READ MORE FROM OUR “MILK” FEATURE HERE.
What Makes Milk, Milk?
Needless to say, the dairy industry is a bit sensitive about these plant-based milks – or “milks,” we guess – encroaching on its territory in its own name. With that in mind, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) last year introduced a bill to prohibit the sale of foods that use the market name of a dairy product “unless the food is the milk of a hooved animal, is derived from such milk, or contains such milk as a primary ingredient.” As of early April, no action had been taken on the bill.
What is Milk Made of?
- 87% water
- 3.1% protein
- 4.9% lactose
- 3.5% fat
- 0.2% minerals
Milk in Wisconsin By the Numbers
- Over 3.74 billion gallons of milk were produced in Wisconsin in 2023.
- Wisconsin accounted for 14% of U.S. milk production in 2023
- The Dairy Industry Contributes $45.6 billion to Wisconsin’s economy each year.
- 95% of Wisconsin’s dairy farms are family-owned.
- A typical cow produces 245 gallons of milk per month. That’s 2,940 gallons per cow per year!
