It is time that consumers realize that regular bottled milk they purchase in stores is 96.75% fat free. This means that consumers are definitely deprived of drinking whole milk that comes from our dairy farms.
I've heard a lot of wild comments concerning the fat contained in milk. Some people even think that milk is 100% fat. If this was true (which, naturally it is not) than we would be drinking butter.
When milk is delivered to milk plants the butter fat content is usually around 3.7%. However, many processors and some dairy co-ops felt they should be able to standardize milk down to a lower level, resulting in hearings being held on the matter. If my memory serves me right, the former Eastern Milk Producers dairy co-operative, Peter Sandfort who operated Aldovin dairies (Pa.) and Garden State Farms in New Jersey were the only ones that strongly opposed the standardization of milk below the average fat content in the market. Pete did a tremendous effort of advertising against the standardization of milk in various papers.
Unfortunately when the smoke cleared, the processors were allowed to standardize milk down to 3.25%.
One dairy co-operative was caught standardizing milk with water, which was illegal in New York State.
In my opinion the standardization of milk coupled with the fat scare for 40 years and the continuation of the scare is the main reason why consumers are drinking less milk as compared to 10-40 years ago.
Now with the present administration prohibiting real milk in our schools, including chocolate milk, is it any wonder that milk sales are slipping?
Pro-Ag has been circulating thousands of flyers personally to consumers asking these consumers to circulate the information to their friends on Facebook. The information is:
1) Why you should eat butter. This is also a new video with book author Nina Teicholz on why you should eat butter and other dairy products. Nina was interviewed by the large news outlet MSBC TV, consequently the video.
2) The prestigious TIME magazine on June 23, 2014 carried an 8 page article by author Bryan Walsh: "Ending the War on Fat."
Both articles can be found on Progressive Agriculture Organization's Facebook page.
Mr. Walsh ended his article by stating, "The cold hard fact is that the only way to eat well is to eat well, which, I'm thankful to note, doesn't have to include skim milk."
The front page of the June 23 issue of TIME says: EAT BUTTER.
I would urge everyone that reads this editorial to go to a Facebook account and pull up these two articles, and send the articles to all of your friends on Facebook.
Let's be realistic and honest. Was obesity a problem 40 years ago? No! Let's get whole milk to our children and adults, and then figure out the real reasons for obesity. No one gets very much exercise playing with computers and computer games! Let's give consumers a real choice of real milk!
Arden Tewksbury, Manager, Pro-Ag
570-833-5776.
9.24.2014