Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

​Established in 1983, this market order board has 25 members who represent Wisconsin's thousands of dairy farmers. Its mission is “To help grow demand for Wisconsin milk by providing programs that enhance the competitiveness of the Wisconsin Dairy Industry.”

The dairy industry contributes $45.6 billion to the state's economy each year. According to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, dairy contributes more to Wisconsin's economy than citrus does to Florida's economy or potatoes to Idaho's economy.  

There are dairy herds in 67 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, with only Forest, Florence, Menominee, Oneida, and Vilas counties in the northeastern area of the state not having a bovine dairy herd. Several counties actually have more cows than people.   

Wisconsin has more dairy farms than any other state in the nation and is second only to California in the number of dairy cows and the total amount of milk produced. Wisconsin has about 1.27 million cows on average. Every dairy cow generates nearly $36,000 worth of additional economic impact.  

The state produced 31.9 billion pounds of milk in 2022, an increase of 0.2 over the previous year. Wisconsin produces more cheese and dry whey than any other state and ranks second in the production of butter, lactose, and whey protein concentrate (for human consumption).    

Wisconsin, which produces more than 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese, leads the nation in the production of Cheddar, Muenster, Feta, Limburger, Parmesan, Romano, and Provolone cheeses, and accounts for nearly half of the specialty cheese production in the U.S. thanks to a vibrant and growing artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese industry.    

Wisconsin is the center for dairy research and education, with the nation's first dairy school established in 1890 at the University of Wisconsin—​the Center for Dairy Research at UW-Madison—​and the nation's first master cheese maker program.

The list of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board/Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin directors can be found at wisconsindairy.org/Our-Story/Board-of-Directors.​

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