Number Of Licensed Wisconsin Dairy Farms

Wisconsin’s Dairy Industry Number of licensed Wisconsin dairy farms Number of Wisconsin dairy cows Average milk production per cow per year in Wisconsin Total Wisconsin milk production Wisconsin milk production (percentage of the U.S. total) Average number of cows per farm in Wisconsin Total Wisconsin cheese production Wisconsin cheese production (percentage of the U.S. total)1,279,000 dairy cows23,552 lbs. / 2,739 gal.30,123,000,000 lbs. / 3,503,000,000 gal.14.2%134 dairy cows3,167,495,000 lbs.26.2% Total Wisconsin specialty cheese production (2015)722,101,000 lbs. Total Wisconsin cheddar cheese production677,742,000 lbs. Total Wisconsin other American cheese production300,151,000 lbs. Total Wisconsin mozzarella cheese production1,093,854,000 lbs. Total Wisconsin other Italian cheese production531,563,000 lbs. Total Wisconsin dry whey (for human consumption) production312,387,000 lbs. Number of cheese plants in Wisconsin144 plants Number of butter plants in Wisconsin14 plants Number of yogurt plants in Wisconsin Total Wisconsin plants manufacturing one or more dairy products (2015)All statistics are from 2016 data unless noted otherwise.Source: Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service (WASS); USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS);Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WDATCP)29,520 dairy farms15 plants203 plants

Wisconsin’s Dairy Economic ImpactDairy means more toWisconsin thancitrus to Florida orpotatoes to Idaho—contributing 43.4 billion annuallyto Wisconsin’seconomy.196% of Wisconsin Dairy Farmsare Family Owned2Individuals& FamiliesPartnerships(approximately 3%non-familypartnerships)Non-family Corporations& OtherFamilyCorporationsDairy is the Largest Segmentof Wisconsin Agriculture3Total Ag Billion1Source: University of Wisconsin; Florida Citrus Mutual; University of Idaho2Source: NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture3Source: University of Wisconsin, Department of Agriculture & Applied EconomicsTotal Dairy Billion3

A Brief History of Wisconsin Dairy Heritage1885189018881877John Jossi, Swissnative from DodgeCounty, invents aWisconsin original,brick cheese.1899189019211920s1935UW–Madison biochemistry professorHarry Steenbockdevelops a methodto increase thevitamin D contentin foods like milk,a discovery thatwould eliminate thecrippling childhoodbone disease knownas rickets.UWA-S00117WHI2166-croppedUWA-S05574Photos courtesy of: Masters Gallery Foods, Inc.: Original Commissioned Artwork by Bruce Wolfe; Wisconsin State Historical Society (WHI); University of Wisconsin Archives (UWA);World Dairy Expo; Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).The number ofWisconsin farms withdairy cows reachesits highest point at180,695 farms.1923Wisconsin becomesthe first state to createrules and regulationsfor milk and otherdairy products ensuringclean milk is enteringthe marketplace.Dairying achievesacademic recognitionwith the establishment of the first dairyschool in the nationat the University edWilliam D. Hoard,who founded Hoard’sDairyman, “a journaldevoted to dairyfarming,” in 1885, iselected as the 16thgovernor of Wisconsinsymbolizing the riseof dairying.Wisconsin becomesthe first state to gradeits cheese for quality.Quality assurance,coupled with Wisconsin’s central location fordistribution, enablesthe industry to continue to grow rapidly.By 1922, more than2,800 cheese factoriesexist in the state.WHI76303-cropped1850Wisconsin has 1,500factories located atrural crossroads wherefarmers can delivertheir daily milk. Morethan 90 percent ofWisconsin farms raisedairy cows. Cheeseproduction stands at77,848,600 pounds.WHI4779-cropped1841Anne Pickett of LakeMills makes the firstofficial Wisconsincheese by adding milkfrom her neighbor’scows to that of herown small herd.Colby cheese, a softopen textured cheese,is invented in Colby,Wisconsin by The 1850 censusrecords reveal 90% ofthe state’s populationlives on farms and400,283 pounds ofcheese are made inWisconsin.WHI1940-croppedWHI1986-croppedMasters GalleryPioneering Wisconsinfarm wives beginmaking “kitchen”cheese from milkproduced bytheir herds.Stephen Babcock, anagriculture researchchemist, developsthe Babcock test,a simple methodof measuring thebutterfat content ofmilk. Later, in 1895,Babcock discovers thenatural milk enzymegalactase, which aidscheese ripening.

EatWisconsinCheese.com/history19401939The first World DairyExpo is held inMadison, WI.19671948The WisconsinMaster Cheesemakerprogram is established.The program remainsthe only one of itskind in the country.1994WMMB bringsCowParade, thelargest and mostsuccessful publicart event aroundthe world, toWisconsin.Wisconsin dominatesthe World Championship Cheese Contestand claims the WorldChampion Cheesetitle, judged the bestcheese in the world.201620061970198820012016The first organizeddairy breakfast isheld at Craig andLaura Beane’s farmin Jefferson County.The “Belle of Wisconsin,”a mammoth, 20-tonblock of cheddar,begins a yearlong tourof the United States.WMMB and WisconsinDept. of Agricultureprovide start-up funding to establish UWDiscovery Farms whereon-farm and relatedresearch help todetermine theeconomic and environmental effects ofagricultural practiceson a diverse group ofWisconsin farms.Today, more than9,500 dairy farms,with 1.28 million cowsproducing an averageof 23,552 pounds ofmilk per year, continuethe reputation forquality milk fromWisconsin.2017Wisconsin cheesemakers continuetheir historic winningstreak at the U.S.ChampionshipCheese Contest,sweeping the topawards and 31competition classes.WCMAMargaret McGuirebecomes the first“Alice in Dairyland,”a program established to promoteWisconsin’s dairyindustry nationwide.Today, Alice remainsone of the state’smost visible dairyspokespeople.1983WHI6841The legislature addsthe phrase “America’sDairyland” to thestate’s license plates,a title that Wisconsinofficially earnedin 1930.World Dairy ExpoWHI99734-croppedWisconsin GovernorJulius P. Heil signs theofficial proclamationfor the state’s firstobservance of JuneDairy Month.The Wisconsin MilkMarketing Board,(WMMB) an organization createdby dairy farmers topromote Wisconsincheese and otherdairy productsacross the nation,is formed.WHI25131-cropped5

U.S. & Wisconsin Milk ProductionIn 2016, Wisconsin milk production topped30 billion pounds for the first time.U.S. Milk Production, 2016*Wisconsin Milk Production, 2016*212.436 billion lbs.30.123 billion lbs.30.1425326.023.427.827.224.528.7%16*11. California40.5 billion lbs.2. Wisconsin30.1 billion lbs.3. New York 14.8 billion lbs.4. Idaho14.7 billion lbs.5. Michigan10.9 billion lbs.*Preliminary.Source: NASS6260202006200820102012020142016*

U.S. & Wisconsin Cheese ProductionWisconsin cheese production has set anew record every year since 2002.Wisconsin Cheese1 Production, 2016*U.S. Cheese1 Production, 2016*3.167 billion lbs.12.076 billion lbs.3.173142.912.792.452.522.6229.1%21. Wisconsin2. California3. Idaho4. New York5. New Mexico*Preliminary.1Excludes Cottage Cheese.Source: NASS16*5260203.17 billion lbs.2.51 billion lbs.0.95 billion lbs.0.82 billion lbs.0.77 billion lbs.2006200820102012020142016*7

Wisconsin’s Dairy RankingWisconsin’s Rank Among States in the Dairy Industry, 2015*ProductTotal Cheese1American VarietiesCheddarItalian VarietiesMozzarellaProvoloneParmesanRomanoBrick and MuensterFetaLimburgerHispanicSpecialtyProcessed CheeseDry Whey, Human FoodMilkMilk Cows8*Preliminary.1Excludes Cottage Cheese.Source: WASS; NASSWisconsin Production3,070,202,000 lbs.909,940,000 lbs.613,467,000 lbs.1,537,315,000 lbs.1,051,356,000 lbs.200,982,000 lbs.127,135,000 lbs.29,364,000 lbs.64,022,000 lbs.86,751,000 lbs.481,000 lbs.77,197,000 lbs.722,101,000 lbs.665,900,000 lbs.308,582,000 lbs.29,030,000,000 lbs.1,279,000 cows% of 11111211122World Cheese Production, 2015*42.225 billion lbs.11.84United States4.57Germany4.54France3.07If Wisconsinwere a country, itwould rank 4thin world cheeseproduction.Wisconsin2.75Italy*U.S. total includes WI production.Source: NASS; EuroStat Online Database; USDA ForeignAgricultural Service, Production, Supply and DistributionOnline Database

Recent Contest ResultsAmerican Cheese Society Contest, 2016Percent of 241 Awards Given1Wisconsin35.7%U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, 2017Percent of 306 Awards CA10.4%VT5.6%Canada6.6%Wisconsin winsmore awards inmajor cheesecontests than anyother state.CA4.9%OR5.0%NM & OH(tie)3.3%All Other States31.5%Includes only cow’s milk or mixed milk (including cow) cheese winners.Winners shown for all classes.Source: American Cheese Society; Wisconsin Cheese Makers AssociationAll Other States14.7%129

U.S. Dairy Product ConsumptionPer Capita Consumption of Selected Dairy Products(lbs. of product per person)All Products*568570Beverage 5Ice 995200020052010Pounds of milk-equivalent, milk-fat basis.Source: USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System; ERS, Dairy Data*10205Yogurt3.91990Butter

Dairy’s Contribution to the DietHow Much WholeMilk* Does it Taketo Make OnePound of:ButterCottageIceCream Cheese Cheese YogurtThe % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of foodcontributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for generalnutrition advice.Source: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 2016; USDA NationalNutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28*The quantity of milk used to produce one pound of each productdepends primarily upon the milkfat content of the milk. Therefore, thischart is only an approximation.Source: USDA*11

The Impact of Wisconsin CheeseSpecialty cheese accounts for 23.5% of thetotal cheese production in Wisconsin.Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Production(million minary.Source: WASS; NASS2011012013Wisconsin accountsfor 45% of allspecialty cheesemade in theUnited States.About 90% ofWisconsin milk isturned into cheeseand about 90% ofWisconsin cheese issold outsideof the state.36125020Wisconsin is the only state thatoffers advanced education incheesemaking. Of the 1,200licensed cheesemakers, 70 haveearned the right to be called‘Master Cheesemakers.’2015*8418 Excelsior DriveMadison, WI 53717608-836-8820AmericasDairyland.com9750

The Impact of Wisconsin Cheese 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015* 361 504 399 575 640 722 Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Production (million lbs.) 9750 *Preliminary. Source: WASS; NASS Specialty cheese accounts for 23.5% of the Wisconsin is the only state that total cheese production in Wisconsin. About 90% of Wisconsin milk is turned into cheese and .