Dairy Producers Care

Productive Cows -- Healthy Environment

Because well-tended cows and high milk production go hand in hand, dairy farmers are concerned about the environment in which they raise cows. To be healthy and productive, a cow must have adequate ventilation and space to rest and move about. In addition, dairy farmers take great care to provide balanced, nutritious diets for their animals.

Guidelines for proper environmental conditions and optimal feed rations reflect the technical knowledge of experts, and are based on research conducted at leading universities such as the University of Minnesota. In addition, many dairy farmers today use a personal computer as a tool to plan their feeding programs and to help them make wise management decisions.

Dairy Diet Trends

Dairy sales have improved steadily during recent years. Per capita consumption of all dairy products increased from 519 pounds in 1983 to 591pounds today. Part of that increased demand can be attributed to the dairy industry's ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences:

• Sales of low fat and fat-free milk have soared.
• Manufacturers have developed hundreds of low fat, low-cholesterol and fat-free dairy products for people who prefer them
• Calcium is now widely recognized as a vitally important dietary requirement that can help prevent the bone disease known as osteoporosis and help control blood pressure. Dairy products account for about 76% of the calcium in the American food supply.

Dairy Producers in Profile

Minnesota is one of the nation's top dairy states, ranking fifth in milk production, third in cheese, and fifth in butter. There are currently around 9,000 dairy farmers in Minnesota. They milk approximately 580,000 cows which produce just over 9 billion pounds of milk annually. The economic impact of this milk production is enormous.

Minnesota dairy farmers sell about $1.3 billion in milk each year. The industry contributes a total of $3.5 billion to Minnesota's economy--including $170 million in state and local tax revenues. The dairy industry is Minnesota's largest agricultural enterprise and contributes around 85,000 jobs.

More than 80% of the milk produced in the state is used in manufacturing dairy products such as cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurt. Since the vast majority of Minnesota's dairy products are sold in markets outside the state, the industry effectively brings "outside" dollars into Minnesota's economy.

The majority of dairy farms in Minnesota are located in a band that runs diagonally from northwestern Minnesota to the southeastern part of the state.

(Minnesota Agricultural Statistics, 1998)

Making a Good Thing Better

Research is an integral part of the dairy industry's progress. Most research activities focus on dairy food technologies or human health and nutrition. Ongoing calcium research, for example, has resulted in recommendations for even higher dairy food consumption. The University of Minnesota boasts a Dairy Research Center, one of six across the country working on ways to make dairy products more appealing to consumers.

Bright Future for the Dairy Industry

Minnesota is an ideal place to be in the dairy business because we have an excellent water supply, readily accessible forage and grain supplies and high quality processing plants.