Dairy farmers are some of the hardest workers around – and so are their cows. The average U.S. dairy farm milks a herd of 115 cows every day. And to be able to produce a daily average of 7 gallons of milk, a dairy cow eats about 100 pounds of feed and drinks almost 50 gallons of water each day.

In total, nearly 6 million dairy cows in the United States produce over 196 billion gallons of milk annually. Just about 97 percent of the nation’s dairy farms are family-owned, a testament to the fact that keeping dairies running smoothly is truly a family affair.

After milk leaves the farm, it’s packaged or converted into other dairy foods. The final product is distributed to grocery stores across the country.

So next time you drink a cold glass of milk, consider the heart and hard work that went into making it.