Missouri State University’s dietetic interns had the opportunity to see how a dairy farm works up–close and personal.  The interns toured a farm this fall and as it turns out, they learned a lot. 

• Gone are the days of milking with a stool and bucket, at Scheer’s Farm, near Columbia, Missouri they boast that their cows milk themselves! This century-old farm installed robotic milkers three years ago for their 125 cows.
  
• A computer system monitors each cow’s health, when they last milked, the cows weight and a host of other factors that benefit the farmer.
• Cow’s milk provides essential nutrients, calcium and vitamin D, and several other nutrients to help build strong bones. 
• Dairy foods provide 70% of the calcium in the nation’s food supply; milk is the top source of potassium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D in the U.S. diet.