Iowa Dairy Facts

• IOWA RANKS
  • 12th in total pounds of milk produced
  • 12th in milk cow numbers
  • 12th in production per cow
  • 9th in fluid milk bottling
  • 8th in total dairy products processed
  • 7th in number of dairy herds
  • 7th in cheese production
  • 6th in cottage cheese production
  • 6th in production of American cheese
  • 4th in ice cream production

• IOWA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY
  • 4.38 BILLION: pounds of milk produced (2009)*
  • 220 million: pounds of cheese produced (2009)*
  • 1,802: number of dairy cow farms (2009) **
  • 215,000: milk cows in production (2009)*
  • 20,367: average pounds of milk produced per cow (2009)*
  • 211: number of dairy goat farms (2009)**
  • 27,000: dairy goats in production (2009)**
  • 26,000+: number of jobs provided by dairy industry--including jobs on dairy farms, by dairy processors and other services that benefit and aid the dairy industry
  • $1.5 billion+: amount contributed annually to the economy from the dairy industry

Des Moines, Iowa, is the #1 large city per capita in the consumption of milk! (University of Illinois Extension, 2005)

 * USDA
** IDALS

Updated June 2010

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