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The Michigan milk cycle begins at the dairy farm. There are more than 4,000 farms producing milk in Michigan. Each of the farms is reviewed by a Dairy Inspector for sanitation and compliance with Michigan Dairy Laws. |
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Full grown Holstein Cows can grow to weigh about 1,400
pounds!
These cows drink 30 gallons (a bathtub full) of water and eat about 40 pounds of feed and hay and 50 pounds of silage every day. Silage is either chopped corn plant or hay that is stored in silos on the dairy farm. |
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Cows are brought into a milking parlor and a milking machine is attached. It usually takes about 6 to 8 minutes for a cow to give milk. Click here to see a video clip about milking. |
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On average, a cow is milked two or three times a day. |
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In the milking parlor, the milk is pumped into a clean, sanitized storage tank. The milk is stored at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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Milking equipment is checked for cleanliness at every inspection to make sure that Grade "A" requirements are being met. |
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A milk hauler picks up the milk from the farm and drives it to a processing plant. A milk truck acts as a kind of a "giant thermos." All milk haulers are licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and are inspected for proper pick up methods and sanitation. |
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More than a dozen tests are run to make sure the milk is safe, free of harmful bacteria and of the finest quality possible. Every milk truck is also tested for antibiotics to make sure that these do not get into your milk. After it is tested and determined safe, the milk is pumped into a processing machine that will pasteurize and homogenize it. |
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To pasteurize milk, it must be heated to more than 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds to kill all harmful bacteria and keep it from spoiling. |
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Milk directly from a cow has pieces of cream in it that are larger than the rest of the fluid, so it separates. The heavier fluid falls to the bottom and the cream rises to the top. Homogenization breaks the particles down into tiny pieces that blend together to make a consistent, creamy mixture. Before homogenization was invented, people would have to stir the glass of milk before they drank it. |
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Dairy processors make different types of milk,
ice cream, cheese, yogurt, butter and other dairy products.
These products are then shipped to the grocery store for you and your family to enjoy! |
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