REAL® Seal

 

 

 

When I was in high school, I remember my mom sending me to the store to buy some whipped cream for a holiday dessert.  She said, "Be sure and buy some with the REAL® Seal.  Dad accidentally bought something that wasn't even a real dairy product."  The emphasis is mine.  Believe it or not, I asked my parents about this and neither of them remembered it.  I didn't expect them to - it could hardly be more trivial - but it stuck in my mind.  I must have known that someday I'd be blogging about it ...

 

I'd never noticed the REAL® Seal before.  This was new to me.  (I didn't do a lot of grocery shopping in high school.  Or college.  Or really, until I had three children depending on me to feed them.) 

 

Last year, National Milk Producers Federation took over management of the REAL® Seal program.  They wanted to revitalize the program because not only did sellers want to use it on their packaging, but they found 93% of consumers recognized it.  (I'd be part of the 93% post-high school, anyway!)

 

In October, Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, said, "Imitation products made from vegetables and nuts, but packaged like real dairy products and often using dairy names, have proliferated in the last few years.  For example, frozen desserts made out of soybeans are packaged the same as real ice cream made from cows’ milk, with pictures that make it look like real ice cream. The only way a consumer would know the product isn’t ice cream is by reading the ingredients label.”

 

In 2012, frozen pizza was, he said, "essentially" the only processed food that used the REAL® Seal.  

 

Now it's 2013.  There's a site, www.realseal.com, there's a campaign, and I notice a difference! 

 

I bought butter last week.  At Wal-Mart, the packaging has dramatically changed.  From plain white to pictures of cows and the REAL® Seal.  Kroger - huge friend to our co-op - added the REAL® Seal, too.  (I didn't buy butter from two grocery stores to take this picture.  I did it because I buy from both stores, I forgot I already bought some for my Christmas baking, and I don't churn my own, haha.)

 

See if you notice the REAL® Seal on your packaging.  Maybe it'll save you from having to make a second trip.

 

***

 

They're still bringing more clay for the lagoon.  Truckloads and truckloads.  My son loves watching them dump it.   

 

 

 

They finished the agitation ramp.  It's the ramp that the manure pump will roll down. 

 

 

 

 

Here it is with Kris to show the size:

 

 

 

All of this - a part of dairy farming you don't normally see. Real cows, real construction, real manure to store, agitate, pump, and fertilize with.  There's a lot that goes into that REAL® Seal. 

Pure Michigan Agricultural Tour

Today I went with the Michigan Ag Council as the dairy spokesperson (and blogger) for the first Pure Michigan Agriculture farm tour! 

It was so much fun.  The Ag Council invited bloggers and food writers to learn about Michigan farming and food production. 

First, we visited the Horning Farm in Manchester, MI.  They milk about 500 cows.  Earl Horning was able to answer their many questions - about organic, antibiotics (not in milk!), GMO, feed, raw milk, his favorite calves ... even what he would do with his cattle in the event of a tornado.  It's always so interesting to talk to people about farming and get their different perspectives.

Earl showing off his milking parlor

Letting the milker milk our fingers

We next went to the Michigan Dairy LLC in Livonia.  This is a milk processing and bottling plant owned by Kroger.  We went inside and I said, "It smells like milk in here."  Another blogger, Camille, laughed and said, "Who says that?"  But it did! 

I thought the plant was fascinating.  I love factory tours!  I've been to the milk plant in Ovid, but this one was different - mostly due to the bottling.  We got to see the bottles being made, being moved, being filled, and being moved out - all in two rooms.  We saw the lab, we checked out all the various machines to separate and pasteurize the milk, and we got to talk to really enthusiastic (and proud) employees.  The bloggers asked really good questions and liked the answers.  After hearing about the local milk, the safety principles in place, and the dairy farm practices, Lisa said, "This makes me really want to buy milk at Kroger!"  (Which I of course support because Kroger is a great MMPA customer!)

I also learned something I'd never even thought about - milk goes from the farm to the grocery shelf in about 40 hours.  Or shorter.  Occasionally it'll be longer if a farm does every other day pickup and the grocery store does every other day shelving.  But that's the exception.  MOSTLY, the milk you're buying just came from the farm.  The shipping, bottling, and shelving happens very quickly! 

We weren't allowed to take pictures in the plant, which is too bad, because we were wearing hairnets, helmets, glasses, boots, and coats.  Maybe one will turn up tomorrow!

We then went to Kroger to hear about their Pure Michigan campaign and to have lunch.  First, Dale walked us through the store and showed us the giant signs that featured Michigan farmers that sell their products to Kroger.  I asked if all Krogers had these signs and he told me yes.  I hadn't noticed them at my Kroger - and I even know some of the farmers on the signs! 

Then we came upon our beautiful milk-tasting table. 

Which called for a toast:

Then we walked to the dairy section and were surprised by ... our lunch spread! 

Three beautiful tables, covered with tablecloths, pretty place settings, tulips, and food, right among the shoppers!

Just a normal day in the dairy section

We were waited on and had a fabulous Michigan-made meal.  I'm a super picky eater, and I never expect to eat what's served at a dinner.  But I ate every bite.  (For those who know me personally, yes, this is the first time it's ever happened.)

Portobello mushroom covered in squashes and eggplant, ice cream with warm apples, chocolate milk ... delicious. 

 

Even our tulips had a 'From Michigan, For Michigan' sign 

Good looking and good tasting

And I never let my kids eat in the grocery store ...

Wonderful day, interesting people, fun environment - and a meal I didn't EVEN MAKE.  Hard to beat.

On the way home, I had to buy milk.  I went to my local Kroger.  I checked out the dairy section and - yes!  There were giant signs featuring Michigan farmers.  They've been there all along and I just hadn't noticed.  Learn something new every day, even in my own backyard ... or grocery aisle.   

***

Check out some of the other attendees' sites to get their take on the tour! 

 

Lauren Weber – Mrs. Weber’s Neighborhood

Camille Jamerson – The Super Family 13

Alysia George - Michigal

Regina Sober – The Crazy Nuts Mom

Lisa Nocera – Smart Food and Fit

Lisa Paparelli – Simple Food First

Kara Dykstra – Domestic Endeavors