Sassy Cow Creamery was just a dream for the Baerwolf families until 2008 when they changed that dream into a business reality. Working with the state and federally funded Dairy Business Innovation Center (DBIC), they finetuned the skills they would need to build a successful farmsteaddairy business.
I have worked hard to support the dairy industry in our state throughout my career. We fought to bring an end to anticompetitive regional dairy compacts and helped create the Milk Income Contract Program to help dairy farms stay in business when milk prices plummet. I also helped establish the DBIC, which has helped to grow our state’s specialty and dairy processing business.
Sassy Cow Creamery is only one of many examples of companies that have used the DBIC to help start and expand local dairy businesses.
Since 2004, the DBIC has assisted more that 175 dairy companies become more profitable. It helped create 43 new cheese-processing plants and expand 92 other plants increasing employment at these facilities by 20 percent.
Today, Wisconsin’s cheese processing plants are making some of the highest-quality cheese in the world. At the United States Championship Cheese contest in Madison earlier this year, Wisconsin cheesemakers captured more than half of the competition’s gold medals. This competition began 120 years ago and is the largest cheese and butter competition in the country.
Every year since 1937, June has been declared Dairy Month. The celebration allows us the chance to celebrate the contribution the dairy industry makes to communities across the country, both rural and urban.
Scattered throughout our state are more than 12, 000 dairyfarmers, 1, 200 cheesemakers and a number of dairy plants that contribute $26.5 billion to the state economy - supporting thousands of jobs.
So as you enjoy Wisconsin cheese, a slice of pizza, an ice cream cone or a glass of milk, I hope you take time to recognize the important contribution that the dairy industry makes to our state. Wisconsin is truly America’s Dairyland.
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