Hello, I’m State Senator Joan Ballweg.
As America’s Dairyland, June is an important month here in Wisconsin. Wisconsinites are
fortunate to have access to some of the finest dairy products in the world produced right
here on local dairy farms.
Wisconsin is home to more than 6,500 dairy farms and 1.28 million cows. As the number of
Wisconsinites working farms is declining, those farmers are taking on more, modernizing
production, assuring quality product and protecting the land they love. And even with that
growth, more than 95 percent of our farms are still family owned. Those farms produce 30
billion pounds of milk, most of which is used for making cheese and ice cream.
Wisconsin lives up to its cheese-state moniker by being the number one cheese producer in
the country cranking out nearly 3.5 billion pounds of cheese in 2021 with more than 600
different varieties. Wisconsin cheese accounts for 25 percent of all cheese produced in the
United States.
Dairy is over 40% of our state’s agriculture industry generating $45.6 billion in economic
activity each year.
You can celebrate Dairy Month and support Wisconsin dairy farmers by shopping at your
local farmer’s market, buying dairy products affixed with the “Proudly Dairy Wisconsin”
badge, or visit a breakfast on the farm. Farm breakfasts are a June Dairy Month tradition,
hosted on local dairy farms throughout the state. It is a great opportunity to learn more
about Wisconsin’s rich dairy heritage and to thank our dairy farmers for providing all those
quality dairy products we love.
