A Slice of Wisconsin: Celebrating June Dairy Month

Don’t forget the cows! Celebrate the state’s dairy farmers with this first June Dairy Month series of stories as we ask: “What do you really know about it?”

It’s June Dairy Month and it’s time for the official celebration across the state! This “Slice of Wisconsin: Celebrating June Dairy Month,” the first in a series of stories, features the history behind some of the industry’s important numbers. Did you know there are more than 5,000,000 people who call the state home, but we share it with close to 1,500,000 cows?

Dairy Month, according to the Dairy Alliance, started as a way to distribute extra milk during the warm months of summer. Grocery organizations joined the effort in 1937, calling it “Milk Month,” asking families to add an extra serving of milk to meals saying it ensures they will get the nutrients needed to build strong bones and teeth. A few years later, June officially became “Dairy Month.”

Can you guess:  Most of the milk from Wisconsin's dairy cows currently makes which product?
A.  Butter
B.  Cheese
C.  Ice Cream

Listen for the answer in Teri Barr's "Slice of Wisconsin" story:

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The state’s first official milk plant was established in 1894 in the Waupun area of Fond du Lac County. Now, more than 120 years later, the farmer-owned Saputo Company includes a second location in the Outagamie County Village of Black Creek. The award-winning cheesemaking efforts at the plant have even been featured on the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” program. 

Did you know:

Number of Licensed Dairy Herds: 5,617 herds
Number of Dairy Cows: 1,270,000 dairy cows
Average Number of Cows Per Dairy Farm: 226 dairy cows
Total Monthly Milk Production: 2.76 billion pounds
Monthly Milk Production Per Cow: 2,175 pounds or 253 gallons
Daily Milk Production Per Cow: 70 pounds or 8.2 gallons

Source: Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service, March 2024

Take time to celebrate what June Dairy Month means to you, your family, and Wisconsin.

And find one of those delicious Breakfast on the Farm events here. Watch for our second story in this special series, coming soon.