Raylee Baker named Lewis County 4-H June Dairy Month Chairman
June 3, 2021
Raylee Baker has been named the 2021 June Dairy Month Chairman for Lewis County.
Baker was honored May 21 at the Tennessee June Dairy Month Kickoff Event at Battle Mountain Farm in College Grove. The event included recognition from Celeste Blackburn, president of the American Dairy Association of Tennessee. The official kickoff celebration recognized Tennessee 4-H member's efforts to promote June's National Dairy Month in Tennessee.
Co-sponsored by The Dairy Alliance, 4-H and the Tennessee Farm Bureau, National Dairy Month activities are designed to communicate the value of milk and other dairy products to Tennessee consumers. Chairpersons play a vital role in spreading dairy's message in their communities.
"Becoming Lewis County's June Dairy Month Chairman allows me to teach and serve my community," Baker said. "The dairy industry provides the community with so many nutritional products that we use daily. I feel that often times, people forget about this, so I'm very excited to be able to advocate for dairy in upcoming months!"
Raylee, a sixth grader at Lewis County Intermediate School, is the daughter of Dwayne and Jennifer Baker. She is a member of the Girl Scouts and participates in softball. Raylee enjoys baking, and even delivers meals to the elderly. She is an active member of her 4-H chapter, focusing in livestock project areas and competing, where she has come in first for Speaking and Baking competitions at the local and county levels.
"We wish Raylee much success in her role of communicating the nutritional benefits of milk and dairy products to the people in Lewis County," said American Dairy Association of Tennessee president Celeste Blackburn. "Raylee will appreciate the cooperation of the people there. Her interest and enthusiasm will result in a better informed community from which all will benefit."
Originally deemed "National Milk Month" by American grocers in 1937, National Dairy Month began to promote dairy consumption during peak milk production in the summer. Today, it continues celebrating with the Southeast's communities and companies through festivals, contests and even a special night dedicated to dairy farmers at the ballpark.
In 2020, there were an estimated 30,000 Tennessee dairy cows living on 180 dairy farms producing 63 million gallons of milk. The top five milk producing Tennessee counties were: Loudon, Bradley, Monroe, McMinn and Bedford.
This year's theme, "Dairy Potter," encourages families to make milk their first beverage choice due to its unique package of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are an essential part of a healthy diet. With local media and farm bureaus, dairy farmers will be working alongside The Dairy Alliance to engage consumers through social media, radio contests, T-shirt giveaways, events and more.
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