The Midwest Dairy Association is determined to educate the public and dispel myths about where our dairy products come from. The MDA hosted its first ever Day of Dairy at the Iowa State Dairy Farm on Tuesday.

One myth the MDA would like to address is that dairy farmers are not sustainable.

“[Dairy farmers] really re-utilize every part of the whole process of having a dairy,” said Erin Thole, health and wellness program manager for the MDA. “They re-utilize the manure, the bedding and any waste products.”

Chris Freland, Industry Relations Manager for the MDA, said it is important to get the facts out about dairy farmers. She said people are quick to put emotion behind their opinions without looking deeper into the science and facts.

“So more and more we need to have agricultural advocates telling our story, sharing the facts and sharing it in the social space,” Freland said.

The Day of Dairy included seminars, tours of the Iowa State Dairy Barn and a trivia game with prizes. About 40 students toured the barn. The visitors were thrown into the dairy world immediately upon stepping inside the visitor’s center. The milking parlor is visible through windows just inside the building’s entrance.

“It’s interesting. It smells interesting,” said Rebecca Gordon, senior in food science. “The part I find interesting is how they reuse everything, including the water.”

Nicole Walski, senior in food science, said she has an uncle and aunt who have a dairy farm, so she appreciated seeing the process on a larger scale. 

“I love dairy, but it’s cool to see how it actually goes into the milk truck,” Walski said. 

This is what the MDA had in mind, to bring the tasks of production, up close.

“People want to know where their food comes from,” Freland said. “Increasingly now we are seeing a need to communicate how the cows are cared for. It is our job to represent our dairy farmers in the state of Iowa.”

There are currently 1,373 dairy farms in the state. They range from family farms to large scale farming. Freland said that 98 percent of dairy farms are family owned.

ISU Day of Dairy was put on in connection with the Food Science Club, Culinary Science Club, Dairy Products Evaluation Club and Student Dietetics Association.

Tuesday’s event was used to gauge the feasibility of expansion to other schools throughout the Midwest. The MDA hopes to expand the event to the entire campus in the future.

The research that the MDA provides for education is overseen by the USDA and is peer reviewed.