Milk Unleashed has launched! It’s a campaign to educate moms on the importance of dairy, and offer easy ways to incorporate more milk into their families’ diets with shelf safe milk.   It’s sponsored by Tetra Pak, makers of shelf safe cartons for milk, juice, soup, broth and other products.

Shelf safe milk is Grade A fluid milk that requires no refrigeration until the package is opened, thanks to ultra pasteurization and the special Tetra Pak carton.  This eco-friendly packaging preserves all the wholesome goodness of milk and helps kids get the vitamins and nutrients of milk anytime, anywhere.

On most days, millions of Americans jump out of bed, take a quick shower and grab a bowl of cereal before they start their commute. They never think about the significance of this ordinary routine, which is why I bring it up as we observe National Dairy Month, which kicked off with World Milk Day on June 1. Our quality of life comes from the little things we take for granted -- from a bed to sleep in, running water for a shower or the milk to pour on cereal.

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By Joyce Morrison, Illinois Agri-Women

I received an email from friends who are farmers in South Dakota telling me that much of their area has been flooded, and where it isn’t flooding, rains have prevented planting. While crops look good in Jersey County, in a brief moment this could change with the erratic weather patterns. It has been a tragic year for farmers across the nation.

The rampage of the Missouri River and releasing of water from the reservoirs has destroyed thousands of acres of farmland and reports are not good.

A conservative estimated loss of $85.2 million, the blasting of the Bird’s Point levee in Southeast Missouri flood water inundating over 130,000 acres of rich farmland to save the town of Cairo, remains controversial. Pictures show huge gouges in the fields that will take years to heal. The Wetlands Initiative and other groups are anxious to see the Bird’s Point farms made into a “River Park” while SIU professors and others have advocated it become a huge wetland. Neither option is welcome by farmers who own this property. This land has been farmed for over 100 years and is known for its high productivity.

When the time comes to choose what drink to chug after an intense workout, there are a range of options available; water, sports drinks and protein shakes. Yet, researchers Kim Spaccarotella and Walter Andzel have elevated chocolate milk to the top of the list. <more> Nov. 2, 2011 Dairy Herd Management