Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County is proud to be an integral part of the county’s agriculture industry – including the more 200 dairy farms that work to produce wholesome dairy products.

Whether you choose whole, organic, 2 percent, chocolate, or even a little bit of everything, dairy products are a great source of nine essential nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, protein, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin and phosphorus. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), people over the age of 9 should consume three cups of a “dairy group” a day. For children 2-3 years old, that number is two cups, and two and a half cups for children 4-8 years old. What counts as a “dairy group”? In general, one cup of milk or yogurt or one and a half ounces of natural cheese is considered one cup of a “dairy group.” For example, if you are an adult, you can reach your daily need of dairy by having a cup of milk, a cup of yogurt and one-and-a-half ounces of cheese, or a combination of those things, every day.

Chautauqua County dairy farmers work every day to help feed the world.

Did you know that locally produced dairy products can be purchased every day of the year? You can tell if your next cup of milk is from a local area quite easily. Find the code that is typically stamped on your next gallon or carton of milk. There will be a two-digit number, usually at the beginning of that code, which is followed by a hyphen (not a colon). This two-digit number on the left side of the hyphen is indicative of the state from which the milk was bottled. New York’s two-digit code is 36 and Pennsylvania’s code is 42. The typical four-digit number following the hyphen, on the right side, indicates the specific plant in which the milk was bottled. For example, Upstate Niagara’s Buffalo plant is code 4739. Many local dairy farms ship their milk to and are a part of the Upstate Niagara Cooperative. All of these codes are available from the Food and Drug Administration’s Interstate Milk Shippers (IMS) list, available online.

Local residents looking to support local farms throughout the entire year should look no further than the refrigerator. For more information, contact Katelyn Walley-Stoll, farm business management educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, at kaw249@cornell.edu or 664-9502 ext. 202.

Support to Dairy Farmers and Public Education about Agriculture is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in cooperation with Chautauqua County’s 20/20 comprehensive plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 664-9502 or visit www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.