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Part of USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar
Tour of America's Dairyland: June 21st - July 1st, 2012
  • Got Chocolate Milk?

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  • Cartoon CowChocolate Milk is the perfect refueling beverage for fluid, protein and carbs.It takes 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream and 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.According to the NPD Group’s National Eating Trends In-Home Database, the top five ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip and butter pecan.Wisconsin cheesemakers produce more than 2.6 billion pounds of cheese each year. If Wisconsin were a country, it would rank 4th in the world in terms of total cheese production, behind the US, Germany and France, and just ahead of Italy.Average milk production per Wisconsin cow each year is 20,625 pounds (or 2,398 gallons). That’s enough for 38,372 8 oz. glasses of milk from just one cow!Wisconsin produces more than 600 different varieties, types and styles of award-winning cheeses. Wisconsin Cheese wins more awards than any other state or nation.The first ice cream sundae was served in Two Rivers, Wis. in 1881. George Hallauer, a customer at Edward C. Berner’s soda fountain in Two Rivers, asked Edward to top off his dish of ice cream with the chocolate sauce used for chocolate sodas. The new concoction caught on and was originally offered only on Sundays.The average American eats nearly 33 pounds of cheese each year – twice as much as in 1975 – and will consume about one ton of cheese during a lifetime! Per capita cheese consumption is projected to grow to more than 34 pounds by 2019.With nearly 33 pounds per capita consumption in 2009, the United States ranks far behind many European countries for per capita consumption of cheese. Greece ranks 1st with 72 pounds per capita and France is 2nd with 53 pounds per capita.If people ate like cows, they would have to eat about 360 cheeseburgers and drink 400 to 800 glasses of water every day.Wisconsin’s diverse dairy business accounts for more than 1/5th of the nation’s total dairy exports.Wisconsin produces an average of nearly 2.2 billion pounds of milk each month!The average dairy cow weighs about 1,400 pounds, which is approximately the same size as Alaska’s record-breaking polar bear.One of the biggest contributors to the outstanding taste of Wisconsin Cheese is the state’s rolling pasturelands. Full of prairie grasses, clover and wildflowers, the grass is less acidic than that in other parts of the country, creating more complex and nuanced cheeses.Wisconsin is home to 211 dairy plants – including 126 plants manufacturing Wisconsin cheese.Mrs. Anne Picket began operating Wisconsin’s first cheese factory in 1841 on the family farm near Lake Mills. By 1850, Pickett and other Wisconsin farmers were producing 400,000 pounds of cheese and 3,634,000 pounds of butter.Wisconsin produces 48% of all specialty cheeses in the nation. In addition, 90% of Wisconsin cheese is sold outside of our state’s borders in major markets all across the country, bringing millions of dollars back into our economy.Wisconsin has about 1,200 licensed cheesemakers – more than any other state!Wisconsin cheesemakers produce more than 600 different varieties, types and styles of cheese.In the 2011 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, Wisconsin won 60% of all awards given, including the top three awards – U.S. Champion, and First and Second Runner-Up.Wisconsin cheesemakers have claimed the Best of Show award at the annual American Cheese Society Judging & Competition 7 times since 1998.In 1921, Wisconsin became the first state to establish cheese-grading standards to ensure consistent quality and flavor.The average American eats nearly 33 pounds of cheese each year—more than twice as much as in 1975—and will consume about one ton of cheese during a lifetime! Per capita cheese consumption is projected to top 34 pounds by 2019.Wisconsin is the nation's largest producer of Cheddar cheese. The state also leads in production of Limburger, Muenster, Parmesan, Provolone and Romano.Colby cheese is a Wisconsin original, invented in Colby, Wisconsin in 1874.Brick cheese was invented in Wisconsin in 1875 and was named for its shape and for the fact that cheesemakers originally used bricks to press the moisture from the cheese.Wisconsin's dairy industry contributes $26.5 billion a year to the state's economy. This translates into an industry which fuels the state's economy at more than $50,000 per minute.Dairy is the largest segment of Wisconsin's $59 billion agriculture industry. The dairy industry accounts for almost 40% of all Wisconsin agriculture jobs, employing 146,200 people in the state.The average Wisconsin dairy cow generates more than $20,000 a year in economic activity. These dollars circulate throughout the local community, helping to support schools, roads and local businesses.Wisconsin leads the nation in both the number and diversity of dairy farms. Our more than 12,000 dairy farms include rotational grazing operations, organic producers, and conventional dairy operations of all sizes.Over 99% of Wisconsin's farms are family owned. Many of our dairy farms have been in operation for generations, and are continuing to involve the next generation of family members.There are over 300 different career options associated with the dairy business – making dairy an excellent choice for young people in our state.Wisconsin is the first state to establish a dairy research center (1986). The Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, helps companies develop new dairy products, new uses and new technologies.
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