Dairy
LAND For the past 200 years, dairy has shaped Vermont’s agricultural landscape. While the number of dairy farms has been steadily declining since the 1950s, dairy is still Vermont’s largest agricultural product by volume, and dairy farms still utilize about 80% of the farmland in the state.
LABOR As of 2016, there are an estimated 1,000 - 1,200 Latinx migrant dairy workers, 90% of whom are likely undocumented. Read the Justice & Liberation story to learn more.
ANIMALS Vermont’s approximately 600 cow, sheep, and goat farms produce about 2.3 billion pounds of milk a year, 85% of which is exported to other states.
PRODUCTS Vermont is home to many cheese, yogurt and butter producers. These are all milk-based foods, along with ice cream, sour cream, and whole, low-fat and flavored milks.
Many Americans are unable to digest lactose, therefore people in Vermont are turning to dairy alternatives such as nut milks. Cheese and yogurt consumption are also on the rise, which are both easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance.
Downloads (PDF):
Reading List:
» Cow by Jules Older (grades K-3)
» 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy (grades 1-4)
» Milk from Cow to Carton by Aliki
» It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf (grades K-3)
» Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (grades 4-9), UNM Educator's Guide ,Random House Teacher’s Guide
» Life on the Other Bo
» The Most Costly Journey: Stories of Migrant Farmworkers in Vermont Drawn by New England Cartoonists Edited by Marek Bennett, Julia Grand Doucet, Andy Kolovos, & Teresa Mares
Recipes:
Create a Smoothie*
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing*
Homemade Farmer's Cheese
Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas*
Cucumber Yogurt Dip
Dulce de Leche
To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute dairy products for a similar dairy-free alternative
Harvest Videos
Sources:
https://www.vermontdairy.com/vt-dairy-today/
https://vermontdairy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/VTD_MilkMatters-Brochure_OUT-pages.pdf
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance/definition-facts
https://www.farmprogress.com/dairy/global-demand-butter-cheese-rising
https://migrantjustice.net/about-the-milk-with-dignity-program
Mares T. Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont. University of California Press; Oakland, CA, USA: 2019. [Google Scholar]