Summer 2023

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers the following definitions for the noun dairy: the department of farming or of a farm that is concerned with the production of milk, butter, and cheese; milk from a cow or other domestic animal (such as a goat); and food (such as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt) made primarily of or from milk.

Today, a dairy is far more than a producer of milk products. If we were to explore a modern-day dairy, a far more accurate definition would be: an establishment that processes milk; milk products, such as ice cream, buttermilk and yogurt shakes; non-dairy alternative frozen desserts; non-dairy novelties, such as ices and popsicles; and non-dairy beverages, such as juices, fruit punch and tea.

Unquestionably, liquid milk production is the bread and butter of a successful dairy plant. Juices and teas are suitable side dishes and, of course, the pièce de resistance is ice cream […]