Three great news stories were waiting on me when I got up this morning. Maybe I should say I found them because a couple are a few days late. I’m even taking credit for one of them. I’m sure I deserve it!
Mark Zuckerberg visited a dairy farm. Obviously he read my last post and decided to check out what it is like on a real farm. He even fed a calf.
As one of the most influential people in the world it is awesome that he met with a farmer and experienced a small taste of farm life. Connecting people is what Facebook does best, and I’m glad he connected with them.
One of the biggest heartaches in dairy happened when Grassland Creamery sent letters to approximately seventy farms telling them they would no alonger accept their milk. This was due to new guidelines taking effect in Canada that made imported US milk too expensive to use.
The good news is that nearly all of the farms have found new buyers for their milk. The multiple effect of these farms going out of business would have been devastating for their communities, so much so that even the president felt the need to comment on it. I can’t imagine the turmoil they have dealt with, and what a relief there must be now.
The last bit of news is how new Agriculture Secretary Perdue is making school lunches more flexible. As a dairy farmer I want kids to have the best tasting milk available, but to make flavored milk under the previous guidelines was difficult. Being able to use 1% milk should make for a better tasting product and therefore encourage more kids to drink milk. Milk is a powerhouse of nutrition and is important for building bones, especially in young children.
Farmer Bright 
I was also delighted to see Mr. Zuckerberg’s post on his dairy visit. So sad that many of the comments thereon were so negative about farming. Still it is wonderful how much attention has been focused on farming lately and much of it positive. Good post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! I loved what he wrote about his visit, and I suppose he’s a lightning rod for all kinds of commentary. One of the things I probably don’t reflect on enough is how much behind the scenes work goes on making a positive change/difference, like in all three of these. What could happen if more folks, including me, worked as hard for something good?
LikeLike
Very glad to hear they are brining flavored milk back! Chocolate milk is always allowed in our house:)
LikeLike
Same here! Flavored milk was allowed but only as fat free. Most of the new research being done shows that fat from dairy is neutral health wise at worst, and could actually be a net positive on your health. Maybe one day this will be taken into consideration. Either way, I’m enjoying a tall glass of chocolate milk right now. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A wonderful day for school lunches when the champion of flavorless non-food left the White House. Most lunches were tossed uneaten, a dreadful waste in a day when children still go hungry. What good is “good” food if it tastes awful? As for chocolate milk, stir in a teaspoon of malted milk powder as well and I’m in heaven!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are spot on! It has to be a healthy meal the kids will actually eat. And I think that is possible.
LikeLike