June is National Dairy Month! In America’s Dairyland, this is the perfect opportunity to recognize, honor, and highlight our state’s hardworking dairy farmers and processors. One of my favorite things about National Dairy Month is having the opportunity to visit farms around the state for dairy breakfasts and farm tours. No two farms are the same, and their diversity is exactly what makes our state’s agriculture industry so strong. While each farm is unique, all farmers are focused on providing the best care possible for their land, their animals, and their local communities, all while producing the highest-quality products possible.
This month-long celebration of dairy has a proud heritage in Wisconsin. It started in 1937 when National Milk Month was established nation-wide in response to a surplus in milk from spring calving. By 1939, National Milk Month grew to encompass all dairy products, and in 1940, Wisconsin Governor Julius Heil proclaimed June as Dairy Month in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, 99% of dairy farms are family owned, and our state’s dairy farmers have dedicated their lives to feeding communities across the state, country, and globe. During National Dairy Month, numerous farms open their gates to visitors at breakfasts and tours, while grocery stores and other businesses feature locally produced dairy products. Many counties coordinate a dairy breakfast or brunch that features Wisconsin dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt. Each of these products contain 13 essential nutrients, ranging from protein and phosphorus to calcium and selenium, and many more! Dairy breakfasts often take place right on one of Wisconsin’s nearly 5,000 dairy farms, which allows attendees to mingle and meet some of the farmers who work to maintain our title as “America’s Dairyland.”
The dairy industry contributes more than $52 billion to our state’s economy, which is nearly half of Wisconsin agriculture’s total economic impact. Producing high quality dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream is what our farmers and processors do best. I encourage you to watch your local news for more information about June Dairy Month celebrations near you and show your appreciation for the dairy community by attending these local events this summer.
You can also celebrate June Dairy Month and support local dairy farmers by including dairy products in your diet and looking for Wisconsin dairy products in stores. To identify genuine Wisconsin dairy, all you need to do is look for the Proudly Wisconsin Cheese® and Proudly Wisconsin Dairy® badges on packaging. Learn more at https://wisconsindairy.org/.
My term as the 78th Alice in Dairyland will finish on July 6, when our 79th Alice in Dairyland, Anastasia Poull, will officially take over as our state’s agriculture ambassador. In the meantime, I am so excited to return to my roots and finish out my time as Alice in Dairyland with the celebration of June Dairy Month. I look forward to traveling across Wisconsin and attending countless dairy-centered events to showcase one of the characteristic parts of our beloved state!
You can find me at National Dairy Month events across the state this June, and you can keep up with Alice in Dairyland’s journey in every season on social media by searching for Alice in Dairyland on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you for following along during this incredible year and for supporting Wisconsin farmers, ranchers, food producers, and processors at every step of the journey.
They are the reason we can enjoy such abundance every day, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life thus far to have served them as Wisconsin’s 78th Alice in Dairyland.
— Sarah Hagenow is the 78th Alice in Dairyland, Wisconsin’s agriculture ambassador who works with media professionals to educate consumers about the importance of agriculture to our economy and way of life. She can be reached at sarah.hagenow@wisconsin.gov.
