If you are like most Americans, your refrigerator probably contains a wide assortment of dairy products, from the standard butter and milk to different kinds of yogurt and cheeses.

In celebration of all things dairy and the importance the foods play in living a healthy lifestyle, June is celebrated around the country as National Dairy Month.   

Illinois plays a large role in dairy production, with more than 900 dairy farms spread across the state. An average cow in Illinois produces an astonishing six gallons of milk a day – which adds up to more than 220 million gallons annually.

Looking for recipes, tips and techniques for cooking with dairy? Be sure and check out useful cooking information from the Food Network.

Learn more:
Dairy Production in Illinois
National Dairy Council

Ella Joyce, the actress and producer who played the hilarious mom on the popular comedy My Wife and Kids, was born in Chicago on June 12, 1954.

Most of Joyce’s career has been focused on theater work. She has performed in theaters around the country and has received many awards along the way, including the 2006 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Supporting Role in the play Crumbs from the Table of Joy. 

Joyce has appeared in Preacher’s Kid, Set it Off, Our Family Wedding, and episodes of Seinfeld and The Jamie Foxx show. To add to her talents, she has even authored a paperback book titled “Kink Phobia: Journey Through a Black Woman’s Hair.”

Learn more:
Ella Joyce – IMDb
Kink Phobia: Journey Through a Black Woman’s Hair

National Doughnut Day first started in the 1930s as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army’s social service programs.

Today, many doughnut shops across the country celebrate the day with deals and all-day specials.

Be sure and check out these favorites across Illinois:

• Glazed and Infused
  Named Best Doughnut in Chicago 2014 by Chicago Magazine
  Locations in Chicago and suburban Elmhurst and Western Springs
• Calumet Bakery
  “A Family Tradition Since 1935”
  Locations in Chicago and suburban Lansing
• Duke Bakery
  A Metro-East tradition
  Locations in Alton and Granite City
• Mel-O-Cream
  “80 Years of Delicious”
  Locations in Springfield
• Daylight Donuts
  “We Sweeten Your World”
  Located in Quincy

Learn more:
Where to get free doughnuts and rainbow sprinkle shots on Friday – Chicago Tribune

Southwestern Illinois brings the heat when it comes to production of horseradish.

Depending on conditions, farms in Madison and St. Clair counties grow between 60 percent and 80 percent of the horseradish in the world in a given year. This is attributed to the sandy, potassium-rich soils of the American Bottoms area near the Mississippi River. Commercial cultivation began there during the 1850s, and by the 1890s, the region dominated horseradish production.

Today, there are many farms and production facilities in the Collinsville area, which produces six million gallons of prepared horseradish annually. There’s even an International Horseradish Festival held on the first weekend in June every year in Collinsville that features root grinding demonstrations, a Bloody Mary contest, a Little Miss Horseradish pageant and much more.

Learn more:
The horseradish root has no odor until it is ground or grated. Here’s how you make prepared horseradish.
Horseradish is neither a horse nor a radish. It is related to mustard, wasabi and cabbage.

The influential singer/guitarist was born in Chicago on June 3, 1942, and raised in the Cabrini-Green projects as a teenager. While attending Wells High School, Mayfield met Jerry Butler and began singing with his group, The Roosters. An early manager convinced the young group that audience members might make barn animal sounds as a result of their name, so in an effort to make a strong impression on their audiences, the group changed their name to The Impressions.

From the late ’50s through the mid-’60s, the Impressions had a string of hits, but it was Mayfield’s singing, songwriting and production that was gaining the attraction of the groups peers. The Impressions 1965 hit “People Get Ready” became an anthem for the civil rights movement. He began making solo records in the late ’60s and finally left The Impressions after his monumental soundtrack to the film “Super Fly” was released.

Being self-taught, Mayfield was able to play many different instruments, though his main instrument after his voice was the electric guitar. His singing and guitar style have been huge influences for generations of guitarists weaned on the psychedelic rock stylings of Jimi Hendrix and others who were influenced by the singer.

Learn more:
Forgotten Heroes: Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield Biography