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1830s
Pioneering Wisconsin farm wives begin making "kitchen" cheese from milk produced by their herds.
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1839
Just before large waves of Northeastern United States immigrants arrive in Wisconsin, the value of dairy products made in Wisconsin amounts to only $35,677.
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1841
Anne Pickett of Lake Mills makes the first official Wisconsin cheese by adding milk from her neighbor's cows to that of her own small herd.
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1840s-1850s
European immigrants begin arriving in Wisconsin and within a generation, Wisconsin’s landscape is dotted with dairy farmers from 50 different ethnic backgrounds.
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1850
The 1850 census records reveal 90% of the state's population lives on farms and 400,283 pounds of cheese are made in Wisconsin.
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1855
Wheat production in Wisconsin drastically decreases as the chinch bug and depleted soils make dairying an economical agriculture opportunity.
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1859
Hiram Smith, a farmer and a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, founds a full-scale cheese factory.
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1864
Chester Hazen builds the first traditional cheese factory in Fond du Lac County, in the town of Ladoga.
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1872
The Wisconsin Dairymen's Association is formed to provide leadership for the growing industry. The association begins to market Wisconsin cheese.
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1877
John Jossi, Swiss native from Dodge County, invents a Wisconsin original, brick cheese.
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1880
Wisconsin surpasses Ohio in cheese production becoming second to New York.
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1885
Colby cheese, a soft open textured cheese, is invented in Colby, Wisconsin by John Steinwand.
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1888
William D. Hoard, who founded Hoard's Dairyman, "a journal devoted to dairy farming," in 1885, is elected as the 16th governor of Wisconsin symbolizing the rise of dairying.
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1890
Dairying achieves academic recognition with the establishment of the first dairy school in the nation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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1890
Stephen Babcock, an agriculture research chemist, develops the Babcock test, a simple method of measuring the butterfat content of milk. Later, in 1895, Babcock discovers the natural milk enzyme galactase, which aids cheese ripening.
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1891
Franklin King, a professor of natural science at River Falls State Normal School, develops the round silo. The silo is said to solve feed storage issues over the winter on dairy farms.
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1893
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is founded, and soon after launches an annual Wisconsin cheese contest. Adolph Schoenman is the first secretary of WCMA.
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1899
Wisconsin has 1,500 factories located at rural crossroads where farmers can deliver their daily milk. More than 90 percent of Wisconsin farms raise dairy cows. Cheese production stands at 77,848,600 pounds.
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1910
Wisconsin surpasses New York to become the nation's number 1 cheese producer.
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1912
Wisconsin officially becomes the leading dairy state in the nation, producing more milk, butter and cheese than any other.
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1920
Wisconsin becomes the first state to create rules and regulations for milk and other dairy products ensuring clean milk is entering the marketplace.
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1921
Wisconsin becomes the first state to grade its cheese for quality. Quality assurance, coupled with Wisconsin's central location for distribution, enables the industry to continue to grow rapidly. By 1922, more than 2,800 cheese factories exist in the state.
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1923
UW–Madison biochemistry professor Harry Steenbock develops a method to increase the vitamin D content in foods like milk, a discovery that would over the ensuing 20 years eliminate the crippling childhood bone disease known as rickets.
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1935
The number of Wisconsin farms with dairy cows reaches its highest point at 180,695 farms.
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1937
June Dairy Month begins in the United States as "National Milk Month."
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1939
The legislature adds the phrase "America's Dairyland" to the state's license plates, a title that Wisconsin officially earned in 1930.
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1940
Dairy farmers voluntarily begin contributing to the American Dairy Association of Wisconsin to market and promote consumption of milk and dairy products.
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1940
Wisconsin Governor Julius P. Heil signs the official proclamation for the state's first observance of June Dairy Month.
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1948
Margaret McGuire becomes the first "Alice in Dairyland," a program established to promote Wisconsin's dairy industry nationwide. Today, Alice remains one of the state's most visible dairy spokespeople.
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1957
John Rediske of Plymouth, Wisconsin, wins the first World's Cheddar Championship Contest, the predecessor of WCMA's biennial World Championship Cheese Contest.
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1964
The Wisconsin Cheese Foundation sponsors the development of the world's largest cheese for display at the New York World's Fair. The mammoth cheddar weighs in at more than 17 tons.
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1967
The first World Dairy Expo is held in Madison, Wisconsin.
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1970
The first organized dairy breakfast is held at Craig and Laura Beane's farm in Jefferson County.
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1972
Wisconsin cheese production surpasses one billion pounds.
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1972
Wisconsin Dairy Products Association is established to represent fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, dried milk and dried whey segments. The association provides educational opportunities for its members to improve their businesses and the overall dairy business climate.
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1983
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, (WMMB) an organization created by dairy farmers to promote Wisconsin cheese and other dairy products across the nation, is formed.
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1986
With start-up funding from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, the Center for Dairy Research at UW-Madison is established.
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1988
The "Belle of Wisconsin," a mammoth, 20-ton block of cheddar, begins a yearlong tour of the United States.
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2003
After 81 years as an independent organization, the Wisconsin Dairy Council joins the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board as its nutrition education arm.
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2004
As part of its 50 State Quarters® program, the United States Mint releases a Wisconsin quarter featuring a cow and a wheel of cheese.
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2006
WMMB brings CowParade, the largest and most successful public art event around the world, to Wisconsin.
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2009
Wisconsin Fuel up to Play 60, a partnership of the Wisconsin Dairy Council, National Dairy Council and the National Football League, kicks off. The initiative tackles nutrition and exercise issues with elementary school students.
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2012
Wisconsin Dairy's economic impact equals $43.4 billion.
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2014
With the addition of the 35th biodigester, Wisconsin leads the nation in converting manure into renewable energy.
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2016
Wisconsin continues its domination of the World Championship Cheese Contest and claims the World Champion Cheese title, judged the best cheese in the world.
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2017
Today, approximately 9,000 dairy farms, with 1.28 million cows each producing over 23,000 pounds of milk per year, continue the reputation for quality milk from Wisconsin.