MONTROSE, Pa. — Hi, my name is Holly Harvatine and I am a Susquehanna County Dairy Ambassador. I’d like everyone to take a minute to think about the dairy industry and how it impacts your life. For dairy farmers the day to day production of milk is a huge part of their life. Others simply enjoy dairy essentials like milk and dairy treats like ice cream.
Either way, do you know where the milk you drink comes from? Farmers care for the dairy cows, which produce the milk. Then, the milk is transported to facilities where the milk is quality tested and made into the delicious dairy foods everyone likes. After that the dairy products are shipped to local stores for you to enjoy.
You might think that’s the only factor in knowing where you milk comes from, but do you know if you’re getting Pennsylvania milk or milk from other places? There’s a way to know if you’re getting locally produced Pennsylvania milk referred to as “PA Preferred.” The plant code near the expiration date on the jug of milk, the first two digits, tells you where the milk is from. If the code on the milk is 42, that means the milk is from Pennsylvania.
I would like everyone to check the plant code of the milk you have in your refrigerator or the next one you purchase at the store to see where’s it’s from. I would like everyone to try to drink locally produced, “PA Preferred Milk” to support our local dairy farmers!
–Holly Harvatine, Susquehanna County Dairy Ambassador