Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

It’s July already.

It seems like the ice just came off of the lakes and many of us were looking forward to late May and June fishing, which are the best months for fishing.

Why is it the summer months always seem to move so quickly? Starbuck will be celebrating Heritage Days just after the Fourth of July and Waterama will be going on in Glenwood a few weeks later.  After that, school is only a few weeks away and the months we anticipate all winter long will be gone.

Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a June celebration that deserves some ink.  June is Dairy Month.  Although this newspaper and many of the newspapers I have worked have always acknowledged Dairy Month and our area dairy farmers, we fall short at times.  Maybe because there are fewer dairy farms in our area now.  Or maybe it’s because there are so many events that are celebrated with specific days, or weeks, or months.

Whatever the reason, I wanted to acknowledge Dairy Month.  I know a few dairy farmers in this area and although they would probably like to see this newspaper do more on dairy in June, they never complain to me about the lack of coverage.

So here’s a primer on Dairy Month.

National Dairy Month started out as National Milk Month in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It was initially created to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus, but has now developed into an annual tradition that celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world. After the National Dairy Council stepped in to promote the cause, the name soon changed to “Dairy Month.”

National Dairy Month starts the summer reminding all of us about with nutrient-rich dairy foods. According to the National Dairy Council, “from calcium to potassium, dairy products like milk contain nine essential nutrients which may help to better manage your weight, reduce your risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers. Whether it’s protein to help build and repair the muscle tissue of active bodies or vitamin A to help maintain healthy skin, dairy products are a natural nutrient powerhouse.”

Those are just a few of the reasons to celebrate dairy, not just in June, but all year long.

Thank you to all our area dairy farmers.

     

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With June in the history books, we find that it was the ninth wettest month for Minnesota on record.

Some counties reported record-setting rainfall, according to climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley. Faribault reported an average of 15.7 inches of rainfall for the month which is over twice the state average this year.

Because rainfall was so frequent, ground soil, especially in northeastern and southern counties, was drenched. That saturated dirt and surplus rain led to wide swaths of flooding across the state.

South Central Minnesota was very wet, with many streams  flooding and sending too much water to that area’s rivers.   

Here in Pope County, it has been wet, but we’ve escaped the high waters and flooding noted in other areas to the north and south of us.

Let’s hope it stays that way and we receive some timely, normal rainfall for crops and continue to move away from the summer droughts of the past few seasons.