A behind-the-scenes look at dairy farming #CAMilkTour @RealCalifMilk

As a mother of 3 young kids, Chief MOM here at MOMables™ and food contributor to many websites, dairy is a product I use often at home and at work.

Many of you email MOMables weekly with questions about how to pack dairy in lunches; should you purchase organic or conventional milk; and if it’s ok that your child eats a lot of dairy.

From time to time, we even receive emails from people suggesting we remove all dairy products from our menus because the cows aren’t being treated nicely.

Last week I had the opportunity to tour the Fiscalini dairy farm and a cheese-making facility, thanks to the California Milk Advisory Board.

In this post, I’ll answer some of your questions and give you a brief glimpse of my visit.

Q1: Dairy farms are owned by big companies and their goal is to pump as much milk  out as they can. True?  Definitely NOT. The California Central Valley is home to more than 1,600 hard- working dairy families who operate their farms with integrity and high standards.  All farms are inspected by independent auditors, and government officials can “drop in” at any time. Oh! and the cows have a personal veterinatian who checks on them weekly – more often than my kids see their pediatritian- to make sure they are healthy and treated properly.

Q2: Should I purchase organic or conventional milk? The decision to purchase organic vs. conventional dairy products is a personal one.  Organic milk comes from cows fed organic diets.  The nutrient content is the same as conventional and offers the same health benefits.  It’s the process that makes the milk organic, not the product.

Above: a happy baby cow moooing “gooood mooorning” to us. Below, with fellow blogger Jessica Shyba from Mommasgonecity touring the facility.
The grounds are cleaned several times per day and all “waste” is piped out to a gigantic waste tank. There, bacteria consume the waste and release methane, which is then burned in a generator capable of producing enough power to run Fiscalini’s 530-acre farm, his cheese factory and 200 additional homes.

After our tour, we enjoyed the farm’s award winning cheeses.  We also met Mr. Fiscalini’s children and grandchildren.  Nearly all of California dairy farms continue to be family affairs and they all work together to create a high-quality product that proudly displays the “Real California Milk” and “Real California Cheese” seals.

Q3: How much dairy should we consume?  After talking to a dietitian during my tour, she explained that the dietary guidelines for Americans recommend 3 servings of dairy products for ages 9+;  2.5 servings for ages 4-8 yrs; and 2 servings for ages 2-3 yrs. These serving suggestions , of course, will vary based on your family’s menu plan and won’t be the same daily.

Q4: I think my kids are eating way too many dairy products. Is that unhealthy? The truth is that kids might eat a lot of dairy one day and not as much the next day.  One 8oz glass has the same amount of calcium as 12 servings of whole grains, 10 cups of spinach and 6 servings of legumes. Other power benefits besides calcium are riboflavin, vitamin D, Phosphorus, vitamin B-12, protein, Potassium, vitamin A and Niacin.  Of course, a varied diet is best and should not rely on dairy alone for nutrition.

We also indulged in a delicious lunch at the Fiscalini family’s home.  The menu showcased the farm’s dairy and cheese products, local fresh vegetables and free-range chickens.  For dessert, a crème faiche cheesecake on a toasted almond shortbread crust and fresh berries.  The milk, fresh from the farm of course.

Q5: What are some of the best ways to pack dairy in my child’s lunch? Oh, you’ll want to stay tuned for that one.  We have a 4-week video how-to-series planned for this back-to-school season. Subscribe to our Fresh News and stay tuned!

While we all attended the tour for different reasons, I can honestly say that we all left informed and more educated on dairy farming practices and milk safety and quality standards. Most importantly, we saw first hand the commitment and the amazing people who work behind the scenes that stand behind the California Milk and Real California Cheese seals.

Although my tour was put together by the California Milk Advisory Board, I encourage you to look for your state’s dairy council, find a local representative and visit a local farm.

Disclosure: I received the opportunity to learn about dairy farming practices by the California Milk Advisory Board.  I was not compensated nor required to write this post.  All photos and opinions stated in this post are my own.