The California dairy industry is a significant part of the agricultural output of the state of California. Milk has the highest farm revenue among California agricultural commodities. California ranks first out of the fifty states in dairy production. In 2020 the state had about 1,300 dairy farms and 1.727 million dairy cows. [1] As of 2018, the state produced nearly 20 percent of all U.S. milk. [2]
In 1769, the Spanish brought the first 200 cows to California. The cows provided them a source of meat and milk to make butter. [3] The California gold rush fueled demand for dairy, which until then was scarce, expensive and shipped from the East coast or Chile. Thereafter dairy cows were imported. [3] In 1857, the first commercial California dairy was founded and the leading dairy was located in Point Reyes, thanks to the first large scale dairy ranch operation by the Steele Brothers who bought an 18,000 acre ranch in San Mateo County and later a larger ranch in San Luis Obispo County, and the Laird brothers. Temperate climate and long seasons for grass growing in the coastal areas, particularly in San Luis Obispo, Sonoma county and Humboldt County, California benefited the development of the dairy industry. [3] By 1860, California already had about 100,000 milk cows. [3]
In 1870s cultivatation of alfalfa with irrigated water began in San Joaquin Valley and local production of butter and cheese equaled consumption; by 1880 there were already 210,000 milk cows in California. [3]
In 1889, Californa’s first creamery was founded in Ferndale, California in Humboldt County, which became the leading dairy county. [3]
In the 1880s, a popular local cheese was commercialized by David Jacks (businessman) and became known as Monterey Jack. [3]
By 1892, attorneys Oscar L. Shafter and his brother James McMillan Shafter owned a dairy farm in Marin County, California, described as one of the largest ranches in the world—over 23,000 acres. [4] They were the first to brand their butter to protect it from counterfeiting. [3]
From 1987 until 2008 California dairy production more than doubled. Dairy herd size grew from just over one million cows to more than 1.8 million. It decreased slightly from 2008 until 2018. [2] : 13 During this time the global milk price collapsed in 2014; it dropped from 23$ to 18$ per hundredweight, and decreased further until 2018. [2] : 28
As of 2006, the Inland Empire, formerly one of California's largest areas for dairy farming, had lost a significant amount of land to real estate development. [5]
In 2011, PETA sued California agriculture officials and the California Milk Advisory Board for what they claimed was a false and misleading "Happy Cows" ad campaign. [6]
In 2018, the Trump trade war led China to put retaliatory tariffs on US dairy products. This led to major losses among California dairy farmers. [7]
As of 2018, 90% of the California milk supply was produced in the San Joaquin Valley. [2] : 12
As of 2018, the California dairy industry was the single largest milk producer in the United States with 20% of U.S. milk production [2] with milk sales of about $6.3 billion, and processed dairy products (wholesale) of about $22.2 billion. [2] : 10 Among California agricultural commodities, milk has the highest farm revenue. [2] : 13
The industry created 179,000 jobs, of which only about 22,700 were on farms and another 24,800 in the processing sector. [2] : 10
As of 2023, water scarcity in California and other states in the American west had led to concerns about large users of water such as the dairy industry. Water usage for cattle feed crops represent 70% of the entire Colorado river usage, of which the California dairy industry is a major contributor. [8] Pastures for cattle are often irrigated, ranking third in California's water when placed against water usage for the various crops grown in the state. [9]
Environmental impacts extend beyond usage of scarce water. As of 2018, the dairy industry made up 44% of California's methane emissions. This mainly originates from the cattle's manure and enteric fermentation. [10]
Since only part of the feed is local forage produced on other California farms, the rest must be shipped in from other states and also Canadian provinces, causing emissions from transportation. [2] : 9
In 1891, the Dairymen’s Union of Californi was founded. In 1893, it was renamed the California Dairy Association and dealt with distribution, quality standards and benchmarking prices. They lobbied the government for a State Dairy Bureau to administer laws against dairy imitations. [3]
In 1915, dairy farmers and processors founded the National Dairy Council when a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak threatened their image. [11]
In 1940, the Dairymen’s Union of California was renamed the American Dairy Association, to promote U.S. milk products to consumers through advertising. The American Dairy Association merged with the National Dairy Council in 1970. [11]
In 1983, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board was created through Congress. [11]
In 1995, Dairy Management Inc (DMI) was incorporated as a nonprofit corporationn by members of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association. [12]
In 1995, DMI created the U.S. Dairy Export Council, which promotes dairy export. [11]
1995 NDB and UDIA board members create Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) as the organization responsible for increasing demand for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy producers.
A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also describe a dairy farm or the part of a mixed farm dedicated to milk for human consumption, whether from cows, buffaloes, goats, yaks, sheep, horses or camels.
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that goes back to the early Neolithic era, around the seventh millennium BC, in many regions of Europe and Africa. Before the 20th century, milking was done by hand on small farms. Beginning in the early 20th century, milking was done in large scale dairy farms with innovations including rotary parlors, the milking pipeline, and automatic milking systems that were commercially developed in the early 1990s.
Huell Burnley Howser was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing California's Gold and his human interest show Visiting... with Huell Howser, produced by KCET in Los Angeles for California PBS stations. The archive of his video chronicles offers an enhanced understanding of the history, culture, and people of California. He also voiced the Backson in Winnie the Pooh (2011).
Almond milk is a plant-based milk substitute with a watery texture and nutty flavor manufactured from almonds, although some types or brands are flavored in imitation of cow's milk. It does not contain cholesterol or lactose and is low in saturated fat. Almond milk is often consumed by those who are lactose-intolerant and others, such as vegans, who do not consume dairy products. Commercial almond milk comes in sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavors, and is usually fortified with micronutrients. It can also be made at home using a blender, almonds and water.
The Colorado River Aqueduct, or CRA, is a 242 mi (389 km) water conveyance in Southern California in the United States, operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California–Arizona border, west across the Mojave and Colorado deserts to the east side of the Santa Ana Mountains. It is one of the primary sources of drinking water for Southern California.
Rain Bird Corporation is an international privately held manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services for landscapes, golf courses, sports fields, and agriculture which are designed to minimize water consumption. The firm is headquartered in Azusa, California, with offices and manufacturing facilities in Tucson, Arizona; Steele, Alabama; Tijuana Mexico; France; and China. Rain Bird sells more than 4,000 products and services in over 130 countries.
Whitewater is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California. It is directly off Interstate 10 halfway between North Palm Springs and Cabazon on the way from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. It is known as the site of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm. The ZIP Code is 92282, and the community is inside area code 760. The population was 859 at the 2010 census. The elevation is 1,575 feet (480 m).
Lake Arrowhead is an artificial lake located in the San Bernardino Mountains on Little Bear Creek, a tributary of Deep Creek and the Mojave River. It has a surface area of approximately 780 acres (320 ha) and a capacity of 48,000 acre⋅ft (59,000 dam3). It is surrounded by the unincorporated community of Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County, California.
Dairy farming in New Zealand began during the early days of colonisation by Europeans. The New Zealand dairy industry is based almost exclusively on cattle, with a population of 4.92 million milking cows in the 2019–20 season. The income from dairy farming is now a major part of the New Zealand economy, becoming an NZ$13.4 billion industry by 2017.
Dairy farming is one of the largest agricultural sectors in Canada. Dairy has a significant presence in all of the provinces and is one of the top two agricultural commodities in seven out of ten provinces.
Dairy Management Inc. is an American trade association funded primarily by the U.S. Dairy Promotion Program, itself funded by government-mandated checkoff fees on dairy products and federal tax dollars and dedicated to promoting the sale of American-made dairy products.
Briarcliff Farms was a farm established in 1890 by Walter William Law in Briarcliff Manor, a village in Westchester County, New York. One of several enterprises established by Law at the turn of the 20th century, the farm was known for its milk, butter, and cream and also produced other dairy products, American Beauty roses, bottled water, and print media. At its height, the farm was one of the largest dairy operations in the Northeastern United States, operating about 8,000 acres (10 sq mi) with over 1,000 Jersey cattle. In 1907, the farm moved to Pine Plains in New York's Dutchess County, and it was purchased by New York banker Oakleigh Thorne in 1918, who developed it into an Aberdeen Angus cattle farm. After Thorne's death in 1948, the farm changed hands several times; in 1968 it became Stockbriar Farm, a beef feeding operation. Stockbriar sold the farmland to its current owners in 1979.
Agriculture is a major component of the New York economy. As of the 2012 census of agriculture, there were over 35,000 farms covering an area of 7 million acres (28,000 km2) which contributed $5.4 billion in gross sales value and $1.2 billion in net farm income to the national economy. Dairy farming alone accounted for $2.5 billion or 45% of sales. The Finger Lakes region is the center of state agriculture, and the state is a top-ten national producer of cow milk, apples, grapes, onions, sweet corn, tomatoes, and maple syrup. New York places second in apple production after Washington.
Agriculture is a significant sector in Wisconsin's economy, producing nearly $104 billion in revenue annually. The significance of the state's agricultural production is exemplified by the depiction of a Holstein cow, an ear of corn, and a wheel of cheese on Wisconsin's state quarter design. In 2017 there were 64,800 farms in the state, operating across 14.3 million acres of land.
Agriculture in Arizona is a notable sector in the state's economy, contributing more than $23.3 billion in 2018. Arizona's diverse climate allows it to export all sorts of commodities such as nuts, wheat, cotton, eggs, meat, and dairy to the United States and 70 other countries. In 2018, the state produced 455.7 million pounds (206.7 kt) of red meat and ranked 3rd in producing vegetables in the United States, occupying 26 million acres of land for farms and ranches combined.
The dairy industry in the United States includes the farms, cooperatives, and companies that produce milk, cheese and related products such as milking machines, and distribute them to the consumer. By 1925, the United States had 1.5-2 million dairy cows, each producing an average of 4200 lb of milk per year. By 2007, there were 9.1 million dairy cows with an average milk production of over 20,000 pounds per year and eight pounds per gallon.
Dairy plays a significant part in numerous aspects of Indian society, including cuisine, religion, culture, and the economy.
Dairy is a major industry in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Being known for its dairy production, the state is often called "America's Dairyland." The industry is prominent in official state symbols—being displayed on the state's license plates, state's slogan, and on the state quarter.
Dairy Farming in Singapore was an important agricultural industry in Singapore in the late 19th to early 20th centuries as it was the only source of fresh milk for the population in Singapore, before technological improvements allowed large-scale importation of fresh milk. Today, milk in Singapore is largely imported from Australia and Malaysia, with only one small-scale dairy farm left.