Vermont dairy industry

Dairy is a significant part of the total agricultural output of the state of Vermont. The state has 645 dairy farms milking cattle, sheep, and/or goats which produced 2.7 billion pounds of milk in 2019. Vermont ranks 15th in the United States for raw milk production.[1]

Dairy farming in Vermont, like in much of the US, is increasingly scaling upwards due to market and governmental pressures. Each year, Vermont loses dairy farms. In 2019, the state lost an average of 48 dairy farms.[2] Over the years of 2018 and 2019, the state lost about 140 dairy farms.[3]

Family farms with small herds of dairy cows have historically defined Vermont agriculture and the cultural landscape of the state. A 2019 survey found that Vermont's Dairy Industry is considered very important to 72% of Vermonters.[4]

Vermont produces a significant amount of cheese, butter, and yogurt that are consumed across the United States. There are over 140 firms in the state that process milk into dairy products.[5] Some of its better known producers are Vermont Creamery, Cabot Creamery, Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy, Jasper Hill Farm, and the Grafton Village Cheese Company.

The Crowley Cheese Factory in Healdville, Vermont is believed to be the oldest indigenous manufacturer of cheese in the United States.

The dairy industry is celebrated by various parades and festivals throughout the year. The two most notable are The Strolling of the Heifers parade in Brattleboro and the Vermont Dairy Festival in Enosburg Falls. Each year the Vermont Cheese Council runs the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival.[6]