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Pepin County Dairy Breakfast 2024

Pepin County Dairy Breakfast 2024

By: Senator Jeff Smith

June is my favorite time of the year for many reasons. The weather is absolutely beautiful, school is out and people are generally in a great mood during my Stop N’ Talk events. But most of all, I love spending time meeting people and getting to know the farmers who host our County Dairy Breakfast events. 

For over 50 years, dairy breakfast events have been an iconic staple of our great Wisconsin summers. They are a great time to visit a family-owned farm, eat some amazing, locally grown food and make some memories with your family. It’s also a great time to celebrate all that our dairy industry does for each of us in the state.

Wisconsin has celebrated June Dairy Month with dairy breakfasts in nearly every county. Each year a different farm will host a dairy breakfast in their county, making it even more fun and interesting. Anyone can attend, and they do by the thousands. You’ll find hundreds of people in line for delicious pancakes, waffles, milk, cheese curds and ice cream served by the host family and volunteers from the area.

While our state is a national leader in cranberry and potato production, dairy is still king in Wisconsin. Despite the loss of many farms in our state, we’ve still held on to the title of America’s Dairyland – and for good reason.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), we have 1.28 million cows and almost 5,500 dairy farms in Wisconsin, which is more than any other state. Dairy alone accounts for $45.6 billion to our economy in Wisconsin. If these numbers didn’t convince you, the fact that Packer fans wear foam cheesehead hats to games is evidence enough that we take our title of America’s Dairyland very seriously. 

Year after year, Wisconsin cheesemakers prove their products are incomparable. From Colby to aged Sharp Cheddar; from Gouda to Asiago; from string cheese to cheese curds, we’re spoiled here with the best tasting cheeses in the world. With over 1,200 licensed cheesemakers producing over 600 types of cheeses, we have almost twice as many cheese choices than any other state. Our cheesemakers produce 25% of the cheese consumed in America, which amounted to 3.51 billion pounds in 2023, including a whopping 942 million pounds of specialty cheeses.

Dairy breakfasts are more than just about the food, though. It’s about learning where our milk comes from. As visitors meander around the grounds, they’re able to take hay rides, examine the latest equipment and even watch demonstrations. Of course, the animals are often the main attraction for young kids.

Dairy breakfasts have proven to be extremely successful over the years. Host families put in a lot of work to make it a memorable experience for every visitor. Show your appreciation for our farmers and members of Wisconsin’s agricultural industry by visiting a dairy breakfast this June. Find your nearest dairy breakfast at WisconsinDairy.org and bring the family out this month to enjoy some live music, farm activities and the best breakfast you could ask for.

So, what are you waiting for? Go to www.wisconsindairy.org and plan on attending one (or all) of these Dairy Breakfast events in our area: