Wisconsin dairy industry

Dairy farm in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin dairy industry has its roots in the farms originally in Wisconsin. Mainly producing wheat, throughout the mid-19th century there was mass soil depletion, and insect infestations. Many farmers considered moving to dairy. With the introduction of the refrigerated rail car, many of them turned to dairy farming, and raising feed crops instead.[5] This turned out to be highly successful for these farmers, and by the start of the 20th century, over 90% of farms were involved with the dairy industry.[6] By 1915, Wisconsin became the leading state for dairy production, a lead it would maintain until 1993.[7]

When states started to experiment with new factory-farms, such as California, they saw great success, compared to Wisconsin's family farms. Throughout the late 20th-century, California dairy production started to grow rapidly, replacing Wisconsin as the leading state for milk production in 1993.[4][8] Many of Wisconsin's family farms have been closing down, due to increased competition from large factory farms.[9]

Rising tariffs on dairy products has also been a major contributor to the decrease in productivity in Wisconsin. In 2018, China and Mexico imposed large tariffs on the US, making it harder for farms to sell their dairy products. Farmers across Wisconsin lost an estimated $40,000 in yearly revenue due to these tariffs.[9]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been another hardship on the Wisconsin dairy industry. As the demand for dairy fell, Wisconsin farmers were forced to dump their excess milk.[10][11] With the loosening of state lockdowns, dairy demand had increased to near pre-pandemic levels. By November 2020, most farms had rebounded from the initial COVID-19 lockdowns.[12]

• 1933 Wisconsin milk strike
• Minnesota-Wisconsin price
• Wisconsin dairy barn