What is the largest dairy farm in Florida?

BELL, Fla. – Twenty-nine years ago Don Bennink moved across the country from New York to Florida. Today, he is the primary owner of the largest single-location dairy operation in the state of Florida.

Are there dairy farms in Florida?

On The Farm Lafayette and Okeechobee are Florida’s leading dairy counties. Most Florida dairy herds range in size from 150 cows to 5,000 cows. Florida’s dairy farms are primarily owned and operated by second and third-generation farmers.

How many dairy farms are there in Florida?

Florida has around 130 active dairy farms containing some 123,000 cows that produce approximately 277 million gallons of milk each year. The state ranks first in the Southeast and 19th nationally in dairy production. Lafayette and Okeechobee are Florida’s leading dairy counties with 40 farms between them.

Does Florida have dairy cows?

Today, most dairy farms in Florida have between 500 and 1000 cows, and several huge mega-dairies have over 3000 cows! The lives of dairy cows are a bleak cycle of pregnancy, birth and milking to provide one thing—milk for human consumption. The heat and humidity of Florida’s climate makes life difficult for dairy cows.

Where does Florida get milk from?

There are about 125,000 dairy cows in Florida that collectively produce about 300 million gallons of milk a year. Lafayette and Okeechobee counties are the top 2 producing milk counties in Florida.

What is the largest dairy farms in the US and where are they located?

Fair Oaks is one of the largest dairy farms in the United States. It houses 30,000 cows and produces enough milk to slake the thirst of the entire city of Chicago, which is located 75 miles to the north.

Where does milk in Florida come from?

Lafayette and Okeechobee counties are the top 2 producing milk counties in Florida. Cow Nutr ion: What Do Cows Eat? Dairy farmers use water responsibly and often recycle it to use on their crops or to clean their milking parlors and barns.

Where are most dairy farms located?

Most major milk-producing States are in the western and northern areas of the country. The top five milk production States in 2020 were California, Wisconsin, Idaho, New York, and Texas.

What is the number one dairy state?

California
California was the leading U.S. state in terms of the overall number of milk cows, with a total of over 1.7 million milk cows as of 2021. The total number of milk cows on farms in the United States shows that California holds a significant share of the total number of milk cows in the country.

What state has the best milk?

California is the number one producer of dairy products in the US, followed by Wisconsin and Idaho….Top Milk Producing US States.

Rank 1
State California
Milk production in pounds 40,564,000,000
% of total 18.57%

What is the number one dairy state in the US?

The total number of milk cows on farms in the United States shows that California holds a significant share of the total number of milk cows in the country. Unsurprisingly, California is also the leading milk producing state in the United States.

What are the top 5 dairy states?

The top five milk production States in 2020 were California, Wisconsin, Idaho, New York, and Texas. These States collectively produced more than 50 percent of U.S. milk supply. Generally, milk cows perform best in areas with dry, cool weather.