Dairy is Vermont's leading agriculture industry, accounting for 70% of all agricultural sales. Dairy is so significant to the Green Mountain State that an image of a cow (a brown cow at that) has been incorporated in the state seal.
The 850-plus dairy farms in Vermont are small by U.S. standards, with more than 80% milking fewer than 200 cows. Milk from the state's 134,000 cows is primarily used to produce cheese, but is also consumed as fluid milk or used to manufacture ice cream, butter and yogurt.
While dairy farms can be found in every county in Vermont, two of every three are clustered in Franklin and Orleans Counties in the north and Addison County on the western side of the state.
Registered Jerseys
Most of the cows in Vermont are Holsteins or Jerseys, the small brown cows known for their nutrient-dense milk.
The New England region, which includes Vermont, has been termed the "Cradle of the Jersey Business" because breeders across the country have traveled to New England to purchase breeding stock for their herds.
Jersey breeders from Vermont are also active in the Jersey community, locally and nationally.
To learn more about Vermont Jersey cows and those who care for her, peruse the website. To learn more about Jersey milk, visit the website of National All-Jersey Inc. To find a Queen of Quality producer who makes dairy products from Jersey milk, visit this page.
