Southwest Dairy Museum

The Southwest Dairy Museum, located in Sulphur Springs, Texas, showcases the importance of the dairy industry's past, present and future. The Southwest Dairy Museum is funded by the dairy checkoff program, thus all of its programs and functions are made possible by dairy farmers. The museum, which consists of a 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) facility, serves as the headquarters for the many activities sponsored by the Southwest Dairy Farmers.[1] The museum's exhibits include: the life of a dairy farm before electricity came to rural areas and demonstrations on separating cream, the first stem in dairy production.[1] Visitors may also enjoy a lunch and ice cream at the museum daily, from 9 am until 4 pm.

The exterior of the Southwest Dairy Museum

The interior of the Southwest Dairy Museum

The idea for the museum came in 1982 when several in the dairy industry came up with the idea of preserving artifacts and historical documents related to the dairy industry in the United States, and specifically in rural areas. The museum became a reality in 1991.[2][3]

Today, the Southwest Dairy Farmers facilitate several different modes of communication to the public, taking the form of dairy research, education and promotion. The foremost education program sponsored by the Southwest Dairy Farmers is the Mobile Dairy Classroom Program. Under this program, a fleet of Mobile Dairy Classrooms travels to schools, livestock shows, fairs and other special events throughout at least seven states, to educate the public. If available in your state, a request for this free program can be made at mobiledairy.com. The mission statement of the Southwest Dairy Museum, INC is as follows: To develop and direct effective promotion, education and research programs in order to increase sales of and demand for all dairy products, educate the public of the nutritional value of dairy products, and advance the image of dairy producers.