Milk...it does a body good
So each day we produce gallons of milk...I mean literally
on an average day we produce about 805 gallons of milk a day!
Needless to say we love milk in our house.
We drink anywhere from 2-3 gallons of white milk and about a gallon of chocolate milk each week...
that's only between my husband, myself and our 4 year old.
The milk we drink comes just like yours from a grocery store. We typically purchase the store brand or PET (a division of Dean Foods). Why? Because that is where our milk goes and we like supporting family farmers like ourselves.
The National Dairy Council says, “together, low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt provide a unique package of nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin, and niacin (niacin equivalents). Not to mention great taste.”
For example:
- Milk contains proteins like casein & whey that can help muscles rebuild after physical activity
- Studies show that milk can help reduce PMS symptoms
- 3 glasses of milk a day may reduce your risk of bone disease and fractures
You can learn more at Got Milk
On the pricing side of things on average I pay $3-$4 for a gallon of milk
depending on if its on sale or not.
Let me break down for you how much of that we receive on farm...
we are not paid by the gallon...we are paid by the hundredweight (cwt).
A gallon of milk weighs roughly 8.6 pounds
so each day we produce about 6,923 pounds of milk.
According to an article on Progressive Dairy "in August 2011,
on average, consumers paid $3.40 per gallon
and producers received $1.53.
In values per hundredweight,
the numbers are $39.40 and $17.85, respectively."
That's a pretty big difference in my book.
So on those 805 gallons of milk we only got $1231.65
but consumers paid $2,737.
Now we all know and understand there are other cost associated with food
Hauling, marketing, bottling, etc.
So there you have it...why milk is good for you and the cost break down.
I hope this helps you understand milk a little better...
if you have any questions please feel free to email them to me,
post them on my Facebook page SCFARMWIFE
or comment below.
Until next time--
Caci
