers per capita in the United States.
For decades, Vermont’s dairy farms have shaped our land and our way of life. Each great tasting and nutritious glass of milk also continues to drive economic growth– providing thousands of jobs and supporting many other businesses. Dairy farmers care for the land, the animals, and the people who depend on them. They invest in conservation practices that benefit water quality and soil health.
From farm to table, from Vermont’s green fields to coffee and cone - dairy products are everywhere, thanks to farmers who work tirelessly to produce high-quality dairy products.
June will fly by, but let’s pause and thank our dairy farmers who make it all possible. It’s time to celebrate the cows, the goats, the sheep, the land, and our hard-working farm families.
Now, back to that creemee.
Anson B. Tebbetts - Vermont Secretary of Agriculture