Every four years, Leap Year grants us an extra day to enjoy.   This gift of extra time to enjoy family, friends and fun activities is precious, so why wait around another four years before adding more time to your life. By incorporating some simple, healthy habits into your daily routine, you can not only add extra days to your life but also increase the quality of that time.

Treat yourself to some extra living by following these four simple strategies that can help you live longer and feel better.

1. Eat breakfast – Whether you’re heading to school, the boardroom, or staying home, breakfast is an important way to give you the energy you need. Consistently eating a healthy breakfast has been linked to improved concentration and performance, lower cholesterol, decreased weight and increased energy levels.

Plan breakfast around at least three of the five food groups, especially low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, fruits and whole grains.  Including three food groups – for example, a yogurt, orange, and whole-wheat toast – offers the right nutrition for energy that will last until lunch.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.  Grab ‘n’ go breakfasts for those rushed mornings might include portable items like yogurt, granola bars, fruit and single-serve milk in a plastic, re-sealable container.

2. Keep your heart healthy – Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S.?  Eating the right foods can help decrease your risk for heart disease now and extend your life longer into the future.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease.  Experts suggest following a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan to help control your risk of hypertension.  The DASH eating plan is a low-fat eating plan rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium and includes two to three servings of dairy foods and eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  For more information, visit the “Heart Health” section at www.NationalDairyCouncil.org.

3. Get out and play – Research shows many important benefits of physical activity including decreased medication dependence, decreased weight and increased bone health and quality of life. Try to achieve 30-60 minutes of physical activity at least five days each week.  That may seem like a lot, but remember, it doesn’t have to happen all at once.  Take a ten minute walk during your lunch break, always park the car in the furthest parking spot or take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Encourage the entire family to get more active by making small changes together that will add up to a big difference.

4. Focus on the food groups – Choosing nutrient-rich foods from each of the five food groups is a good way to guide your daily eating choices.  Each food group – dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and protein – provides nutrients that are important for healthy living.  For example, dairy products provide a unique combination of nine essential nutrients that play a crucial role in helping to promote bone health, healthy blood pressure and a healthy weight.  Because of these benefits, experts recommend eating at least three servings of dairy foods each day.  Visit www.myplate.gov to learn about each food group, how much you should be eating and practical tips to help you incorporate more of these super foods into your life.

Make the extra days in your life count with better health.  For more information about healthy habits and the health benefits of different foods, visit www.NewEnglandDairyCouncil.org.

Tamma Duffy, dairy farmer from Great Brook State Park in Carlisle, MA, led a group of Harvard students on a tour of her farm for an up close and personal look at where dairy products come from. For many, this was their first experience on a dairy farm and it was definitely a memorable trip. Baby calves and a new robotic milker were the highlights of the tour but all along the way Tamma explained about life on a dairy farm and addressed their questions.

Here are a few of the many questions (and answers) we talked about on the farm.

How many stomachs do cows have? A cow has one stomach with four different chambers, which is why many people say that a cow has four stomachs.

What do farms do with the manure? Dairy cow manure is always put to good use. Like many farms, the Duffy’s compost their manure and sell it to local garden stores.

Are their antibiotics in milk? No. All milk – both regular and organic – is tested for antibiotics. Any tanker that tests positive is disposed of immediately and never makes it to the store shelves.

What do you call male and female dairy animals? Males are called bulls. Females, prior to giving birth, are called heifers. Once they give birth, female dairy animals are called cows.

Students from Harvard University at Great Brook State Park in Carlisle, MA

This Harvard student happily poses with a few of the many cows at Great Brook State Park

We want to know how you fondue! Share your fondue recipe or tell us about your recent fondue party in the comment section below!

Cheddar Fondue

Ingredients:

2/3 cup low-fat milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

1 dried bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 pinch grated nutmeg

1 cup grated Cabot 50% Light Cheddar cheese

2 cups raw broccoli florets

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into spears

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1 pound small new potatoes, cooked

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk and cornstarch until cornstarch is completely dissolved (tilt pan to check for any remaining lumps). Add garlic, bay leaf, mustard and nutmeg. Place pan over medium-low heat. Whisking constantly, bring mixture to simmer; continue whisking for 1 minute.

Add cheese and whisk just until cheese is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and transfer mixture to a fondue pot or place the saucepan on a warming tray. Serve surrounded with vegetables, torn bread, tortilla chips or sliced apples for dunking.

Recipe & Image from www.nationaldairycouncil.org

Did you know that many New England dairy farms produce and sell compost for you to use in your garden? Farms, such as Barstow’s Longview Farm in Hadley, MA, sell what many gardeners call “black gold”. It is referred to as “black gold” because compost is rich in nutrients and helps plants grow healthier by improving the fertility of the soil. Many chemical fertilizers can be extremely harsh on plants, leaving them burnt and the soil less fertile, but compost decontaminates and boosts the health of the soil.

Below are a few gardening tips, from Better Homes and Garden, for you to keep in mind when heading out to plant.

Also, if you have a great gardening tip and want to share it with the rest of us, feel free to post it in the comment section below!

- If you are in the northernmost region and at a higher elevation, April is still a good time to plant cool-season greens such as radishes, peas and lettuce.

- When growing roses, be sure to add a spade full of compost to the surrounding soil every month.

Source: www.bhg.com

A typical day at Smith’s Country Cheese:

4am – The dairy cows are milked. Smith’s Country Cheese is home to 200 dairy cows.

8am – Milk is brought to the cheese plant and heated slowly to 99 degrees.

9:30am – Starter culture and rennet are added. Starter culture gives the cheese its flavor and character and the rennet helps turn the liquid milk into solid curds.

11am – After the cheese curds are formed, they are cut and cooked.

12:30pm – Whey is drained off and brought back to the cows for them to drink.

1:30pm — The curds are cut into blocks, placed into a round form and stacked into a press.

4pm – Each cheese wheel soaks over night in a brine tank, which is a salt water bath that adds flavor and helps preserve the cheese.

The next morning the cheese is placed on a shelf in the aging room where it will be turned every other day for three weeks. After the three weeks is up, the cheese is then waxed and placed back on the shelf where it will remain for 60 days before it can be packaged, labeled and sold.

The process definitely isn’t quick or easy but the reward of quality, hand-crafted Gouda, Cheddar and Havarti cheese from Smith’s Country Cheese store is certainly worth the wait.

Think you are ready to be a cheese maker? What kind of cheese would you make?

Students pose by the waxed Gouda in the aging room.

The students taste the delicious cheese after experiencing the cheese making process.

Here is just a sneak peek at how the day went, but be sure to check back for a full report! You won’t want to miss it!

BU students standing with Smith’s Country Cheese owner, Dave Smith (bottom right).

Here, the BU students are standing in front of the maternity barn, which houses the farm’s pregnant cows.

The students watch on as the cheesemaker, Ashley, goes through the process of making Gouda.

Some of the students posing in front of shelves full of Gouda cheese, which needs to age at least 60 days before it is ready to be sold.

Owner, Dave Smith, tells the students about the different varieties of Gouda and Cheddar he has available before they begin to sample them.

By pledging your support in $1 or $5 increments at the register we were able to raise $22,000 in just one month! BUT, when you combine that with the dollars our brand partners kicked in out of the goodness of their hearts, our grand total for the 2011 Keep Local Farms/Hannaford promotion comes out to an amazing $46,000!

Not only did this promotion raise some cold hard cash and boost support for local dairy products, but it also brought our program to more folks in the Northeast. Hannaford tells us they have received a record amount of comments and questions from interested shoppers about the Keep Local Farms program. Of course, educating people about the value of local dairy farms is an important part of what we do, so we welcome any and all questions! If you have any questions or comments on our program do not hesitate to post it in the comment section or email it to contact@keeplocalfarms.org.

THANK YOU to Hannaford and to all of those who participated and made the 2011 promotion a huge success!

It is because of our program partners and consumers like you that allow KLF to remain strong in our efforts to support local dairy farms throughout New England. For a complete list of our program partners please visit the “Program Partner” section of our website and if your company or school would like to join our many partners email us at contact@keeplocalfarms.org.

We love to hear from all of our supporters, so in the comment section below, tell us how you show your support for KLF and local dairy farms!

In addition to the $40,000 contribution, Co-op Food Stores has also helped increase consumer awareness about Keep Local Farms through various online promotions and in-store events. Together Keep Local Farms and Co-op Food Stores can continue to educate consumers about the value of local dairy farms, raise funds to support dairy farms throughout New England and drive dairy sales.

Keep Local Farms is grateful for all the support we receive from companies like Co-op Food Stores and consumers like you. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to help local dairy farms stay strong and active for future generations!

If you have a favorite food or dessert to eat during the baseball season make sure to share it with us in the comments section below!

MVP Pudding with Milk

Ingredients:

• 4 cups 1% low-fat milk

• 2 packages (4 serving size) vanilla regular pudding

• 1 cup of 1-inch low-fat brownie pieces (using fat free or low-fat brownie mix)

• 2 cups sliced strawberries

• 1 cup blueberries

Preparation:

Add milk to pudding mix and prepare according to directions on box (instant pudding may be substituted). Place half of the brownie pieces on the bottom of a medium glass bowl and layer with half of the vanilla pudding, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries. Repeat layers with remainder of ingredients. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Note: If fresh berries are unavailable, you can substitute frozen berries, thawed.

Recipe & Image: www.nationaldairycouncil.org