Visitors to the Royal Bath & West Show were treated to a wide range of dairy activities to celebrate World Milk Day on Thursday (1 June).
Established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2001, World Milk Day recognises the importance of milk as a global food. Young farmers and the NFU got involved at the Royal Bath & West Show to promote the Happy Cows campaign, with exhibitors offering face painting, milk tasting, butter making and live milking demonstrations in the Farming for the Family feature.
“We want to highlight the benefits of drinking milk and the great animal welfare we have in the UK,” said Sophie James, a dairy farmer’s daughter from Dorset and the NFU’s dairy adviser. “Farmers take great care of their cows, and we’re really pleased with how the dairy supply chain and Exeter Chiefs have got involved.”
Wyke Farms was showing children how to make cheese, with hundreds of budding cheesemakers passing through the tent in the first two days of the show alone. “We’re passionate about educating people on where their food comes from,” said brand manager Lucy Francis. “Families can walk around the show and see the cows, and the traceability of where dairy products come from; it’s not just about going into a shop.”
A staggering proportion of people still do not understand where food comes from, and yet milk is the only single food that humans could survive on with no other source of sustenance. “Dairy is a staple item and has been for generations,” said Lucy. “It has so many important vitamins and minerals and it’s really important that we teach people that.”