June is National Dairy Month
In 1937, an excess of milk prompted the National Dairy Council to promote drinking milk, shining a spotlight on American dairy farms and educating families on the nutritional value of dairy. In 1939, National Dairy Month became an annual event, focused on highlighting the importance of drinking milk and the incredible nutritional benefits of dairy products, like cheese.
An academic journal article published in 1935 shares frustration with American consumers who “pay fancy prices for cod liver oil, which contains vitamins A and D, and yet whole milk provides an adequate supply of vitamin A, and 1 quart of irradiated milk not only furnishes as much vitamin D as 3 teaspoonfuls of cod liver oil, but is more effective as an antirachitic [protecting against Vitamin D deficiency], according to authoritative clinical studies” (Tobey, 1935, p. 202).
90 years later in 2025, unpasteurized milk is still a superfood. “In the whole range of organic matter, milk is the only thing purposely designed and prepared by nature as food” (Schmid, 2025). Studies across the decades and from around the world point to milk promoting physical growth, strength, strong bones, and healthy teeth. It is packed full of protein, fat, calcium, vitamin A, iron, enzymes, probiotics, and more (Stanziani, 2025).
During National Dairy Month, Vintage Meadows wants to celebrate this amazing source of nutrients and the farmers and cows we work with to produce it! Here are some fun facts about the dairy farms we work with.
Vintage Meadows works with 7 dairy farms, which include 55 goats, 25 sheep, and 140 cows.
Vintage Meadows offers 44 dairy products, including 22 different types of cheese, ALL UNPASTEURIZED AND FULLY DIGESTABLE.
Altogether, the dairy farms that produce dairy for Vintage Meadows sprawl on nearly 500 acres.
Cows that produce dairy for Vintage Meadows collectively eat 8400 pounds of grass every day.
Every week, over 750 manhours go into feeding, milking, and taking care of dairy animals, as well as preparing the hundreds of dairy products that we sell each week.
One cow from Forest Grove Dairy will produce about 2,200 gallons of milk per year.
Check out these fun facts on our Instagram!
Farmer Steve’s Jersey cows on his farm in Middlebury, IN. Over the course of a year, she will give over 2,000 gallons of milk!
References
Stanziani, K. (2025, Apr. 4). IF YOU DRINK RAW MILK EVERY DAY THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOUR BODY. Raw Milk. https://rawfarmusa.com/blog/if-you-drink-raw-milk-every-day-this-might-happen-to-your-body
Schmid, R. (2025, Feb. 9). Raw Milk – History, Health Benefits and Distortions. Dr. Ron’s Ultra-Pure. https://drrons.com/raw-milk-history-health-benefits-and-distortions/
Tobey, J.A. (1935). Nutrition and Health and the Price of Milk. American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health, 25(2), 197-203, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.25.2.197