The Mint Milk is Coming

A lot of people wait for the Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's to know St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner.

But in New York, there's something else that says that special holiday is coming up.

Coming soon to a Byrne Dairy and Deli near you -- MINT MILK!!! Mint Milk is expected to be in stores this week

To find a local Byrne Dairy and Deli, go to https://byrnedairystores.com/locations

6 Dairy Processors Join New York State Grown & Certified Program

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

Six additional dairy processors have joined the New York State Grown & Certified program. 

Consumers will soon be able to find the Certified label on select milk, yogurt and cheese products from Byrne Dairy, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, McCadam Cheese, King Brothers Dairy, Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. 

These dairy processors source their milk from more than 1,200 farms across the State, providing significant support to New York’s largest agricultural sector.

"Dairy is a major part of our agricultural industry and the New York State Grown & Certified program will help to further grow this critical sector of this state's economy," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "By expanding this program to dairy, we promote even more of New York’s finest producers and hard-working farmers, connect consumers to high-quality products and support the growth of local economies."

New York State Grown & Certified is a promotional program that distinguishes agricultural products that are sourced from New York farms and made by producers who meet safe food handling practices and demonstrate environmental stewardship.

Last month, the governor announced a new partnership with Stewart’s Shops to expand New York State Grown & Certified to include Stewart’s milk, ice cream, half and half, heavy cream and eggs. Today’s announcement further advances the program’s goal of growing the State’s vital agricultural industry by highlighting New York farms and processors who meet a higher standard.
  Central New York
 
Byrne Dairy, a fourth generation, family-owned dairy processor and distributor, has already placed the New York State Grown & Certified label on its new line of Byrne Hollow Farm organic milk products, which are sold in Whole Foods Markets, Byrne Dairy stores and other select retailers. 
Later this month, consumers can begin to look for the Certified label on Byrne Dairy’s new line of Byrne Hollow Farm grass-fed milk products sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club locations. In the coming weeks, Byrne Dairy also plans to announce another new and exciting line of products bearing the Certified label. 
Since the very beginning, Byrne Dairy has prided itself on working with hundreds of local and family farms — most of which are located no more than 40 miles from the company’s processing plants — to produce the freshest and best tasting dairy products.

Western New York
  Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is a food and beverage company owned by 345 New York dairy farm families, and has offered innovative, award-winning, high-quality dairy products to New York State residents for generations. 
With a commitment to quality that extends to every stage of production, from the farm to the consumer, their products include milk, flavored milk beverages, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream mix products marketed throughout New York State under the Upstate Farms^®, Bison^®, and Intense Milk^® brands.  
Headquartered in Buffalo, Upstate Niagara will be adding the New York Certified seal to many of their fluid milk products in the coming months.
    North Country
 
McCadam Cheese, which is owned by Agri-Mark, the leading dairy farmer cooperative in the Northeast, has also joined the New York State Grown & Certified program. McCadam, located in Franklin County, manufactures award-winning New York Cheddar, Muenster and European-style cheeses using milk from 588 New York dairy farms that adhere to the highest quality standards. 
McCadam cheeses are sold in over 500 stores across the Northeast, including Hannaford and Price Chopper. Consumers can expect to see the Certified label on their products next year.
  Capital Region
  King Brothers Dairy is a family-owned farm and processor in Saratoga County. It is one of the remaining few dairy processors in the country that continue to deliver glass-bottled milk directly to customer’s doors. 
It is known for its top, purebred Holstein cows and high-quality milk. King Brothers Dairy delivers to customers across the Capital Region, and their products can be found in an increasing number of groceries and small markets in the region.
  Mid-Hudson
  Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy is a cooperative of 10 dairy farmers located in Dutchess, Columbia and Ulster counties. It is dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of the Hudson River Valley and produces a wide selection of premium-quality dairy products. 
Its milk, whole-milk, ice cream, half and half, heavy cream, yogurt and sour cream will all carry the Certified label. Consumers can find Hudson Valley Fresh products in nearly 100 locations in the Hudson Valley.

New York City
 
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is an award-winning, urban cheesemaker located in New York City’s Flatiron District. Its unique, glass-enclosed cheesemaking kitchen gives visitors the opportunity to watch the company’s centuries-old cheesemaking process as it happens. Using milk from four local farms, Beecher’s produces a variety of specialty cheeses that are free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

"The addition of these incredible dairy processors to the Grown & Certified program not only supports hundreds of family-owned farms in nearly every region of the state, it also gives consumers an opportunity to easily identify New York's world-class agricultural products that are made to a higher standard," said state Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball. 

"Shoppers can feel good knowing the milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products made by these companies comes from farms and processing facilities that are committed to food safety and environmental sustainability,” Ball said.

“Byrne Dairy is proud to join the New York State Grown & Certified Program. Having locally sourced, farm-fresh milk for over 84 years, we believe that the Certified label will give our producer partners the recognition they deserve,” said Carl Byrne, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Byrne Dairy.

Byrne Dairy Brings Ag Education to the Zoo

Pictured unveiling the new Byrnsie display are, left to right, Friends of the Zoo President Janet Agostini with Byrne Dairy executives CEO Fred Sadeghi , CFO Paul Hatty, Sales and Marketing Director Kate Byrne, CTO Nick Marsella, General Counsel Jim Gosier , Zoo Director Ted Fox, and Byrne Dairy Attorney Ryan Elliott.

Byrne Dairy has partnered with the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo to sponsor “The Real Milking Cow” exhibit. 

The specially built Holstein cow is designed to educate zoo-goers on the art of milking a cow. Byrne Dairy has decided to name the exhibit “Byrnsie” after the beloved cow that is prominently featured on many of the company’s products.

Byrnsie recently was installed in front of the zoo’s Contact Barn where she has become a major attraction among zoo visitors who enjoy petting and milking her. 

Byrnsie comes equipped with an internal pump system, which ensures a constant flow of water to her udder so zoo-goers can learn how to extract milk from a cow using nothing but their hands.

Kids try out 'milking' Byrnsie

“Byrnsie represents a sizeable sponsorship on the part of Byrne Dairy, and she is a wonderful addition to our Contact Barn, where zoo visitors learn about farm animals up close,” said Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo President Janet Agostini. “The folks at Byrne Dairy responded immediately when we asked them to partner with us on this new exhibit.”

“Many of the children who come to the zoo have never even seen a cow, much less experienced milking one,” said Zoo Director Ted Fox. “This is a great educational tool that teaches kids where their milk comes from in an interactive way. We are grateful to Byrne Dairy for partnering with us and sponsoring Byrnsie.”

Byrnsie is part of a five-year partnership between the Friends of the Zoo and Byrne Dairy, which will include a series of educational events hosted by Byrne Dairy at the exhibit. 

The first event will celebrate National Dairy Month on Saturday, June 24. 

Byrne Dairy representatives will be on hand to offer free samples of ice cream and quiz the public on dairy trivia from noon to 2 p.m. Future “Dairy Day” events will celebrate other significant yet often overlooked dairy holidays.

Byrne Dairy CEO Fred Sadeghi said the company views Byrnsie as well as the Dairy Day events as a fun way to educate the public about the importance of dairy farming and food manufacturing in modern society.

“We want to offer zoo-goers an educational perspective about life on the farm, current dairy farming practices, and how the milk that comes from a cow eventually makes its way into a lot of delicious and nutritious dairy products,” Sadeghi said.

“Fewer Americans than ever are engaged in farming and agriculture, yet many remain interested in where their food comes from,” he added. “Byrne Dairy views this exhibit as a fantastic opportunity to connect the dots for many zoo-goers and provide them with a deeper appreciation of the purpose and role of dairy cows in the U.S.”

Mint Milk Just Right for St. Patrick's Day

Byrne Dairy Green Mint Milk

If you want something to wash down that corned beef and cabbage today, why not try some of Byrne Dairy's Green Mint Milk?

It's available at a number of local grocery stores and Byrne Dairy stores. Hits the spot for St. Patrick's Day.

Ice Cream Trivia for Ice Cream Month

Here's some handy ice cream trivia for you:


June was National Dairy Month, so July must be Ice Cream Month.
 
That’s right, a monthlong celebration of one of dairy’s greatest gifts takes place in July.
 
Many people celebrate the summer by downing cones, sundaes, milkshakes and other creamy, cold delights, but it was President Ronald Reagan in 1984 who officially named July as National Ice Cream Month.
 
And the third Sunday of July is National Ice Cream Day. So be sure to have some on July 19.
Ice cream is big business in New York state, with about 140 manufacturers. Some are large — Perry’s, Byrne — while others are small businesses that make their own ice cream and sell it at their shop.
 
There are no breakdowns for how much money New York companies pump into the economy, but nationally, sales of ice cream and frozen desserts rose 2.1 percent to $5.4 billion in the 52 weeks ending on Aug. 10, 2014, according to Information Resources Inc., Chicago. And ice cream production reached 894 million gallons in 2012 and 897 million in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
To qualify as ice cream, the product has to follow federal law.
 
According to regulations, ice cream must contain at least 10 percent milk fat and at least 20 percent total milk solids. The finished ice cream must weigh a minimum of 4.5 pounds per gallon.
 
There are well-defined labeling requirements for the types of flavors used — natural and/or artificial — and when egg yolks are present in the finished product, it can be called custard or “French” if the content of yolks is at least 1.4 percent.
 
Ice cream also may be labeled as reduced fat (25 percent less than the standard ice cream), light (50 percent less fat than standard), low fat (less than 3 grams of fat per serving), or non fat (less than 0.5 grams per serving).
 
Some other facts about ice cream:
 
** About 9 percent of all milk produced in the United States goes to manufacture ice cream. (Source: International Dairy Foods Association).
 
** Americans’ favorite flavor is vanilla, followed by chocolate, strawberry and chocolate chip. (Source: International Dairy Foods Association).
 
** The average American eats 4.8 gallons of ice cream and frozen treats a year (Source: www.smallbusiness.com).
 
** The largest manufacturer of ice cream and frozen desserts in New York state is Fieldbrook Foods in Dunkirk, Chautauqua County (the company also has a plant in Lakewood, N.J.). Fieldbrook makes more than 120 million dozen frozen novelties and 25 million gallons of ice cream annually; most of its ice cream products are private label. (Source: Northeast Dairy Foods Association and Fieldbrook website).
 
** Other large manufacturers in New York include Perry’s in Akron (Erie County), Byrne Dairy in Syracuse (Onondaga), Stewart’s in Saratoga Springs (Saratoga), and Mercer’s in Boonville (Oneida).
 
** Chocolate syrup is the most popular ice cream topping. (Source: Perry’s website). 
 
** The phrase “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream” actually was the name of a song written by Howard Johnson in the late 1920s. (Source: www.answers.yahoo.com).
 
** There are three versions of the story about who invented the ice cream sundae:
 
— New Yorkers are partial to the story that the sundae was created in Ithaca by Chester Platt, who owned Platt & Colt’s drugstore in 1893. The story goes that Platt prepared a dish of vanilla ice cream for the Rev. John Scott on a Sunday. Platt spiced up the ice cream with cherry syrup and a candied cherry, and Rev. Scott named the dish after the day.
 
— Evanston, Ill. also lays claim to the treat. Its story goes that in Evanston and other Midwestern areas, the selling of soda water was prohibited on Sunday. So they made the sodas without soda, leaving just ice cream and syrup. They called it a sundae.
 
— In Two Rivers, Wis., soda fountain owner Ed Berners had a customer named George Hallauer, who asked for a dish of ice cream topped with the syrup used for sodas. Berner liked the dish and added it to his regular menu for a nickel. But then a competitor, George Giffy, decided to serve the same item at his shop, albeit at a higher price. He decided to serve the ice cream only on Sunday, and soon it became known as the “Ice Cream Sunday.”

Time to Get the Green Milk

Check for it in area stores.

80-Year-Old Byrne Dairy in Syracuse Markets Across U.S.

Go to http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/ultra-pasteurization_entry_into_cheese_and_yogurt_market_driving_growth_at_syrac.html to check out the story.

Ultra Dairy in DeWitt Planning Expansion

From the Byrne Dairy Website

And in other Dairy Month news:

Go to http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/byrne_dairy_to_expand_plant_in.html to see what dairy company in Onondaga County is expanding.