Feb. 27 2015 06:37 AM

Only 1,631 farms left, but it was still the 22nd yearly decline in a row.

dairy farm

"Get out while the getting is good" saw 1,631 U.S. dairies leave the industry in 2014.

According to data released earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), that was the fewest farms to exit the industry since licensed dairy numbers began being tracked in 1992. Even so, it was still the 22nd yearly decline in a row.

It is a trend that shows no sign of ending nor, frankly, does it have any reason to.

While the numeric drop was the smallest ever, the 3.5 percentage dip was in line with figures seen since 2008. In fact, 3.5 percent was the average loss from 2008 to 2011, when milk producers struggled to recover from the industry's historic financial collapse in 2008-09.

A handful of figures stand out among the 2014 USDA data:
  • Only one state increased dairy farm numbers – Pennsylvania, by a staggering 170. I will not be surprised if this number is revised downward when USDA publishes its 2015 data.
  • Dairy numbers were unchanged in 11 states.
  • The largest decline by any state (570 farms) was in the largest one, Wisconsin, which is not surprising.
  • Other states losing at least 100 dairies were Minnesota (-260) and Ohio (-120).
  • Minnesota's loss is especially noteworthy because it is the eighth largest milk state in the country, and no state with at least 1,000 farms came close to its 6.7 percent decline.
Licensed U.S. Dairy Farm Numbers:
2013 2014
Alabama 45 40
Alaska 3 2
Arizona 110 100
Arkansas 85 75
California 1,535 1,485
Colorado 130 120
Connecticut 130 130
Delaware 40 40
Florida 130 130
Georgia 240 230
Hawaii 2 2
Idaho 550 530
Illinois 745 690
Indiana 1,315 1,265
Iowa 1,425 1,370
Kansas 325 315
Kentucky 780 720
Louisiana 130 120
Maine 300 280
Maryland 470 450
Massachusetts 155 150
Michigan 2,030 1,950
Minnesota 3,865 3,605
Mississippi 100 85
Missouri 1,290 1,230
Montana 70 70
Nebraska 200 190
Nevada 20 20
N. Hampshire 120 120
New Jersey 75 65
New Mexico 140 130
New York 5,040 4,950
North Carolina 250 250
North Dakota 110 100
Ohio 2,930 2,810
Oklahoma 180 170
Oregon 260 250
Pennsylvania 7,200 7,370
Rhode Island 15 15
South Carolina 80 80
South Dakota 275 255
Tennessee 390 370
Texas 460 440
Utah 220 210
Vermont 930 880
Virginia 640 630
Washington 480 480
West Virginia 80 75
Wisconsin 10,860 10,290
Wyoming 20 10
U.S. total 46,975 45,344


Dennis blog footer

The author has served large Western dairy readers for the past 37 years and manages Hoard's WEST, a publication written specifically for Western herds. He is a graduate of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, majored in journalism and is known as a Western dairying specialist.