Jonny Hunter (CC BY 2.0)

Series: The Dairy State Economy

Dairy is iconic in Wisconsin, with the production of milk and cheese a longstanding foundation of the state's identity and global reputation. This industry is a significant component of Wisconsin's economy, dependent on the fluctuations of international markets and tastes of consumers, with each affecting the livelihoods of farmers and their employees. Meanwhile, the structure of the business is changing, with the number of farms decreasing as their average size is increasing. Around Wisconsin, the direction of the dairy industry will define the future for producers and communities.
 
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As a result of shifting Canadian trade policies, a dairy processor canceled its contacts with 75 Wisconsin dairy farmers. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection secretary Ben Brancel discusses the dispute and what officials are doing about it.
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A new import policy in Canada has led a Wisconsin dairy processor to drop dozens of farmers in the state. As a result, these farmers are scrambling to find a new customer for their milk.
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John Rosenow is a dairy farmer in Buffalo County who employs workers from Mexico. He discusses the federal government's plans to step up deportation, and how it could be detrimental to him and other dairy farmers.
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Wisconsin has the highest number of dairy goats in the United States. WisContext associate editor Will Cushman discusses these numbers and explains how the dairy goat industry took shape and expanded in America's Dairyland.
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Facing low commodity prices, trade uncertainties and challenging weather, Wisconsin's farmers are struggling on multiple fronts. U.S. and state agriculture secretaries Sonny Perdue and Brad Pfaff share their perspectives on the state of small dairy farms and the industry as a whole.
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Wisconsin dairy farmers and other producers are feeling the impact of trade uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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More cheesemakers and other dairy producers are competing in a Wisconsin-based contest in hopes of differentiating their product in an increasingly crowded market.
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Wisconsin experts disagree on how the sale of the nation’s largest milk processing company will impact the dairy industry.
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Milk production in Wisconsin held steady in 2019, despite a declining number of farms and cows in the state.
Brian Gould discusses milk prices
Recently some of Wisconsin's biggest export customers have been purchasing fewer dairy products, and there is more competition on the international market.