Celebrating Dairy Month All Year Long

June is National Dairy Month, but Dairyland Power Cooperative and our members honor dairy farmers every day of the year.

Dairy farmers are the foundation of Dairyland Power Cooperative. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to help bring electricity to rural America. Electric cooperatives, serving rural America, were created as a result of this Executive Order. Finally, farmers could use electric tools that would save them hours of back-breaking labor.

Dairyland and our member cooperatives still specifically serve rural communities. We still help ease work conditions and improve quality of life for residents by delivering a safe, sustainable and reliable supply of energy in our four-state service territory.

Wisconsin's Dairy Farming Tradition & Economic Impact
Dairy farming started in Wisconsin in the 1870s and by 1915 the state was the leading producer of dairy in the country and became known as America's Dairyland. With over 5,000 dairy farms, Wisconsin is the heart of dairy production in the United States. The dairy industry not only contributes substantially to the state's agricultural sector but also plays a vital role in job creation and overall economic growth. Today, dairy generates $45.6 billion - more than citrus in Florida and potatoes in Idaho combined - and fuels Wisconsin's economy at the rate of more than $86,000 per minute.

Wisconsin's dairy industry creates 157,000 jobs, and every dollar generated by this industry produces another $1.73 in additional revenue for the state.

Sustainability
In America, the dairy industry is responsible for only about 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions and has recently adopted a goal to reduce that even further by 2050. Wisconsin has over 40 dairy-farmer-led watershed groups that work hard to protect thousands of acres of land and water for future generations. Farmers care about water quality - from the water their families drink to the lakes and rivers they enjoy.
(Economic and sustainability facts from wisconsindairy.org)