Dairy Farming: Wisconsin, California, Texas, Cows, Cattle, Milk, Family Farm, Organic Farming And Corporate

One of the oldest and most important industries of the United States is dairy farming. At first, the dairy farming industry may seem like a rather quaint, archaic business; but it begins to slide into a more realistic perspective when one considers the amount of dairy the average person consumes on a regular basis. Cheese, milk, creams and everything that relies on these ingredients dominates a large portion of the food we eat, and as such, dairy farming is an integral part of American life.

A few major regions for Dairy farming in the US include California, Texas, and by far the state best known for its dairy: Wisconsin. Greenbay Packers fans do not wear cheese heads for nothing, as over 14,000 dairy farms reside within Wisconsin, significantly more than any other state. Most of the farms in Wisconsin are small family farms, with around 85 cows per farm. In addition to the sheer number of farms, Wisconsin also contains more organic dairy farming and produces more cheese than any other state. It is currently the nation's second highest producer of milk, having recently lost that distinction to the significantly larger state of California.

As the leading producer of milk, California is also home to some of the largest dairies consisting of several milking parlors that function together. This corporate farming follows the same practices of smaller dairy farming, but operates on a larger scale, with around 900 dairy cows on the average California farm. There are also a handful of enormous farms that can have herds of between 15,000 and 20,000 dairy cows. Though waste management is always a factor for the dairy farming industry, for these mammoth farms, waste disposal plays a bigger role than most dairy farms. Corporate farming requires large fields to spread the manure from their dairy cows and will often find controversy due to the amount of methane gas and general air pollution that stems from owning such large numbers of dairy cattle.

Another issue that stems from corporate owned dairy farms is the idea that smaller, family farms are being strong-armed out of the business. The wide majority of the 65,000 dairy farms in the United States are small, owning less than 200 dairy cows on average. However, according to Dairy Farming Today, numbers indicate that 99% of dairy farming is still through family farms, even a number of the larger farms are family owned and operated. It seems although larger dairy farming corporations can manufacture in far greater quantities, there is still a place for smaller, more intimate family farms.

Many may wonder what the distinction is between common dairy products and organic dairy products. Most US dairy farming practices include giving their dairy cows BST, a type of growth hormone to help increase production, however organic dairy farming does not. Though many find themselves skeptical of growth hormones such as BST, there have yet to be any incidents resulting from human consumption of milk from BST treated dairy cattle. As added precautions, there are also laws and regulations in place to prevent milk that does contain traces of antibiotics from being sold.

By and large though it seems to be open ended as to whether there is cause to be concerned about the use of BST by dairy farming communities. It may be worth noting that all dairy farming in Europe prohibits the use of growth hormones in their dairy cows, creating an entire continent that follows organic dairy farming practices. In addition organic dairy farming does not use pesticides or other modified ingredients in the feed for the dairy cows, providing a more natural, desirable product for many Americans.

There are a wide range of issues associated with dairy farming Americans must consider, and it is important to understand just how much dairy farming and its practices affect everyone. Aside from the controversies associated with dairy farming, its good to understand where the products purchased come from, and ensure everyone agrees with how it is produced. Large or small, organic or not, dairy farming is a large part of the American lifestyle, and it is good to be informed on an industry that effects the country to such a high degree.

Sources:
"Dairy Farming Today - FAQ." Dairy Farming Today. 2007. Dairy Management Inc.. 7 Aug. 2007. http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/DairyFarmingToday /Learn-More/FAQ/#What's%20different%20about%20orga />
"Dairy Farming." Wikipedia. 6 Aug. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 7 Aug. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_Farming.

"Dairy Impact Campaign." WisDairy.com. 2007. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. 7 Aug. 2007. http://www.wisdairy.com/AdvertisingAndNews/DairyIm pactCampaign/impactfaq.aspx#2.