I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream! July is the month to do just that.
National Ice Cream Month was championed by the American Dairy Association. Two joint resolutions, one in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate, asked President Reagan to proclaim July as National Ice Cream month and July 15 as National Ice Cream Day.
Subsequently, bills were introduced in the 98th congress and cosponsored by 62 Democrats and Republicans. The bills were passed by the House and the Senate in voice votes, so there is no record of the votes. No one wants to vote against ice cream! Reagan signed a presidential proclamation on July 9, 1984, citing that ice cream was an important food to the American people and that the sweet frozen treat should be celebrated in July. So, July became National Ice Cream Month and July 15th became Ice Cream Day.
On the back of this incredibly official declaration, the Ice Cream companies began publicizing the month and day, encouraging people to go out and enjoy this cold delight as often as possible. With hundreds of flavors of Ice Cream to sample and savor, the hot summer months are perfect for indulging in this fantastic dairy delight.
We seem to have taken that urging to heart. In the U.S. we consume enough ice cream to equal 48 pints per person each year! At any given time, 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer. Nine percent of U.S. milk production goes toward making ice cream.
Ice Cream was first said to be created long ago before the idea of a refrigerator ever came to pass. That so-called "Ice Cream" was incredibly rudimentary, being a mixture of snow, honey, and fruit, but it was still the beginning of a great tradition.
Ice Cream as we know it was originally a treat meant for the wealthiest of humans, but now we can all enjoy it any day of the year! National Ice Cream Month encourages us to be particularly indulgent during the month of July!
Check out the flavor of the week at Deere Valley Farms.