Dairy industry in the United States

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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. [1]

Contents

History

European dairy practices varied from place to place, and immigrants to the United States would work together to import and improve on the best Europe traditions. One result was a variety of dairy practices across the United States. [2] [3]


21st-century farms

Cow Milk Production by State in 2016 Cowmilkproduction.jpg
Cow Milk Production by State in 2016

There are 40,200 dairy farms in the United States, down from 111,800 in 1995. [4] In 2017 the top five dairy states are, in order by total milk production; California, Wisconsin, New York, Idaho, and Texas. [5] Dairy farming remains important in Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Vermont. [6]

Herd size in the US varies between 1,200 on the West Coast and Southwest, where large farms are commonplace, to roughly 50 in the Midwest and Northeast, where land-base is a significant limiting factor to herd size. The average herd size in the U.S. is about one hundred cows per farm but the median size is 900 cows with 49% of all cows residing on farms of 1000 or more cows. [7]

Production by state

Production of milk per state in 2019 was as follows: [8]

2019 production of milk
StateProduction

(million pounds)

Production (%)
Alabama 60<0.1%
Alaska N/AN/A
Arizona 4,7692.2%
Arkansas 670.0%
California 40,56418.6%
Colorado 4,8072.2%
Connecticut 4280.2%
Delaware 74<0.1%
Florida 2,3461.1%
Georgia 1,7710.8%
Hawaii N/AN/A
Idaho 15,6317.2%
Illinois 1,7480.8%
Indiana 4,0731.9%
Iowa 5,2912.4%
Kansas 3,8191.7%
Kentucky 9410.4%
Louisiana 1350.1%
Maine 6210.3%
Maryland 8400.4%
Massachusetts 1920.1%
Michigan 11,3855.2%
Minnesota 9,9314.5%
Mississippi 1260.1%
Missouri 1,1000.5%
Montana 2590.1%
Nebraska 1,4090.6%
Nevada 7620.3%
New Hampshire 2380.1%
New Jersey 1000.0%
New Mexico 8,1873.7%
New York 15,1226.9%
North Carolina 9020.4%
North Dakota 3260.1%
Ohio 5,4252.5%
Oklahoma 7310.3%
Oregon 2,5921.2%
Pennsylvania 10,1084.6%
Rhode Island 10.6<0.1%
South Carolina 2060.1%
South Dakota 2,8101.3%
Tennessee 5510.3%
Texas 13,8506.3%
Utah 2,2621.0%
Vermont 2,6971.2%
Virginia 1,4900.7%
Washington 6,7833.1%
West Virginia 90<0.1%
Wisconsin 30,60114.0%
Wyoming 146.60.1%
Sum218,382100%

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Alice C. Richer, "Dairy Industry" in Historical Encyclopedia of American Business, edited by Richard L Wilson (2009) pp:215–218.
  2. ↑ T. V. Selleck, "The Dutch Immigrants of Southern California and the Dairy Industry, 1920-1960." European contributions to American studies 64 (2006): 187+
  3. ↑ Steven J. Keillor, "Agricultural change and crosscultural exchange: Danes, Americans, and dairying, 1880-1930." Agricultural History 67#4 (1993), p. 58+ online
  4. ↑ See Hoard's Dairyman February 26, 2018
  5. ↑ "Top Ten Milk Producing States in May 2018". www.dairybusiness.com.
  6. ↑ "Facts and Figures". Dairy Farming Today. 2010. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  7. ↑ MacDonald, James; Newton, Doris (1 December 2014). "Milk Production Continues Shifting to Large-Scale Farms". Amber Waves. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "USDA" (PDF). Retrieved 16 December 2020.

Further reading

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