Giving Thanks

It is hard to believe that 2023 is nearing an end. As we look back on this year, there have been lots of challenges our farm families have had to work through – low milk prices, very challenging weather patterns, catastrophic events, and even in some cases, health issues and loss of family members. Sometimes, when life becomes challenging, it is easy to let the problems we face overshadow the good.

Someone once said, “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”

Studies show that intentionally expressing gratitude – or finding reasons to be thankful – can offer many benefits to both our mental and physical health, including decreased anxiety, reduced chronic pain, improved sleeping habits, and a stronger immune system. Yet too often in our culture and even in our own industry, we focus on our frustrations, not on our blessings.

So, in this “Season of Thanksgiving,” let’s celebrate the reasons we have to be thankful. There are so many of them. Here are just a few that I came up with.

1. Our Product. When I was young, everyone knew that milk was nature’s most nearly perfect food. It did not change. It is still the most complete source of nutrients naturally available and one of the most versatile products on the marketplace. Name one other commodity that can be made into as many different products as milk can. I cannot think of any.
   
2. A Growing Customer Base. By 2050, the world population is expected to be nearly 10 billion people. The largest growing segment of the population is beyond our US borders, with 90 percent of the mouths we feed outside of the US. As populations grow and developing countries gain more wealth, dairy proteins will continue to grow in demand.
   
3. The Opportunity to Get Better. What the dairy industry has been able to do over the past 50 years is nothing short of amazing. In the 1960s, the average milk production per cow was just under 10,000 pounds. Having that continued improvement is one reason why so many people are passionate about what they do.

Read a few more reasons the dairy industry has to be thankful.

Jayne Sebright has served in the role of executive director for both the Center for Dairy Excellence and Dairy Excellence Foundation since 2016. As director, she leads a team of eight individuals who are passionate about helping Pennsylvania’s dairy farm families to thrive and inspiring dairy’s next generation to prosper. To learn more about the Center for Dairy Excellence staff, click here.