In today’s society, we don’t see much of the humble dairy cow. With the help of farmers, these ladies are key to helping feed a growing population and providing this nation with a valuable food source – but that’s not the extent of their contributions.
In celebration of Cow Appreciation Day, here’s a look at four reasons all Americans should be utterly grateful for dairy cows:
1. One dairy cow in the U.S. produces on average 144 8-ounce glasses of milk every day. That’s enough to provide the recommended three daily servings of dairy to 48 people!
2. Dairy cows are a specific type of herbivore called a ruminant, which means that they can eat foods humans cannot. As much as 75 percent of a dairy cow’s diet may be made up of foods, like citrus pulp and cottonseed, which would otherwise be sent to landfills.
3. Dairy foods and beverages contain a powerhouse of essential nutrients. Three servings of low-fat milk a day provide 90 percent daily value for calcium and vitamin D, 48 percent daily value for protein, 30 percent daily value for potassium, and more.
4. Every day, an individual dairy cow produces 17 gallons of manure, which is full of valuable nutrients. Some dairy farmers use that manure in their fields to fertilize crops, which may eventually become feed for the cows. One cow’s day-worth of manure is enough to grow 56 pounds of corn.
The use of manure doesn’t end there. Some farmers use anaerobic digester systems to turn manure into electricity and fuel for vehicles.
Source: Dairy Good
