Foodie Travel #NYStateDairyTour2014

How do YOU get your dairy on?? When I look at all the things we (my children especially) enjoy…dairy in one form or another is usually there!  Ice Cream, cheese, whipped cream, puddings, casseroles bread and butter and milk and cookies…it’s there!  I don’t think a day ever passes that dairy in more than one form isn’t in my family’s life.  Think about it.

Recently, I headed up, once again, to New York for the annual New York State Dairy Tour which takes place in The Finger Lake Region.  I look forward to this event for a number of reasons.  First, a weekend getaway with my husband is something that doesn’t happen very often. You know how it is, the kids come along and “me” or “us” time is rare.  Second, visiting Geneva On The Lake and the town of Geneva is such a treat.  The lodging is fabulous, the view ah-mazing, the town…stunning and the bars & restaurants SO fun!  Then there are my blogging friends and hosts that I get to reconnect with, we have a blast!  I got to share the weekend with my food-blogging-bestie, Linda of Giggles Gobbles & Gulps and I met a new foodie friend in Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny (and her BFF Jessica) who were both so much fun!

I have to say though, best of all for me is getting a look into the world of the farmers who work every single day of the year, generation after generation to keep allowing families like my own to enjoy the fruits of their labors.  Something I do not take for granted.

In my opinion, we should thank any farmer that crosses our path (and teach our children to do the same).  Without them, their hard work, their vision and their passion, we would not have the quality of life that we currently do.  After all, the abundance of food we are surrounded by every time we step into a market has a big back-story and a lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into making that happen every single day of the year.

This year we had an unbelievable experience while on the tour, we were fortunate enough to be the first group brought into the brand new 108,000 square foot, 101 million dollar, beyond-state-of-the-art Cayuga Milk Ingredients Plant located in Auburn, NY  A project envisioned, and brought to life by 21 dairy farms in the area.  It was unbelievable!  The efficiency of that plant seems almost seems like it comes from the pages of a science-fiction novel.

At the plant they use state-of-the-art technology to separate the collective milk from the farms involved into high quality components that are then added to other products to boost their nutritional value. The water is removed from the milk to produce dry ingredients, extending the shelf life to up to 18 months, which means ingredients produced today can be delivered to children and families around the globe.

I was beyond impressed with the efficiency at Patterson Farm.  Their cows are treat very well (even getting 60 days off a year to roam the pastures), something I really learned about on last years tour.  What blew me away was that, similar to the plant, they farm uses everything…they have no waste.  The cows are mostly fed from what they grow on the farm, the bedding the cows sleep on is partially made up of their manure…recycled.  What the cows don’t digest…they reuse.  The farms power comes from the cow’s manure (what??) what is leftover then goes back into the land to fertilize it.