Where does milk come from?

You pour milk on your cereal every morning. But have you ever wondered where it comes from before it reaches your fridge? It starts with a gentle animal in a green field.

Milk made for a baby

Cows are mammals, just like you. A mammal mother makes milk in her body to feed her babies. A baby cow is called a calf, and at first it drinks only its mother’s milk to grow big and strong.

A cow makes lots of milk — much more than one calf needs. That extra milk is the milk we get to drink too.

From the farm to you

On a farm, a farmer gently collects the milk into clean buckets or machines. The cows don’t mind; it feels nice when their milk is taken, like a soft squeeze.

Then the milk is kept very cold so it stays fresh. A chilled truck drives it to a factory, where it is made safe to drink. Finally it travels, still cold, to the shop where your family buys it.

A drink full of good things

Milk has things your body loves, like calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. That is why milk is a great drink while you are growing.

Wonder fact: Goats, sheep, and even camels make milk too! People in different parts of the world drink all kinds of animal milk.