Fuel Up With Dairy

Mar 09, 2018

During National Nutrition Month, SDSU Extension, together with the Midwest Dairy Council, encourage South Dakotans to make sure they are consuming enough dairy for a healthy diet.

"When it comes to food and nutrition, one thing most health professionals agree on is we could all benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables. What might not be as well know is the fact that most Americans also fall below their recommended daily servings of dairy foods," said Whitney (Jerman) Blindert, a dietitian with Midwest Dairy Council.

Blindert reminds folks that the federal Dietary Guidelines recommend three servings of dairy each day. Blindert said to think of one serving as 8 ounces of milk or yogurt or 1 ounce of cheese.

"Most people get only an average of 1.8 servings per day, which could mean we are missing out on important nutrients dairy foods provide," she said.

As a registered dietitian in South Dakota, Blindert said she is proud to work on behalf of dairy farmers.

"I'm passionate about combining dairy foods with fruits and vegetables, which helps make healthy eating a bit easier and allows us to Go Further with Food," she said, quoting the slogan the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is promoting this March as part of National Nutrition Month.

Below Blindert outlines tips for pairing dairy with other healthy foods. Visit the Midwest Dairy Association's recipes page for more ideas.

Pair cheese cubes with your favorite fruits of vegetables. Try our Rainbow Fruit & Cheese Kabobs.
Dip berries or grapes in yogurt for a tasty, sweet treat.
Whip up a dairy-based smoothie in a blender for an on-the-go snack. Add whatever fruits and vegetables you like, or perhaps those nearing the end of their shelf life.
Make a yogurt-based dip for fresh vegetables. Try our Green Pea and Parmesan Dip. Feel free to skip the colander step for ease.
Boost nutrition and flavor by adding shredded cheese to vegetables and/or salads.
Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables, cheese and a whole-wheat tortilla.

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Video: Making budget friendly pig feed on a small livestock farm

I am going to show you how we save our farm money by making our own pig feed. It's the same process as making our cattle feed just with a slight adjustment to our grinder/ mixer that makes all the difference. We buy all the feed stuff required to make the total mix feed. Run each through the mixer and at the end of the process we have a product that can be consumed by our pigs.

I am the 2nd generation to live on this property after my parents purchased it in 1978. As a child my father hobby farmed pigs for a couple years and ran a vegetable garden. But we were not a farm by any stretch of the imagination. There were however many family dairy farms surrounding us. So naturally I was hooked with farming since I saw my first tractor. As time went on, I worked for a couple of these farms and that only fueled my love of agriculture. In 2019 I was able to move back home as my parents were ready to downsize and I was ready to try my hand at farming. Stacy and logan share the same love of farming as I do. Stacy growing up on her family's dairy farm and logans exposure of farming/tractors at a very young age. We all share this same passion to grow a quality/healthy product to share with our community. Join us on this journey and see where the farm life takes us.