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‘The perfect product’
June luncheon emphasizes nutrition, importance of dairy
| Story and photos by Claire Sellers |
7/2/2012 |
Nothing can take the place of milk. At least that’s what Randy Davis of Philadelphia, president of the American Dairy Association of Tennessee, said as he hosted the state’s annual June Dairy Month luncheon on June 1.
“A glass of milk will provide all of the nutrients and vitamins that you need,” said Davis, who operates a 520-head Holstein dairy on the Loudon/Monroe county line. “We have the perfect product.”
Proof of milk’s nutritional value was sitting in the audience — the Grainger County High School Lady Grizzlies girls’ basketball team, who proudly shared that chocolate milk was how they “fueled up” before practices and games. They made it their beverage of choice after local dairy farmers pointed out the scientific evidence of chocolate milk’s post-workout replenishing abilities.
“This spring, these girls had a 28-game winning streak, and they give credit for a lot of that success to drinking chocolate milk,” said Davis. “They really took our product to heart.”
The Lady Grizzlies joined dairy producers, university personnel, Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) officials, agribusiness representatives, and 4-H’ers from across the state to take part in the June Dairy Month kickoff event at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. Julius Johnson, Tennessee agriculture commissioner and luncheon guest, emphasized the importance of the dairy industry.
“Dairying is one of our state’s backbone industries,” said Johnson. “This is a day that we highlight dairy production and the quality of products that our farmers produce.”
Keynote speaker Bill Cody, host of his popular morning show on WSM Radio in Nashville, found a way to connect his career in country music to farming by mentioning several songs that referred to dairy, including “Milk Cow Blues,” an old-time tune most recently recorded by Tim McGraw.
“Songs like that are somewhere between culture and agriculture,” he said.
Cody, who also told the crowd he was fulfilling a lifelong dream by working for WSM, shared these words of encouragement to the young people in the audience: “Dream your dreams; otherwise they can’t come true.”
During the luncheon, some 43 creative and enterprising 4-H’ers who served as county June Dairy Month chairpersons were recognized for their leadership. Also receiving special recognition was Kaylee Penick of Cheatham County, state winner in the 4-H dairy project.
Winners of the June Dairy Month Poster Contest were honored for their creations that carried out the theme, “Dedicated to Dairy: Make Mine Milk.” Taking first place was Samantha Bussell from Macon County, second place went to Abigail Ferguson of Claiborne County, and Gwen Todd of Dyer County captured third.
In this year’s Dairy Quiz Bowl competition, Henry County teams took home both first- and second-place awards in the senior division. First-place team members were Brooke Rose, Ashton Thompson, Jack Paschall, and Mavis Ward. Taking second place were Brooke Williams, Brigitte Passman, Melinda Perkins, and Emily Rose. Both teams were coached by Laura Moss. There were no junior division competitors this year.
Davis also recognized two retiring TDA employees, John Sanford and Hugh Wilson, and praised their contributions to the state’s dairy industry. Sanford was a leader in the state’s food safety efforts for 35 years. Wilson, retiring after 40 years, set different standards for milk grading programs not just in Tennessee but nationally as well.
“These two gentlemen are prime examples of how you should spend your career,” said Davis. “They worked hard to represent the agency in which they served, and they are two reasons why we have such a great relationship with TDA in working with our industry.”
The first-ever lifetime achievement award was presented in honor of the late Mac Pate, a Maryville dairyman for more than 62 years before his death in March. Members of the Blair family, who took over Pate’s dairy operation this past January, were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the revered dairyman. (See related story, “Lifetime opportunity,” in the June Cooperator).
“This is the first time we have given this award, and I wish the man who is getting it could be here,” said Davis. “Mac Pate was a lifelong dairy farmer, a friend, and a mentor to his peers and the dairy industry alike. He was always a big supporter of 4-H and the dairy at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and he helped the dairy promotion of Tennessee get the funding it needed to educate the youth of the state. He has truly left a legacy.”
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