Fact Sheets

A cow’s health is of utmost importance to dairy farmers. Dairy farmers know that healthy, comfortable, and well-treated animals produce high-quality, wholesome dairy foods for people around the world.

Arkansas' dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Arkansas dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Dairy farmers across the United States follow industry accepted best management practices to ensure that their dairy cows are healthy and well cared for, that the environment on and around their farms is protected, and that the milk they produce is safe and of high quality. While many factors affect the milk cows produce, here are the most critical steps for producing high-quality, wholesome and safe milk, starting at the source—the cow—and ending at the consumer’s table.

Most dairy farmers live and work on their farms. It’s important to them to protect the land, water and air for their animals, families, and surrounding community, as well as for future generations. In addition, environmental practices on all dairy farms are tightly regulated by both federal and state agencies.

The dairy industry takes food safety very seriously. Throughout the years, dairy farmers and processors have worked closely with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulatory officials to establish safety regulations and practices including the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system. As a result, American milk and dairy products are among the safest and most highly regulated foods in the world.

Illinois' dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Illinois dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Iowa's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Iowa dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Kansas' dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Kansas dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

The Midwest Dairy Association Scientific Advisory Council is comprised of six leading dairy health, animal care and nutrition, farm environment, and dairy food experts.

Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a naturally occurring protein hormone in cows. bST helps young cattle grow and adult cows produce milk. It is not a steroid, but rather a protein hormone. A small amount of this hormone is naturally present in all milk, including organic products. When you drink milk, bST is completely broken down by digestion like any other protein.

With dairy farms in all 50 states, and more than 11,000 dairy farm families and 200 dairy food processing plants in the Midwest, dairy foods fit the wide variety of definitions for “local foods.”

Minnesota's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Minnesota dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Missouri's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Missouri dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Nebraska's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Nebraska dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

North Dakota's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. North Dakota dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Oklahoma's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. Oklahoma dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

America’s dairy farmers are dedicated to providing wholesome, high-quality milk and dairy products. All milk in the U.S. is subject to the same strict federal standards for quality, purity and sanitation. The difference between organically and conventionally produced milk is in the process used, rather than the quality or nutritional value of the food.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized before consumption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend drinking only pasteurized milk, because raw milk may contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, Listeria and Salmonella that can cause life-threatening illnesses. This recommendation has been affirmed by the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others.

South Dakota's dairy farmers provide more than milk. They bring jobs and economic activity to communities across the state. South Dakota dairies contribute to the local economy by supporting local businesses and the community tax base.

Striving to protect the natural resources (such as soil, water, and air) needed for current and future food production is not a new endeavor, although the present-day pressures on all of Earth’s resources have generated widespread interest in this important effort. The core aspects of sustainability have always been an integral part of dairy farmers’ personal values and daily on-farm practices.

Dairy foods continue to make sense when it comes to nutritional and economic value. Consumers can bank on the basics when they select nutrient-rich dairy foods such as milk, cheese or yogurt, because these foods deliver incomparable nutrition, value and taste.