On the Plate: Alberta Milk

June is Dairy Month, and here in Alberta, we can help but love our local dairy producers and products!  Producing the highest quality milk, cheeses, yogurts, and more, Alberta dairy farmers are the backbone of ensuring quality dairy products on your table. 

Alberta currently represents about 8% of all Canadian dairy cows, and only 5% of Canada's dairy farms, yet they produce closer to 9% of Canadian milk (8.2 million litres in 2019).  While there has been a decline in the number of Alberta farms over the last 20 years, the average herd size has been growing, with dairy cows being consolidated into larger operations.

Canadian dairy farmers make a living from the land and are therefore naturally committed to sustainability and the environment, from the land and animals they tend to, to the water and air we all share.  Included in their commitment to protecting the environment, they have four pillars of sustainability: net-zero emissions by 2050, renewable energy sources like biodigesters (they convert methane in manure into reuseable energy), embracing improved technology, and working with partners in sustainability like Tree Canada and Ducks Unlimited.  You can learn more about dairy farmers and the environment here.

So for the month of June, let's celebrate the incredible dairy farmers and dairy processors who work tirelessly to make sure their cattle, land, and community are taken care of.  Need some ideas of how to celebrate them?

• Learn more about Dairy farming either online or by visiting a dairy farm near you 
• Try a new recipe using your favourite dairy products (see Twisted Fork's cheesecake below!)
• Grab some ice cream from great spots like the Historic Markerville Creamery, Big Moo (Sylvan Lake), or the Little Red Ice Cream Wagon (Vegreville)
• Follow Hanna Says Moo on social media!
• Check out these Breakfast on the Dairy Farm events

Dairy & Milk FAQs

Q: Why is milk white?
A: While milk is primarily composed of water (approx 87%), which is a colourless liquid; there are other components of milk (fat, protein, lactose, minerals and vitamins) that influence the colour of milk. The fat and protein molecules in the milk reflect light at a wavelength that makes the liquid appear white.  If we were to remove some of the fat from the milk (like in skim milk), it would give the milk a different colour because of the wavelengths the light is reflecting back to our eyes. That is why skim milk has a bluish tinge.

Q: What happens to milk after it leaves the farm?
A: Milk is transported from the farm to the processor in special stainless steel insulated tankers (big trucks).  The person who operates the truck is the first check to making sure the milk is of the highest standard before they pick it up. They have to be a certified milk grader and will not pick up milk that doesn’t meet our high standards. Once they give the milk the thumbs up, they go into the barn and secure a hose to the tank where the milk is kept and pump it into the truck. All milk in Alberta is pooled. That means one truck will have a few farms worth of milk!

When the truck is full, the grader delivers the raw milk to the closest processing plant, then the milk continues on to your local grocery store. Did you know this all happens in about a week? Then, 2 days later, the truck starts his route over again.

Q: How do I know if my milk or milk products are from Alberta?
A: Alberta Milk represents Alberta’s dairy farmers, not our processing sector. So unfortunately, there isn’t an Alberta-only product list we can provide you as we do not manage processing of milk. 

1. The most effective way is to contact the individual processor regarding the details about each of their products. Please remember that companies like Saputo may have their headquarters in Quebec (or another province), but they have local processing plants in Alberta in which use Alberta milk. You can find a list of processors here.
2. Each dairy product has a processing identification number. If you look up the number, it will tell you where that product was processed.
3. Review Alberta Agriculture’s Processing Directory.

Q: Are there artificial growth hormones in milk?
A: No. The administration of artificial growth hormones, such as bovine somatotropin (bST), to dairy cows is not permitted in Canada.

Q: Why are dairy cows so skinny?
A: Cattle come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are bred for different traits.  Beef animals are stockier and thicker because they are primarily used for meat and dairy animals are used to produce milk. Although beef cattle also produce milk, they don’t produce it on the same scale as dairy cattle. Dairy cows focus their calories into milk production, whereas beef cattle convert their calories more into muscle, so what they look like is really dependent on what their job is, how they are bred as well as their genetic make up. (It’s like expecting a pug and a greyhound to be equal because they are both dogs.)

Q: What are the pasteurization standards in Alberta?
A: Pasteurization is the process of heating milk up to destroy harmful bacteria. In Alberta, these standards for milk are set by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry through the Dairy Industry Regulation. This document sets the rules and foundation for the dairy industry in Alberta. Learn more about raw milk and why it could pose concerns to your health. There are different types of pasteurization depending on the different products.

Q: How are Alberta dairy cows treated?
A: Under proAction, all farms are undergoing an animal welfare assessment program, based on the requirements in the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle. This assessment demonstrates that dairy farmers meet high standards. As suggested above, the Code of Practice was published in 2009, under the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), with extensive industry and stakeholder input. It reflects current and leading dairy management practices.

For more FAQs: Alberta Milk

Alberta restaurants rank among the top for Canada's 100 Best

Canada's 100 Best released their list of top restaurants across the country, and Alberta was right in the mix, representing 11 of the 100Best list, and 5 of the top 20 Best New Restaurants (including Calgary's Major Tom, which took home the title of Canada's Best New Restaurant).  Keep an eye on the participating establishments for Alberta on the Plate - three of these restaurants will be joining this year's Dine Around program!

Top Alberta restaurant honours went to River Café, coming in at #10 on the overall list, with Major Tom ranking at #12, D.O.P. at #18, and #22 Shokunin rounding out the top 25 performers.
 

Canada's 100 Best - Alberta restaurants
10.    River Café
12.    Major Tom
18.    D.O.P.
22.    Shokunin
36.    Eight
63.    Nupo
72.    Ten Foot Henry
82.    Lulu Bar
86.    Jinbar
87.    Orchard
98.    Foreign Concept

Canada's Best New Restaurants (20) - Alberta restaurants
1. Major Tom
7. Eight
10. Nupo
17. Jinbar
18. Orchard

As their first post-pandemic list, Canada's 100 Best changed a few of their rules, to broaden the class of restaurants they recognize, as well as to assess restaurant quality based on takeout.  Additionally, as there was no 2021 list, this year's class included restaurants that opened over the last two calendar years instead of just one.
Learn more...

Bits 'N Bites

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT:
Whitehorn Bistro (Lake Louise)

MEET A CHEF: Colin Metcalfe
(Eighty-Eight Brewing, Calgary)

MEET A DAIRY FARMER: Henk & Karen Pierik
(Pleasant Hill Farms)

FEATURED PARTNER: Alberta Milk