Happy Dairy Month! My udder DNA is rooted in Hall’s Dairy. I was born and nurtured in our family dairy business. Hall’s Dairy processed most of the milk that was produced on the farms in our area of Ohio beginning from the 1930s until we were bought out. All things dairy were sacred and showed up at every meal. When you are the dairy processor in fertile Ohio farmland, you get to know almost everyone. You know the farmers, the stores, the restaurants, and pretty much the entire community. All of life was relationships through world wars, the Depression, loss, feast, and famine.

Milk has gotten a bad rap in recent years. Many have extolled the unhealthiness of milk and say milk should only be drunk by calves. No matter what I hear, I am still a devoted milkaholic. It is in my Hall DNA. We also learn that milk has tons of health benefits.

The Udder Health Benefits of Mooooo-re Dairy

Dairy foods are healthy and contain many nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B12, and riboflavin. Diets rich in dairy have a host of health benefits.

Dairy Helps Prevent Many Diseases and Conditions

Studies show that a diet rich in dairy can reduce blood pressure, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Cultured dairy products such as yogurt provide you with probiotics, which not only help your gut bacteria but also may reduce the risk of some diseases. Some research even shows it helps regulate your weight.

My Udder Cognitive Dissonance

I only drink organic milk products from grass-fed, pasture cows. It gnaws at me that after the cows have lost their ability to produce milk, they are sent for slaughter. I have not eaten meat for over twenty-five years. I live with my chronic moral dilemma with my choice to drink my beloved milk. Hopefully, someday I will be enlightened enough to stop my milk pleasures such as grass-fed milk, cream, real butter, ice cream, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese. It is difficult to put into words the pure cellular joy I experience when I eat these delicacies. Hall’s Dairy still lives in my DNA.