Cow Appreciation Day — 14 Temmuz

The first Cow Appreciation Day was launched in 2004, in light of Chick-fil-A’s humorous “Eat Mor Chikin” marketing campaign, which began in 1995. The idea behind the campaign is that cows want people to eat more chicken instead of beef. While cows help produce extremely delicious byproducts, like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, we eat much more beef overall than those dairy options. Though beef can be extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, and good to eat in moderation, there’s an appreciation we should be giving to the animals themselves that we often overlook.

Humans have been drinking milk from cows for thousands of years. Modern dairy farming began in the early 1900s after pasteurization was developed. Today, up to 65% of people worldwide are unable to digest lactose, with that number around 90% in certain ethnic groups, including Native Americans, African Americans, and those of Hispanic origin. So why are we still drinking milk? To start, it’s delicious, and often a key ingredient in many recipes. However, recently milk alternatives have been gaining popularity and momentum for many adults worldwide. Leading health organizations still recognize the nutrition benefits of milk for young children, and recommend natural dairy milk over plant-based milk for adults only.

Lactose issues aside, cows have given us a lot to be grateful for in the past thousand of years and longer. The ASPCA states that many cows, and other farm animals alike, are treated inhumanely on factory farms. It doesn’t have to be this way. Small-scale family farms and homesteading farms are managed differently than “factory farms”, which have 500 cattle or more. Supporting these small-scale farms, which are likely owned by families instead of corporations, strengthens local economies, and ensures cows get the care and respect they deserve.