Let’s Celebrate the Tennessee Dairy Industry
Each June we celebrate National Dairy Month. National Dairy Month highlights the dairy industry in the United States, with many in the agriculture sector celebrating through events, educational opportunities, and—of course—a glass of milk!
In honor of National Dairy Month this June, we will be looking at the impact of dairy in each state within The Dairy Alliance’s eight-state region: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
So far, we have highlighted the dairy industry in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The next state is Tennessee!
Tennessee became a state in 1796. Its land is comprised of 42,143 square miles. Today, Tennessee has a population of roughly 7 million people. The state beverage is milk, which is perfect for June’s festivities!
According to the 2023 USDA and NASS Data compiled by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Tennessee has 123 dairy farms with a typical herd of about 192 milking cows. Each of these approximately 25,000 dairy cows produces an average of 7.1 gallons of milk per day. The average value of a day’s milk per cow was about $13 in 2023. In 2023, a dairy cow in Tennessee cost about $1,430. The total amount of milk produced in 2023 in Tennessee equaled 56 million gallons, or 481.6 million pounds.
The milk collected from these farms can be used to make a variety of dairy products. You can easily find local milk according to the code on the packaging. Simply locate the code on the product and plug it into a locator to find where your milk is from. You’ll begin to recognize the codes and notice when your milk is from a town over or just across the state line. You may be surprised by how much of your dairy is local. Within 48 hours of leaving the dairy farm, milk is on store shelves, so you will discover a variety of local milk options to enjoy every day.
These dairy farmers are part of your community. You can explore some of Tennessee’s dairy farms through virtual farm tours, including the Flowers family of Flowers Creamery, the Mason family of Harmonyway Dairy Farm, the Sparkman family of Sparkman Farms, the Stooksbury family of Stooksbury Dairy and Creamery, and the students at Middle Tennessee State University Dairy Farm and University of Tennessee Little River Animal and Environmental Unit. Meet some of the state’s dairy farm families here.
The top three milk-producing counties in Tennessee are Loudon, Bradley, and McMinn.
According to the International Dairy Foods Association’s Dairy Delivers economic map, the United States’ dairy industry supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic impact. The direct economic impact of the Tennessee dairy industry is $4,393,646,900. There are 20,603 direct jobs and $904,389,500 in direct wages. Tennessee contributes $1,040,924,000 in total taxes and $10,867,000 in total annual exports.
In addition to the economic impact, the industry also creates delicious dairy foods for locals to enjoy! The most consumed dairy product in Tennessee is cheese, followed closely by ice cream. And really, are you surprised by these beloved foods?
From the farm to your table, local dairy farmers are positively impacting your life. This National Dairy Month, raise a glass to the local dairy industry.
This National Dairy Month, follow along as we explore each state’s part of the nation’s dairy industry.
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