It’s college commencement time, and our thoughts turn to the University of Vermont and its graduates, who get their diplomas May 19 (here’s hoping for gorgeous weather!).
UVM has been a great supporter of New England dairy farmers, through dairy sales promotions in its dining facilities, participation in some of our Must Be The Milk events and in many other ways.
However, we should also give a tip of the hoof to those students who graduate this month with a degree in farming.
Of course, there’s no actual degree in farming, per se, but the Department of Animal Sciences does offer majors in Pre-Veterinary/Pre-professional Science, Equine Science, General Animal Science, and Dairy Production.
Image Source: CabotCheese.Coop
When they’re not studying, or in classrooms, labs or barns, animal science majors also spend a lot of time participating in various department clubs.
There is the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, a professional/social organization in which all Brothers share a common interest in Agriculture. Alpha Rho was recently voted by the University community as the Most Outstanding Fraternity.
There’s the Dressage Team, a club sport that allows riders to compete at the interscholastic level on the UVM team, and the Equestrian Team, with students skilled in jumping horses over fences and anything else in their way. The Green Mountain Chapter of Alpha Zeta is a co-ed Honorary Society in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at UVM, and the Pre-Vet Club is made up of students interested in a career in veterinary medicine.
These are all great groups, but we admit we have a soft-spot for – you guessed it – the Dairy Club. The club actively promotes the dairy cow and dairy products on campus and in the greater Burlington community. Members sponsor fundraisers to support the Dairy Cattle Judging Team and participate in the Northeast Regional Animal and Dairy Science Club competition each February. It also works with CREAM (Cooperative For Real Education in Agricultural Management) in sponsoring the UVM Dairy Cattle Show String and Exhibit and the Green Mountain Dairy Show.
This is an amazing group of young people, and so as commencements commence (no pun intended!), we salute their hard work and commitment to advancing the agriculture and life sciences. These are our next generation of dairy farmers and, so, we congratulate them on their great achievement and wish them well as they embark on their newfound careers.
Over the weekend, a panel of smoothie-experts gathered to determine who would be the winner of the Must Be The Milk Smoothie Recipe Contest.
Those who submitted their favorite smoothie recipe were entered to win a Ninja Blender! We will also feature the winning recipe on our website and in our June Dairy Month newsletter. You can join our newsletter by signing up in the upper right corner of this page.
The top three finalists were chosen on Friday, May 3rd. On Saturday, May 4th, the panel of judges put each recipe to the test.
Top 3:
1. The Trifecta Smoothie
2. The Avocado Smoothie
3. The Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie
Meet our judges:
Each smoothie recipe was carefully created using a Ninja Blender. The judges were happy to help with the preparation…
Once each smoothie was blended, the judges sat at a round table and waited anxiously as the first smoothie, The Trifecta, was delivered to the test kitchen. On the count of three, the judges were asked to sip, taste and consider. They were given 30 seconds before being asked to reveal their score. All smoothies were scored on a scale of one to five (five being the best, one being the worst).
Following The Trifecta, the judges tasted the Avocado Smoothie and then the Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie. Each judge had the opportunity to request a full serving of a smoothie if they were fond of that particular smoothie and wanted seconds. However, each judge could only score a smoothie once.
After tallying up the score, the winner was revealed. Drum roll please……………….
And the winner of the Must Be The Milk Smoothie Recipe Contest is:
THE TRIFECTA!
Ingredients:
2 Servings 1 cup frozen raspberries 1 peach, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 cup mango chunks 1 cup low-fat milk 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons maple syrup 1/4 cup ice chips
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.
CONGRATULATIONS, DONNA FROM KENNEBUNK, ME!
You won a Ninja Blender!
A special thanks to all of our friends who entered the Smoothie Recipe Contest!
Keep checking in with us on Facebook for more exciting contests and prizes.
Treating animals with respect and compassion is of the utmost importance to dairy farmers. In fact, it’s their number one priority! A content cow will produce a high quality product, and dairy farmers know that more than anyone. They are committed to producing safe and wholesome milk, which means they are committed to their cows and are constantly seeking ways to improve the comfort of their animals.
You might be surprised at the number of people involved with animal care at dairy farms. Dairy farmers provide excellent care for their herds with the help of many trained professionals, including veterinarians who monitor animal health, nutritionists who develop specialized diets for the cows, milkers who oversee daily milking, herds-people who feed and care for the animals, and others such as hoof trimmers who provide monthly “pedicures.” How many humans do you know who get regular pedicures?
Dairy farmers can also get pretty creative with the bedding for their cows. They use a variety of bedding materials ranging from beach sand to shredded rubber to cow waterbeds!
To learn more about dairy cow care and to take your own personal tour of a dairy farm, watch the video below. Ed MacGlaflin, owner and operator of MacGlaflin Farm in Claremont, NH talks about life on a dairy farm:
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Athlete of the Year Banquet. The banquet was crowded with students from all over Rhode Island, all with one thing in common: talent. As the students arrived at the banquet they were accompanied by their parents, grandparents, and friends, many of whom beamed with pride as they posed with their athlete in front of the Must Be the Milk photo backdrop. No wonder they looked so proud!
A Student Honoree Enjoys the Event with His Biggest Fans
The students nominated for Athlete of the Year had their biographies read aloud as they walked to the podium to accept their awards. It was amazing to hear what these students had accomplished in their short, seventeen and eighteen-year old lives. In addition to their athletic achievements, many of the honorees volunteer as mentors for younger athletes, serve as volunteers for nonprofit organizations, or even start their own programs to assist others in their communities.
Thomas Mezzanotte, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Offers an Inspirational Address to the Students and Families Assembled
The opportunity to spend time with these student leaders reminded me of another type of leader in the community: the local dairy farmer. Dairy farmers work 365 days a year to produce fresh, great tasting, wholesome dairy products. Nearly 100 percent of New England and New York dairy farms are family-owned and operated. Hard work, pride, and stewardship have been passed down from generation to generation of dairy farmers. As the backbone of our communities, dairy farmers support local economies and preserve the open spaces we know and love. Just as the athletes I met are relentlessly hard-working and committed to their communities, so are dairy farmers.
Rhody Fresh generously provided milk to the event attendees, and we celebrated the occasion by doing a milk toast to all of the student athletes assembled and the dairy farmers who worked hard to provide nutritious milk. I hope the student athletes at the event were inspired to show their appreciation for local dairy farmers by enjoying milk to get the nutrients their bodies need after exercise. What makes Rhode Island’s athletes so exceptional? Must Be the Milk!
Alex Denoncour (2nd from left) of Johnston High School and Courtney Kent (2nd from right) of Cumberland High School are congratulated by Michael Lunney (far left), Assistant Director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League and Thomas Mezzanotte (far right), Executive Director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League upon winning the Must Be the Milk Athlete of the Year Awards
Hanover Co-op Food Stores in New Hampshire and Vermont have been strong promoters of local dairy, were the first stores to donate a portion of their fluid milk sales to the dairy farmers of New England, and they continue to support our Must Be the Milk initiative.
Some of you may ask: what is a co-op, anyway?
A cooperative business is one that is owned by those who use its services. The Co-op embodies the idea that by working together and pooling resources, members can provide themselves and their community with goods and services.
The Hanover Consumer Co-op was started back in 1936 by a group of Dartmouth College professors’ families and neighbors. It was the Great Depression, and they thought that by pooling their resources, they could afford fresh fruits and vegetables. There were 17 charter members. Today, the Co-op is one of the oldest cooperatives in the United States, a hybrid consumer food cooperative with four stores, 20,000 active members, and over $70 million in annual sales.
The Co-op, which services members and non-members alike, offers more than the usual grocery store. Activities areas host a variety of sampling events, cooking demonstrations, and informational displays. This space is also available to local non-profit groups for fundraising and educational activities.
During more than 76 years of operation, the products and services offered by the Co-op have changed in response to the changing needs of its members. All of the Co-op’s retail food stores offer an extraordinary selection of products—including natural and organic produce and meats, a complete selection of brand-name and store-label groceries, natural health and body care, wines and cheeses, and a wide variety of local produce.
Among its stores is the Hanover Co-op, on 45 South Park Street in Hanover, New Hampshire, just a stone’s throw from Dartmouth College. The Lebanon Co-op is located in the Centerra Marketplace on Rt. 120 in Lebanon, NH, and includes the Café Gallery, which includes local artists’ works.
The Co-op even operates an automotive service center in Hanover, next to the Hanover Co-op Food Store on South Park Street. In addition to full-serve and self-serve gas, the Park Street Service Center provides complete auto maintenance and repair.
The “green” Co-op Market in Hanover features great products in an environmentally state-of-the-art building, while the Co-op’s newest store, in White River Junction, VT, opened its doors in 2010.
We salute the Co-op for its focus on community service and cooperative, and we thank all of its members for the support shown our New England dairy farmers.
For more information about the Hanover Co-op, visit http://www.coopfoodstore.com/
