What do you imagine members of the House and Senate are doing on a rainy workday afternoon? Is it participating in a milk chugging competition? Well, that’s exactly what took place this Tuesday as a part of Livestock Lobby Day.
The contest, held right outside of the Legislative Building, included two teams composed of four members from the House and three from the Senate, plus a last minute replacement.
The House’s team included Representatives Mary Belk, Allison Dahle, Jeffrey McNeely, and Ben Moss. The Senate’s team was composed of Senators Danny Britt and Ralph Hise, along with Reid Smith, a dairy farmer who stepped in, and Lauren Horsch, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications at North Carolina General Assembly.
Milk was provided by Maola Local Dairies, which has farms in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The race was a relay – one person had to finish chugging their 12-ounce bottle of milk before their teammate could start their turn. The first team to finish all four bottles wins.
Right off the bat, team Senate took the lead, Sen. Danny Britt giving his team a considerable advantage. From there, the House tried to catch up but to no avail.
In the end, the Senate took the crown, earning bragging rights for the first time since 2019, the last time Livestock Lobby Day was held before the pandemic stopped events like this.
“The house tried to do a major comeback and came up short a few drops; but no one’s crying over it (the spilt milk),” Rep. Jeffrey McNeely, member of the House team and co-organizer of the event said.
Immediately after the contest, team members and spectators were offered ice cream to enjoy, provided by Representatives McNeely, Vickie Sawyer, Grey Mills and Mitchell Stetzer, who all represent Iredell County, the state’s leading dairy county.
The milk chugging competition was only a part of a full day event. The NC Pork Council, the NC Cattlemen’s Association, and the NC Dairy Producers Association work together to put Livestock Lobby Day together and provide good food for legislators to snack on.
The groups set up on Halifax Mall under tents and spend the day promoting their industries. Jen Kendrick, Communications and Outreach Director with the North Carolina Pork Council, saying “It’s just an opportunity for us to talk with legislators and remind them that were here and what we do – to not only provide delicious protein, but also 44,000 jobs and $11 billion in economic impact to our state.”
This event gives these agricultural groups an opportunity to communicate with legislators and promote their fields. After all, livestock, dairy and poultry are responsible for 69.5% of North Carolina’s farm cash receipts. Having these conversations not only informs, but also places importance on the industry.
The day started with sausage biscuits and milk for breakfast, bacon cheeseburger sliders for lunch, and ended with the contest and a sweet treat afterwards. The groups were excited to get the chance to talk to these legislators and staffers throughout the day. Even though rain did put a damper on the traffic on Halifax Mall, the groups made the best of it.
When you add a full day of good eats to seeing legislators chug bottles of milk, there are sure to be good conversations and laughs. The annual milk chugging contest is always fun to see and we cannot wait for next year to see if the Senate can keep up their winning reputation!