Since 1939, New York state has recognized June as Dairy Month to help stabilize the demand for milk and dairy products during periods of peak production. Today, Dairy Month is an annual celebration honoring America’s dairy farmers and the safe, wholesome products they produce daily.

Milk is an important commodity for New York and particularly Western New York, where many of our farms produce dairy products that are distributed throughout the state and nation.

There are numerous festivities taking place throughout the state to honor our dairy farmers and support the industry. On June 10th, the Mix it With Milk and Jell-O program is being held in Genesee County. The event, sponsored by the American Dairy Association, will take place at the Jell-O Museum in Leroy.

On June 12th, Genesee County will be holding County Dairy Days at Reynolds Farm in Darien. The event is being hosted by the Genesee County Farm Bureau and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

These events will be wonderful opportunities to have fun and thank our local dairy farmers for the work they do in making the industry the strongest and healthiest in the country.

The state’s dairy industry consists of 7,200 dairy farmers who produce 12.2 billion pounds of milk, dairy processors and manufacturers who process a variety of wholesome dairy products.

New York’s dairy industry generates $1.84 billion from the sale of milk, which is more than half of the state’s total agricultural receipts. Nationally, New York ranks first in the production of cottage cheese and third for fluid milk, Italian cheese, and total cheese production.

As a member of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I will continue to work to make sure New York remains in first place nationally in dairy production by supporting legislation that will benefit farmers, small businesses, and lower property and business taxes.

Please join me in June to celebrate the hard working dairy farmers who are so vital to the economic success of New York. The next time you are wiping away your milk mustache, remember the dairy farmers who work tirelessly to provide us with the finest dairy products anywhere in the world.