I have good news.
I have bad news.
The good news is that we still haven’t heard anything, to my knowledge, about cows being able to get sick with COVID-19.
The bad news is that dairy demand has dropped.
This piece in the Chicago Tribune spells out the problem in my home state of Illinois: Without restaurants and coffeeshops open and using fresh-from-farm milk for their lattes, homemade ice creams, and other milk-centric offerings, prices are down for small farms around the country, and with schools and borders closed, larger producers are suffering as well. It’s a trying time for the industry.
Which is where we come in.
We, the dairy drinkers of the world, have a job to do. We must increase our milk consumption, not only to stem the economic effects of the pandemic on America’s farmers, but to show solidarity with the cows, with the farmers, and with one another. We must band together, look towards the horizon, and drink that second glass with breakfast. We must stand tall, brace ourselves in the face of recession, and add that bowl of ice cream to our afternoon lull. We must dig deep, lean on one another for strength, and go to bed with bellies full of cheese.
Of course, there are some of us within the greater milk community who cannot consume dairy, or who can, but risk gastrointestinal consequences by doing so (or worse!). For those, as always, plant milk is not only a viable substitute, but a valuable one in this movement. After all, milk isn’t the only agricultural product reeling in the face of lowered demand right now. Plants need bellies too. And in many cases, plants are grown on the same farms, or at least in the same counties, as the calves who become cows who produce the beverage that tops all beverages. Plant-milk lovers, there is a place for you in this barn, and history will look kindly upon your contributions.
But how, some might ask, can we show our support more visibly to the greater dairy community during this time of isolation?
This is where social media comes in.
When you drink your milk, or eat your cheese, or savor your ice cream, or even bulk up on your whey, post #ForTheCows on the social media platform of your choice. You can include a picture. You can include a video. You can just post the text. Whatever feels right to you. It’s a small thing, and it might feel inconsequential, but it’s meaningful. The cows need to know we love them. They need that now more than ever.
So, drink your milk. Do it for yourself. Do it for the farmers. Do it so future kids in a future, pandemic-less world will get to eat their first ice cream cone, and gleefully blow bubbles in their chocolate milk at the local diner.
But even more than that, do it for the real heroes.
Do it #ForTheCows.
EDIT: We’ve been asked what milk-consumers should do if they’re not on social media but still want to show their support. Texts, emails, yard signs, and simply saying “For The Cows” out loud are all not only acceptable, but encouraged. Thanks for doing your part.
