To the Editor:
It has been more than 75 years since the annual celebration began - June Dairy Month recognizes dairy foods and the farmers that produce them. As June winds down, I would like to extend a thank you to all of our producers in Allamakee County and the surrounding areas.
Dairy farming supports rural communities in every single state. There are more than 47,000 dairy farms in the United States and 97% of them are family owned and operated. With an average herd size of 196 head, that puts more than 9.2 million dairy cows in the United States. Iowa alone is the 12th largest milk producing state in the U.S. with approximately 1,370 dairy herds. We have 14 plants that process one or more dairy products throughout the state of Iowa. Last year, Iowa produced 540 million gallons of milk with approximately $944 million in milk sales annually.