Page 8 - DairyOnThePrairie

6 Dairy on the Prairie

age Iowa dairy herd increasing from 9.7 cows in 1960 representing the Iowa dairy producer" specifically, re-

to 75 cows today but is still far below the national av- flecting a similarity to the Dairy Foundation's goal of
erage of 133 cows per dairy herd. New technologies refocusing attention on helping Iowa's dairy farmers.25

in genetics, feeding, nutrition and other practices have AWARD-WINNING Many producers have joined one of the huge re-
led to an increase in milk production per cow. As pro- gional co-ops—such as Associated Milk Producers Inc.

duction goes up, however, the number of herds de- IOWA CHEESES (AMPI), a co-op with 4,600 member farms in seven

clines. Iowa today has about 209,000 dairy cows, states—that have evolved out of dozens of smaller

down from over 1 million in 1955. Since 1998, Iowa Iowa cheeses today are well-regarded. They operations. As a result, milk production and op-

has lost approximately 25% of its dairy herds and include the famous gourmet Maytag Blue cheese, erator efficiency is up across the state. Yet, in-

6% of its dairy cows.21 made in Newton, Iowa, since 1941, and cheeses made at creased volume also helps to keep prices down,

Since the 1970s, dairy production in the na- Swiss Valley Farms® Luana plant, located in northeastern frustrating producers. Many are looking for
tion has been migrating to the West, with Ida- Iowa. The Swiss cheese manufactured here has won numer- ways to add value to their products.26

ho, New Mexico and Washington replacing ous national awards, and the plant's cream cheese was named Value-added strategies are proving suc-

Iowa, Ohio, and Missouri among the top ten second in the world at the 2002 World Champion Cheese cessful in Iowa. Some plants operate on a

milk-producing states. The number one contest. Another Iowa cheese that has recently garnered nation- large scale, such as Wells Dairy in LeMars,

dairy state in 2003 was California, where wide attention is Schwartz und Weiss Blue, which just started called the "Ice Cream Capital of the World."

large population centers and a favorable cli- production in 2004 at the new Golden Ridge Cheese Co-op in The huge complex packages over 2,000

mate have been conducive to large-scale Cresco. The co-op was formed a few years ago by Amish dairy dairy products, including Wells Blue Bun-

dairying. Iowa ranked 12th in 2003 both in farmers in northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. ny® and Haggen Dazs® ice cream, and em-
milk production and number of dairy cows.22 Following the practices once common to all dairy farmers in ploys over 1,900 people. Other large-scale

The number of dairy farms in Iowa has Iowa, their blue cheese is made with milk from cows milked plants operating in Iowa are Anderson Erick-

shrunk from 138,000 in 1955 to 2,500 today, by hand and cooled in traditional 80-pound cans with son Dairy®, Roberts Dairy®, ConAgra Dairy

placing the state seventh in number of dairies. winter-cut pond ice, rather than in bulk milk coolers. It Foods® Inc., and Swiss Valley Farms®. Small-

Today, the majority of Iowa's dairying farm fam- was declared best blue cheese in the nation at the July scale producers are also turning to this strategy

ilies live in northeast Iowa and own 72% of the 2004 meeting of the annual American Cheese ' in response to depressed bulk milk prices, which
state's dairy cows. Consolidation has also significant- Convention.20 reached a 27-year low in 2003. This approach has

ly reduced the number of processing plants in the in some cases actually led to a return to traditional

state, with the number of bottling plants contracting small-scale models such as creameries, as farmers look
from 146 in 1960 to just seven in 1995.23 to Iowa's dairying heritage for solutions.27

The drastic changes in Iowa's dairy industry over Other plants seeking to take advantage of the pre-

the half-century have been felt most acutely in North- mium prices available in the organic and natural foods

east Iowa, which has lost 18 dairy plants since 1995. niche markets include a processing facility unveiled

Because of the importance of dairying to the region, Northeastern Iowa Dairyman's Association. The in Clarinda in March 2004 as well as one in Kalona,

however, it has also become the center of a movement group, which instituted the first Dairy Cattle Congress, completed in 2003. Both facilities offer organic "natu-

in recent years through the Northeast Iowa Commu- was renamed the Iowa State Dairy Association in 1891. ral" (non-homogenized) milk, cream, butter and

nity-Based Dairy Foundation to revitalize Iowa's lag- By the 1980s, the IDSA had ceased to play a signifi- cheeses. The Clarinda plant was built to manufacture

ging dairy industry.24 cant role in the industry, its functions having been ice cream and liquid yogurt as well. The Kalona facil-

Statewide efforts to bolster dairy farming in the subsumed by the regional advertising and promotion ity was constructed in response to the need of Amish

state have included the restructuring of the Iowa State organizations which emerged after 1970. In 2001, how- dairy farmers for a plant that could process their milk

Dairy Association. Chartered by the state legislature ever, the IDSA board began a restructuring effort in- according to their cultural and religious principles. It

in 1876, the organization was originally known as the tended to "build the ISDA into an active voice handles milk from local Amish and Mennonite farm-