X, Y, And Zzzzzz

  June Dairy Month is coming to a close! But the barn doors are still open, 

so join me on my daily A to Z journey 

to learn more about dairy. 

  X, Y, And Z

Since this is my final blog post for June Dairy Month- 2014, I thought it would be a great time to answer some reader questions 
that I have received recently. So today, 

X Is For eXtra Information

Cindy, from Omaha, Nebraska wants to know-

Why do farmers get paid for their milk by the pound, when consumers buy it by the gallon?

Google image

Interesting question. I never thought about that! My guess would be that farmers are paid by the pound because many years ago milk was put in milk cans to be delivered to the creamery (milk plant). These cans of milk were then weighed and the farmer was paid for the milk by weight. Thus, paying by weight continues today. This is just a guess however, and after much "googleing" I couldn't come up with the answer. Does anyone else know the answer to Cindy's question?

Anna, from Rosemount, Minnesota asks-

Why does whole milk cost more than 2%, 1% or skim?

When the fat is taken out of the milk, that fat is worth something.  It is used for butter, for example, and so the whole milk costs more because they haven't removed any of its fat to sell in other products. Therefore the only income from that gallon of milk has to come from only that gallon, not any additional products that use the fat. However, many stores do charge the same price for all milk, no matter what the fat content. 

Lynn, from Chicago, Illinois inquires-

Is there a difference between store-brand milk and "name-brand" milk? 

Funny you should ask that question.  Each milk jug is stamped with the "use by" date and a 4 or 5 digit code which identifies what milk plant that jug was packaged in. It looks like this...

Land O'Lakes ($4.88/gallon) 27-180

Walmart brand, Great Value ($3.09/gallon) 27-180

You can go to the website Where Is My Milk From and type in this code, and you will find where this milk is bottled. Interesting isn't it, that these two jugs of milk are from the same plant? What is different other than the price? Probably nothing.

 Y Is For YouTube

Did you know I have a YouTube channel?  You can find it by searching MyBarnyardView or clicking HERE. This past week I appeared on a local television show which came and toured our farm for June Dairy Month. This video will be on my channel very soon. I'll let you know when it happens! If there is something you are curious about on our farm, just ask! Perhaps I can answer your question in a video!

And lastly,

Z Is For Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Thanks for following along on my A to Z journey through June Dairy Month.