Picture the bowl of mashed potatoes as it lands on the table. A pat of butter melts into the top, the rolls make their way around, and a pumpkin pie waits on the counter for later.
So many of our favorite holiday dishes depend on dairy. This year, it’s worth a closer look at where those ingredients come from and the New York dairy farmers and businesses who help bring them to your table.
Thanksgiving Dairy Staples
Butter and milk give mashed potatoes their rich, smooth texture. Butter is also what makes dinner rolls soft and pie crusts flaky, while milk and cream hold together everything from pumpkin pie filling to sweet potato casserole.
Cream and sour cream add body to homemade green bean casserole and other creamy sides. And before the meal even starts, cheese anchors the appetizer board, with a sharp cheddar or a soft spread for guests to enjoy while the turkey finishes. Look across the table and you’ll find Thanksgiving dairy products in nearly every course.
Quality Food Comes from the Farm
The flavor of a holiday meal starts long before anything goes in the oven. Creamy mashed potatoes and flaky pie crust depend on good butter and cream, and those begin with quality milk from New York dairy farms.
Dairy farmers work with veterinarians and animal nutritionists to keep their cows healthy and their feed balanced, and many grow that feed on their own land. Cows are milked at least twice a day, every day of the year. Holidays like Thanksgiving are no exception.
Healthy, comfortable cows produce high-quality milk. That quality carries through to the butter, cream, and cheese in your holiday cooking.
From Farm to Holiday Table
Once milk leaves the farm, it moves quickly. It’s cooled right away in a refrigerated tank, then collected by a milk hauler and driven to a processing plant to be tested for safety and quality.
From there, New York processors and creameries turn that milk into the butter, cream, sour cream, and cheese families pick up at the store. Haulers, cooperatives, cheesemakers, and local grocers all help get locally produced dairy from the farm to your kitchen.
That network of people is what makes a farm-to-table Thanksgiving possible right here at home. Choosing dairy made in New York is one simple way to support the farmers and businesses in your own community.
Giving Thanks for New York Dairy
When your family sits down this Thanksgiving, take a moment to think about the people behind the meal. Dairy farmers, processors, haulers, and everyone in between work year-round so the dishes you look forward to all year can come together..
The New York dairy industry is part of everyday meals and holiday traditions alike. This year, it’s one more thing to be thankful for.
