Thedairy 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]
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]
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 theWest Coast andSouthwest, where large farms are commonplace, to roughly 50 in theMidwest 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]
^Alice C. Richer, "Dairy Industry" inHistorical Encyclopedia of American Business, edited by Richard L Wilson (2009) pp:215–218.
^T. V. Selleck, "The Dutch Immigrants of Southern California and the Dairy Industry, 1920-1960."European contributions to American studies 64 (2006): 187+
^Steven J. Keillor, "Agricultural change and crosscultural exchange: Danes, Americans, and dairying, 1880-1930."Agricultural History 67#4 (1993), p. 58+online
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Kurlansky, Mark.Milk: A 10,000-Year History (2019)excerpt
