Here's a great article about Michigan dairy (with tasty recipes) by Carolyn Kelly, Associate Editor of the Great Lakes Bulletin News Service and Taste the Local Difference.

The Goat by Ralph Krawczyk Jr

I am the proud owner of one-seventh of a goat. "My" goat, Betty, lives on the May farm, where she bosses the other goats around and produces wonderful milk and yogurt for her "share holders."

Fortunately, you don't need to own a goat (or even a fraction of a goat) to enjoy wonderful milk, yogurt, and cheeses made right here in Michigan.

Did You Know?

• Many people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate goat's milk and sheep's milk.
• Raw goat's milk is loaded with enzymes that help the body metabolize calcium.
• When Tennessee fainting goats get frightened or excited, their muscles become so stiff that they fall over!
• It takes about 350 "squirts" from a cow to make one gallon of milk.

Find It!

Twelve Northwest Michigan farms and markets proudly offer local dairy products. To find a farm, visit localdifference.org, click on "search now" in the "find a farm box," then click "dairy" and the county you're interested in for a list of farms near you.

Try It!

Banana Bread and Butter Pudding by dopiaza
Includes a great recipe!

Michigan Bread Pudding

1 loaf of day-old bread, sliced (try local breads from Stonehouse or Pleasanton)
2 apples, cut into small pieces (apples are still in season here!)
1 cup of dried Michigan cherries
1 cup walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds
1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2-3 eggs
2-3 cups of milk (goat's milk and cow's milk will both work)
3/4 cup honey (local honey is widely available—see localdifference.org for locations)

Put the bread, apples, cherries, and nuts in an ovenproof baking dish.
Mix the eggs, milk, spices, vanilla, and honey together. Pour over the bread mixture, adding more milk if needed to cover the bread. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the bread pudding is flecked with golden brown spots.

Spinach Goat Cheese Pie, from Pie Everyday

Crust:
11/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour, chilled
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
4-5 tablespoons ice water

Mix the flour and salt together. Put the butter and salt into the food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like small crumbs. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each tablespoon. If you don't have a food processor, use a knife and fork to cut the fat into the flour, then mix in the water by hand.

Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate while you make the filling.

When the filling is ready, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, and put it in a pie pan.

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large shallot, or half a red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large bunch fresh spinach (buy locally grown spinach—it's safe—or substitute swiss chard, turnip or mustard greens, or kale)
8 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, cheese
2 large eggs, beaten

Melt butter or heat oil in a big skillet. Sauté the shallots or onion, and the garlic, until the shallots are soft. Add the spinach or greens and cook just until the spinach/greens are wilted.

Put the vegetables into a medium bowl, then add the goat cheese, yogurt, parmesan cheese, and eggs.

Put the filling into the pie shell.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the filling "sets."

Greek Yogurt Dessert

Spoon plain yogurt into small bowls. Sprinkle pieces of walnuts on top. Drizzle with honey. Garnish with fresh mint if you like.

Have a favorite dairy recipe? Post a comment or a link below!

Michigan Dairy Links

There's apparently no statewide cheese web site, so how about an Absolute Michigan search for "cheese"? You'll also want to check out this list of Michigan state fair cheese winners!

The Michigan Department of Agriculture has a nice feature for kids about a Michigan girl's life (and work) on a dairy farm.
Michigan Milk Producers Association is the largest dairy cooperative in the state and serves over 2,400 dairy farmers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Michigan Dairy Goat Society offers all kinds of information for breeders, dairymen, hobbyists, and 4-H members.

MSU Extension Dairy Team has a lot of info for producers but also has information and links for consumers.

Raclette photo courtesy Leelanau Cheese.

Taste the Local Difference is part of the Michigan Land Use Institute's Entrepreneurial Agriculture Project, which aims to grow jobs, save farmland, and build healthier communities with food that's thousands of miles fresher. Find more than 200 farms and fishers who sell fresh foods on their farms, in farmers markets, and to restaurants and stores at www.LocalDifference.org. TLD lead sponsors are Traverse City State Bank, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indian, and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.