Maryland State Drink
Milk
Adopted in 1998
In 1998, milk was designated the State drink of Maryland (Chapter 220, Acts of 1998).Found primarily in Frederick and Washington counties, most Maryland milk cows are Holsteins and can be recognized by their large black and white spots. In 2009, Maryland had some 55,000 milk cows throughout the State.
Daily, a single cow can produce up to 8 gallons of milk, consume about 80 pounds of feed, and drink 30 to 40 gallons of water. Milked twice a day, Maryland cows produced 997 million pounds of milk in 2009. Of this, Frederick County led production with 270,000 pounds.
Did you know that: Milk has been proclaimed the official state beverage or drink in each of the following states:
State Symbol: Milk
Arkansas | Delaware |
Louisiana | Minnesota | Mississippi
| Nebraska
New York | North Carolina |
North Dakota | Oregon | Oklahoma
| Pennsylvania | South Carolina |
South Dakota | Vermont | Virginia
| Wisconsin
Maryland State Drink: Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many diseases in the baby. It also contains many other nutrients.
Daily, a single cow can produce up to 8 gallons of milk, consume about 80 pounds of feed, and drink 30 to 40 gallons of water. Milked twice a day,
Maryland cows produced 1.365 billion pounds of milk in 1999.
Where milk comes from and how it's made.
Ever wonder where delicious milk comes from? It all starts with healthy, well-fed cows that live on farms all around America the beautiful.
Pertinent Facts
- All cows are females (males are called bulls).
- A cow can't give milk until she's given birth to a calf.
- Cows provide 90% of the world's milk supply.
- A cow's udder can hold 25-50 pounds of milk at a time - no wonder she's so eager to be milked - and a cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
Can You Say, "I'm Full?"
Cows are BIG eaters. Did you know that cows have four stomachs and eat 90 pounds of food a day? That's probably more than you weigh! A cow that chows
on only grass can make 50 glasses of milk a day. But one that eats grass, corn and hay can make 100 glasses of milk a day!
Milk has a long and rich history. For example, did you know?
- Sanskrit records mentioned milk 6,000 years ago.
- The Bible describes the Promised Land as Aa land flowing with milk and honey."
- The Greek physician Hippocrates recommended milk as a medicine some 2,300 years ago.
- Christopher Columbus brought cattle to the New World on his second voyage.
- It has been said that one reason for the high death rate among those who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower was that they had no fresh milk to drink.
- Cows were brought from Europe to the Jamestown colony in 1611 and to the Plymouth colony in 1624.
- Cheese was an important item in the diet of the Vikings, who from about the 8th to the 10th century sailed the seas on long voyages.
- Cheese was an article of commerce in ancient Rome. Monks developed the art of cheese making in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Maryland Law
The law designating the milk as the official Maryland state drink is found in the Maryland Statutes, Title 13, Section 13-315.STATE
GOVERNMENT
§ 13-315 - Drink
Universal Citation: MD State Govt Code § 13-315 (2013)
§13-315.
Milk is the State drink.
List Official US State Foods
