Mississippi celebrates National Ag Day with cow-milking contest
JACKSON — Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce celebrated National Ag Day Tuesday with a focus on dairy that featured cow-milking competitions and Genuine Mississippi milk and ice cream from Beason Family Farm of Neshoba County, officials said. Gov. Tate Reeves issued a proclamation declaring the day “Agriculture Day” in Mississippi.
The event outside Galloway United Methodist Church, across from the State Capitol, drew farmers, legislators and local media. State Reps. Shanda Yates and Kent McCarty and state Sens. Kamesha Mumford and Jeremy England joined media personalities in the timed milking contests, officials said.
Jersey dairy cows provided by Beason Family Farm were used for back-to-back competitions. Gipson awarded first-place trophies to Sen. Jeremy England and meteorologist Austin Powell for collecting the most milk within two minutes; children from the Galloway Children’s Center encouraged contestants, officials said.
Gipson urged Mississippians to thank local farmers and highlighted the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines, MDAC’s Make Mississippi Healthy Again initiative and the Genuine MS program. He also thanked legislators for passing House Bill 1153, which prohibits the sale, offer for sale and manufacture of cell-cultured dairy products derived from animal cells outside a live animal, and said the state is promoting “real food for real people,” officials said.
Agriculture is Mississippi’s largest industry, producing $9.5 billion in agricultural commodities last year, employing 11.4 percent of the state’s workforce and contributing to more than 14 percent of the state’s economic activity, MDAC said. National Ag Day, established in 1973 by the Agriculture Council of America, encourages Americans to understand how food and fiber products are produced; to appreciate agriculture’s role in a strong economy; and to consider careers in the industry. To learn more, visit www.agday.org.
