E. Idaho fair to highlight state dairy competitions
By Desirai Schild, Ag Weekly correspondent
Monday, August 25, 2008 3:54 PM CDT
BLACKFOOT, Idaho - The 2008 Eastern Idaho State Fair’s got milk, and the cows and people responsible for it.
“We’re making a special effort this year to inform everyone of the benefits of dairy, both for their health and the state’s economy,” said Heath Young, Blackfoot, EISF dairy superintendent.
He is in charge of both the colored dairy cattle judging on Labor Day and the Idaho State Holstein Judging Competition Sept. 6.
“People might be surprised to know that dairy is the number one agricultural product in Idaho,” Young said. “We passed potatoes a few years ago.”
Idaho also is the fourth-largest dairy producer in the United States.
“We are just a tiny bit behind New York,” Young said. “We’ll pass them before too long and become the third-largest producer.”
The dairy industry in Idaho has grown in the past few years because dairymen from states like California and Texas have moved their operations to Idaho. That’s because the cost of living and land prices are so much more reasonable and because quality feed is readily available, Young said.
The state is divided into three regions. Treasure Valley and Northern Idaho has 109,511 cows and produces 2.461 billion pounds of milk annually. The Magic Valley area has 366,543 cows and produces 8,237 billion pounds of milk per year. The Eastern Idaho Area has 35,604 cows and produces 800 million pounds of milk per year.
The colored dairy cattle show is on Labor Day. About 100 cows are expected from all around the state. The state Holstein show on Sept. 6 will attract 200 exhibitors from Utah and Wyoming as well as Idaho.
“We also get people here, from places like Wisconsin, who are looking to buy a local champion and ship it back east for national competition,” Young said. “The show is very prestigious because it is a state championship. Cattle from other states can win certain titles, but only Idaho cows can win the Idaho State Championship.”
Doris Wallace, Eastern Idaho State Fair manager, is delighted to have the annual dairy show at her fair.
“The dairymen do so much to bring attention to Idaho’s dairy industry-- a huge part of the state’s agriculture,” she said. “I’m not sure a lot of children know where milk and other dairy products really come from. I know they are astounded when they stand next to a dairy cow. You see them in the field, but you don’t realize how large they are until you are right there.”
The Idaho Dairymen’s Association will provide 5,000 bottles of chocolate milk and an undetermined amount of string cheese packets for the Sept. 6 show. They will be distributed throughout the day at the dairy barn inside the livestock pavilion.
“It’s first come, first served,” Young said. “We want everyone to experience the good taste of dairy. We’ll be offering information on the nutritional value of dairy products, too.”
He said the dairy industry got a big boost when Kristen Armstrong, Olympic gold medalist, recently returned to her Boise home from Beijing.
“She said she’d had osteoporosis and started drinking chocolate milk to help with that,” Young said. “Chocolate milk is her drink of choice for rehydrating because it has good carbs, lots of protein, great taste and it’s good for her bones. She said lots of athletes are switching from sports drinks to milk because of the great taste and added health benefits. We want everyone to give it a try.”
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