Although many might expect North Carolina’s official state drink to be sweet tea, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1987 that made milk the official state beverage. The legislature responded to a request by the North Carolina Milk Commission, a state regulatory agency that helped support milk prices. In contrast, several North Carolina “state” foods (sweet potato, blue and red berry) were proposed by elementary students, who wrote to the legislate with their request.
As of 2023, North Carolina ranked 28th in milk production among other states. North Carolina dairy farmers provided 107 million gallons, or 920.2 million pounds. There are about 38,000 dairy cows on about 120 farms (a decline from 2009, when the state had 45,000 cows). The top-producing counties in North Carolina are concentrated in the Piedmont and the western half of the state, with Iredell, Randolph, and Yadkin counties leading the way.
Along with being an excellent source of calcium, milk is also a great source of vitamins A & B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and protein.