By Anson Tebbetts - Vermont Secretary of Agriculture
It was so gratifying to see so many Vermonters and those around the region celebrating dairy last month. The annual “June is Dairy Month” continues to deliver and so does dairy.
From the parades to the special events, it was a busy month for dairy. Governor Phil Scott issued a proclamation recognizing dairy saying, “the state of Vermont looks to continue to honor our dairy farmers and the positive impact they have on communities within the state.”
Let’s look at a few of the facts on why dairy is important to Vermont and our lives. It’s impressive data.
In 2023 VT cheeses received 142 domestic and international cheese awards, including:
- 51 awards at the Big E
- 44 awards at American Cheese Society
- 24 awards at International Cheese & Dairy Contests
- 23 awards at Guild of Fine Foods World Cheese Awards
Vermont’s dairy industry contributes jobs
- 3,813 direct jobs
- 9,632 indirect jobs
- 13,400 total jobs
DOLLARS
- $1.6B direct economic impact
- $2.6B indirect economic impact
- $4.23 Billion total economic impact
- $54.2M in exports
- $812.3M in total wages (this includes direct, supplier, induced)
As of Jan 2024
- 116,000 dairy cows
- Produce 21,675 lbs. of milk per cow
- Total milk production = 2,536,000,000 pounds
Dairy products make up nearly 60% of Vermont’s agricultural economy. June may be behind us but let’s keep honoring and celebrating our dairy farmers and those who make a living from dairy. It’s worth celebrating every day.
Anson Tebbetts
Secretary