About Us

For more than 100 years, the title, “America’s Dairyland” has been Wisconsin’s claim to fame.  It’s a title Wisconsinites take seriously:  we wear it on our license plates, our t-shirts, and even the official state quarter.  And we do it by winning more awards for our cheese than any other state or country.  With more than 11,000 family-owned dairy farms, 1.24 million dairy cows, 1,214 cheesemakers and 211 dairy plants, the state’s dairy industry provides a $26.5 billion impact on Wisconsin’s economy.

However, “America’s Dairyland” is not a title Wisconsin takes for granted.  Since 2004, the Dairy Business Innovation Center - a not-for-profit organization led by a stakeholder board providing technical and marketing assistance to new and emerging specialty dairy businesses – has worked hard to assist dairy producers and processors innovate and grow the state’s dairy industry.

Since 2004, a team roster of 20 world-class consultants working for the DBIC have assisted hundreds of small, medium and large dairy companies become more profitable by developing new, value-added dairy products. In fact, in the past seven years, clients assisted by the DBIC have successfully launched 68 new specialty and artisan cheeses and dairy products into regional and national marketplaces. This unprecedented growth has resulted in the following statistics:

Record Specialty Cheese Production: today totals 552 million pounds, double the amount produced 10 years ago, and accounts for 21 percent of the state’s total cheese production.  A record number of 90 of the state’s 129 cheese plants craft at least one type of specialty cheese, up from 77 plants five years ago.

New and Expanded Dairy Processing Plants: In total, 43 new dairy processing plants have opened and 92 more have expanded in Wisconsin since the DBIC began in 2004. These numbers are in contrast to a trend in declining dairy plant numbers prior to 2004.

Today, Wisconsin’s dairy producers, dairy processors, state and federal government and industry leaders are partnering to make America’s Dairyland stronger than ever.  The Wisconsin dairy industry believes in its future and is building it one new dairy barn, one new specialty cheese and one new national market at a time.