CHENANGO COUNTY — Recently, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors dedicated the month of June as Dairy Month and paid tribute to the agri-businesses in Chenango County and to the nation’s health and prosperity every day of the year.

Dairy Month is celebrated throughout the county, giving respect and honor to farmers and nature’s most nearly perfect foods, milk products.

Chairman of the Ag and Farmland Protection Board Terry Ives, and Future Farmers of America (FFA) youth Maranda Schmidt, were present to accept the proclamation awarded by Board Chair Jeffrey Blanchard.

Ives said he is a fifth generation farmer and it was an honor to receive the recognition. He said June has always been recognized as dairy month going back to 1941, when the first dairy day celebration was held in Chenango County.

“It was a big event prior to World War II,” he said.

Dairy Day is normally held in alignment with Dairy Month in June, yet this year, Dairy Day is joining Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Open Farm Day on July 18 and will offer many family activities at the fairgrounds in Norwich.

“This year our dairy celebration is going to be in July, in conjunction with Open Farm Days and everyone is invited to join,” said Ives.

Ives shared a few facts about milk, stating that one ounce glass of milk contains 11 grams of fat, 5 grams or 27 percent of saturated fat and zero of trans fat.

Cholesterol is 35 milligrams or 12 percent which is 35 milligrams and sodium is 130 milligrams or 6 percent and carbohydrates is 13 grams which is 5 percent, dietary fiber is zero grams and total sugars is 12 grams.

“This is why milk is important because it is a total food for our diet,” said Ives.

He also noted there are 8 grams of protein in an eight ounce glass of milk, asking, “Where can you get a better diet than drinking your glass of milk every day?

He thanked the board for the recognition.

Schmidt, who earned State Finalist in the Extemporaneous Speaking competition at the state FFA Convention in May, said, “Chenango County is about 20th of the 62 counties in New York State providing dairy for the rest of the state.”

She explained the importance of dairy, noting the county generates about $21 million annually through milk production and a majority of that money goes back to the community with farmers buying things such as machinery, fertilizer, fuel and more.

Schmidt said funding for organizations such as Cornell Cooperative Extension helps educate kids and adults that will help provide food for not just the county but the rest of the world.

She gave thanks for the funding, adding, “Happy Dairy Month.”

Milk production in New York State is ranked fifth in the nation, with about 92 dairy farms and over 11,000 dairy cows in Chenango County, producing over 156,000,000 pounds of milk per year.