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Celebrate National Milk Day!

Tuesday, January 3, 2023


National Milk Day is Wednesday, January 11, 2023. The day commemorates “the first time – 1878 – milk was delivered to homes inside sterilized glass bottles sealed with waxed paper," according to the USDA.

Many in Wisconsin know the state is the second largest dairy producing state in the United States. But far fewer people know that the world owes the discovery of methods to fortify milk products with Vitamin D to research conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, making diseases like Rickets completely preventable.  

Although we live in the Dairy State, sometimes it’s easy to forget what a nutritional powerhouse milk is, and why it’s so important not only for our state, but especially for the healthy growth and development of our students. 

Milk is rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin D, and protein. Milk is high in all the things a body needs for bone health, and it is an essential component of the Federal Child Nutrition Programs.  

Supply chain disruptions have recently made it difficult for Wisconsin schools to purchase milk in half-pint cartons. Many schools have chosen the alternative of purchasing bulk milk, which has several benefits, including improved taste, ability to serve the milk itself at a colder temperature, and greater cost effectiveness.  

In Wisconsin, schools, child care institutions, and summer camps have access to milk programs, and while they differ significantly in reimbursement rates and sponsor eligibility, both is to provide nutritious milk breaks to children on a daily basis.  

For more information on the Federal Special Milk Program (SMP) and the Wisconsin School Day Milk Program (WSDMP) visit the School Nutrition Team’s Milk Programs webpage.  

For more milk facts and fun, visit the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin web site. 

This item was submitted by Alyssa Flores, RDN, CD, School Nutrition Team Program Consultant, of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction