Wonders of Wisconsin Have U Herd? - Fun Farm Facts
You may wonder why some farmers raise brown cows and some black-and-white cows, or why it matters.
You don’t have to wonder any longer! You can raise your dairy IQ with our "Have U Herd" series about cows.
Like human fingerprints and snowflakes, no two cows have exactly the same hair coat or pattern of spots. That’s a cool fact you can share!
Beyond spots and hair-color, though, we can see more differences among cows. Some of those differences are based on her breed. Others are based on the traits and characteristics a farmer tries to build in a herd over time, using the science of genetics.
Farmers choose breeds of cattle for various reasons. Sometimes a farmer chooses a breed that is best suited to the topography of the land. Sometimes a particular breed is preferred for the type of milk it typically produces. Sometimes, it is simply the farm family's tradition.
Aryshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, and
Red & White.
Dairy Production in Wisconsin and the United States
Wisconsin’s diverse dairy industry has more organic and grass-based dairy farms than any other state.
At 2.6 billion pounds produced, Wisconsin cheese production ranks second to none, accounting for more than 25 percent of U.S. cheese production, and more than 600 different varieties.
Wisconsin is also first in specialty cheese production, with more than 45 percent of all specialty cheese produced in the U.S.
Nearly 33 percent of the cheese produced from Wisconsin milk is mozzarella, while nearly 26 percent is cheddar.
In 1841, cheese making history was made when the first cottage industry cheese factory in Wisconsin was founded.
While many popular cheese varieties originated in Europe, innovative Wisconsin cheese makers created original cheeses such as Brick and Colby.
It takes 10 pounds of whole milk to make one pound of cheese.
Approximately 32.4 percent of all milk in the U.S. is consumed as fluid milk, while 40 percent is made into cheese, 13.6 percent is made into butter, and the remaining 14 percent is made into products like ice cream and yogurt.
The United States ranks seventh globally in per capita cheese consumption at 32.7 pounds per year. Greece is first at 82.2 pounds consumed per capita.
Dairy Production in Wisconsin and the United States
There are 1,260,000 dairy cows in Wisconsin.
The average number of dairy cows per Wisconsin farm is 98.
On average, a dairy cow produces 6.7 gallons of milk per day, or 206 gallons of milk per month.
Milk was adopted as the state beverage in 1987 because Wisconsin is a leading milk-producing state.
One 8 oz serving of low fat milk has 30 percent of the recommended daily value of calcium, and 25 percent of the vitamin D, as well as other vitamins.
Chocolate milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk.
It is recommended that children age 4 - 8 consume three servings of dairy per day, while children age 9 - 18 need four.
Milk, cheese and yogurt have been proven to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. And recent research suggests a calcium-rich and low-fat dairy diet may actually lower the risk of obesity.
