Dairy Month Celebrates Hard Work and a Glass Half Full
Each June, we take time to celebrate something that often starts our morning and ends our day… dairy. We don’t usually think of it this way, but from your cold glass of milk on the breakfast table to the hearty scoop of ice cream before bed, we are enjoying the hard work of dairy farms all over Nebraska without even realizing it.
Dairy Month provides a chance to pause and thank Nebraska’s dairy operators, who work tirelessly, often before the sun rises and long after it sets, to care for their animals and provide high-quality products that feed our families. Their commitment is year-round. Their work ethic is to be admired. Their role in feeding not just our state, but the country, cannot be overstated.
Though sometimes overlooked, Nebraska’s dairy producers play a vital part in our state’s agricultural strength. While the industry may not always be the loudest voice in the room, it is one of the most consistent, with milk being in the top ten, in terms of cash receipts each year. Most dairy farms in Nebraska, however, are not built to be a profession but truly a way of life that is passed down over several generations. Many dairy producers make the time outside of their full-time jobs to contribute to the industry, unlike a lot of row crop farmers or large cattle producers that run their operation full-time.
Our staff at the Nebraska State Fair are lucky to work alongside several organizations that come out to Fair to help our guests engaged in the farm-to-table experience.
The UNL Dairy program continues to lead in education, research, and training, helping ensure the next generation of dairy leaders is ready to meet the demands of a changing industry. Midwest Dairy, a longstanding Fair partner, spends countless hours sharing the power of dairy nutrition while supporting the people who make it possible. And we’d be remiss not to recognize our incredible milking parlor superintendents, true behind-the-scenes experts whose attention to animal care, cleanliness, and safety ensures every visitor to our Fair sees ‘dairy done right’.
It’s easy to take dairy for granted because it’s always there – in your butter and salad dressings, your cheese and chocolate, your baked goods and mashed potatoes. But the people who make that possible…the farmers…deserve some extra love for all that they do to keep this commodity ripe in our state.
In recognition of Dairy Month, I hope you’ll join the Nebraska State Fair in sharing some dairy education with your family as you share your next meal. Raise your glass (of milk, of course) to the 306 million pounds of milk produced in Nebraska in the first quarter of 2025!