Milk was designated the official state beverage of New York in 1981. New York is a leader in dairy production (ranks 3rd in the USA for the amount of milk produced). Agriculture is the backbone of Upstate New York economy, with dairy farming being the largest component.

Milk has been called a nearly perfect food - a source of protein, calcium, and several other important nutrients. Butter, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream are made from milk.

Each dairy cow produces about 6.5 gallons of milk per day. Less than half of this milk is consumed as a beverage - the rest is used for butter, cheese, ice cream, milk powder and other processed products.

Source:

The Northeast Region: International Dairy Foods Assoc.
Fact Sheet on New York's Dairy Industry: NY Farm Bureau
Adventure into the Dairy Industry: Moo Milk.co

Links:

American Food and Agricultural Symbols
American Food Holidays