A glass of milk is at the center of a video discussion on ethical choices by Charlie Arnot, CEO, Center for Food Integrity. Arnot discusses "Ethical Choice" and how consumers can make a difference for people, animals and the planet. His example of a glass of milk looks at how the U.S. dairy industry has reduced its carbon footprint and the implications along the entire supply chain.

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.

The pressure is on for schools. Balancing the desire to offer healthier lunchroom options that kids will choose with the need to stay within a tight budget is no easy task.

This is especially important now, since concern about children's nutrition is a high priority. While every school is different, studies show that choosing the right program for your school can significantly increase milk consumption and improve financial performance. And the good news is that even a small change in how milk is offered or promoted can make a big impact on students' choices.

MilkPEP (Milk Processor Education Program) offers schools a variety of programs and materials that can help schools improve their milk program.

In the small community of Fort Jennings, Ohio, everyone helps each other out – and the town revolves around the school kids and their activities. So when the high school soccer coach, Bill Romes, approached cafeteria manager Cheryl Schnipke two years ago about providing lowfat chocolate milk for the team to drink as their recovery beverage after every game and practice, she knew it was the right thing to do for the kids!

Read more about how Cheryl helped boost milk consumption at Jennings High, courtesy of milkdelivers.org.