History

National Dairy Month—June 2009

June is National Dairy Month. The nation's 9.2 million dairy cows will be busy as June also features observances of Frozen Yogurt Day and Cheese Day (June 4), Chocolate Ice Cream Day (June 7), Vanilla Milk Shake Day (June 20), Strawberry Parfait Day (June 25), and Ice Cream Soda Day (June 30).

While the nation's cows ruminated, the Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Agriculture were collecting information about U.S. dairies and dairy products. For example:

• As of 2007, the United States was home to 72,000 farms with dairy cows that produced approximately 186 billion pounds of milk.
• Domestic dairies contributed to the production of approximately 1.5 billion pounds of butter, 9.7 billion pounds of cheese, and 1.3 billion pounds of regular and lowfat ice cream.
• Ice cream consumption per person peaked in 1946 at 23.1 pounds following the end of World War II and sugar rationing. As of 2007, Americans consumed approximately 14 pounds of ice cream, 1.2 pounds of frozen yogurt, and 1.3 pounds of sherbert annually.

Featured Photograph

If you enjoy an ice cream cone or frozen dairy treat this summer, chances are that some of the milk originated in California or Wisconsin. These two states lead the nation in the number of dairy farms, pounds of milk produced, and value of production.