Wayne County commissioners hail contributions of dairy industry as numbers decline

Hot sunny days of summer and ice cream seem to go together. The Wayne County Dairy Court and the county commissioners teamed up recently to make ice cream sundaes on the courthouse lawn and give them away to anyone who came by.

The commissioners issued a proclamation naming June as Dairy Month and July as Ice Cream Month in Wayne County.

The message they shared is to appreciate the dietary value of milk and its products, and the local dairy industry, which like it is statewide, has been declining in number of dairy farms.

Although this year the Dairy Court had no applicants to select for Wayne County Dairy Princess, there are several upcoming possibilities with the younger girls serving as Dairy Maid or Lil Dairy Miss. On June 27, donned in their dresses and sashes, they sat before the commissioners, leading them in a “milk toast” and hearing the proclamation read.

Following the meeting, they reconvened on the lawn with the county officials on one side, and the Dairy Court on the other, competing to make the fastest sundae. Despite Chairperson Brian Smith's friendly taunt that they would win easily, the girls won the day. They then proceeded to make as many sundaes as possible for the growing crowd eager for the free and tasty treat.

Tiffany Tyler leads the Wayne County Dairy Princess Promotion this year. Also representing the Dairy Court were Dairy Maid Zoey Tyler, and the following who share the title of Lil Dairy Miss: Alice O'Hora, Truly Zablocky, Chloe Tyler, Teresa Tyler and Everly Zablocky. Two other members were unable to attend.

"One of the best things that this program provides is education for the public. You go around and speak to people about the need for dairy products, the value of dairy products, and what it brings into the community as far as economic development," Smith said. Smith, who is a long-time Damascus Township farmer and advocate for agriculture, continued, "The importance of being able to feed our own people from our own soil is what gives us national security."

Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer stressed that what these girls are doing is especially important, noting that dairy is a big part of our history and county.

"Farming is an occupation that gives people a work ethic," Smith added. "Nobody asks for a day off when you're on the farm. It's 24/7, 365. And when children grow up on the farm and you recognize when you get up in the morning, do your chores, work hard all day, and that's every day, that sets people up for success in their life... You are our future, and that work ethic that came along with agriculture and farming I think is still needed today."

The proclamation notes that milk was named as Pennsylvania's official beverage on April 29, 1982, by the General Assembly.

In part, the proclamation reads, "...Agriculture is Pennsylvania's leading economic driver, and the dairy industry is its largest component and a leader in production of ice cream, butter and Swiss cheese- ranking eighth in the United States, with 4,940 dairy farms, second only in the nation to Wisconsin, who manage 468,000 cows that produce more than 10 billion pounds of milk annually, all while using advanced technology for maximum efficiency and demonstrating dedication to animal care, environmental stewardship, and quality dairy products..."

It also states that every cow in the state yields $24,000 in economic revenue. At least one job in the dairy food supply chain is supported by every 10 cows.

"...Whether you're serving cheese at a family graduation party or wedding or enjoying a cold ice cream on a hot summer evening, you are supporting our country's dairy farmers while getting many nutritional benefits," the proclamation states. Some of those benefits cited include providing protein, repairing muscles and with active cultures, helping to maintain the digestive system.

43 dairies, 2,179 dairy cows

Data released in 2022 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) compare the number of dairies, dairy cows and amount of milk sales, county by county and for Pennsylvania. This is compared with the prior report in 2017, shown below in parentheses. Among Wayne's hills and dales, there were almost 43% less dairies in 2022 than five years earlier, and 46% fewer dairy cows.

Wayne County in 2022 listed 43 dairy farms (down from 75), 2,179 dairy cows (4,000), 33 dairies selling milk (60) and $8,986,000 of milk sold ($13,895,000).

Across Pennsylvania in 2022, there were 4,027 dairy farms (6,914), 455,851 dairy cows (527,617), 3,324 dairies selling milk (6,092) and $2,484,319,000 of milk sold ($1,979,762,000).

There are many more Wayne County farms counting all cattle and calves, including beef, and in the dollar amount sold. The USDA reports that in 2022, there were 214 farms (398), 9,130 cattle and calves (13,956), 170 farms selling livestock (218) and $3,407,000 of cattle and calves sold ($2,894,000).

See nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/ for the full USDA report.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne County commissioners hail contributions of dairy industry as numbers decline