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Dairy Farm Numbers
The number of Vermont dairy farms has been dropping steadily for the past 50 years. In 1947 there were11,206 dairy farms in the state. Today there are fewer than 1,500. However, the total amount of milk produced by Vermont farms has nearly doubled in that same period (see table below). A Microsoft Excel speadsheet is available containing more detailed statistics, including a county-by-county breakdown for the past ten years.
Vermont's Dairy Farms, 1947-2003
| Year | # Dairy Farms | Net Loss/Gain | %Loss/Gain | # Cows (thousands) | Total Production (million pounds) | Production Per Cow (pounds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 11,206 | 275 | 1,490 | 5,420 | ||
| 1948 | 11,003 | (203) | -1.84% | 267 | 1,442 | 5,400 |
| 1949 | 11,084 | 81 | 0.73% | 265 | 1,537 | 5,800 |
| 1950 | 11,019 | (65) | -0.59% | 257 | 1,516 | 5,900 |
| 1951 | 10,608 | (411) | -3.87% | 250 | 1,495 | 5,980 |
| 1952 | 10,554 | (54) | -0.51% | 258 | 1,522 | 5,900 |
| 1953 | 10,637 | 83 | 0.78% | 272 | 1,646 | 6,050 |
| 1954 | 10,527 | (110) | -1.04% | 279 | 1,674 | 6,000 |
| 1955 | 10,229 | (298) | -2.91% | 283 | 1,726 | 6,100 |
| 1956 | 9,888 | (341) | -3.45% | 281 | 1,762 | 6,270 |
| 1957 | 9,512 | (376) | -3.95% | 271 | 1,802 | 6,650 |
| 1958 | 9,370 | (142) | -1.52% | 263 | 1,894 | 7,200 |
| 1959 | 8,793 | (577) | -6.56% | 258 | 1,858 | 7,200 |
| 1960 | 8,512 | (281) | -3.30% | 258 | 1,876 | 7,270 |
| 1961 | 8,465 | (47) | -0.56% | 260 | 1,963 | 7,550 |
| 1962 | 7,810 | (655) | -8.39% | 256 | 1,976 | 7,720 |
| 1963 | 7,127 | (683) | -9.58% | 250 | 1,998 | 7,990 |
| 1964 | 6,687 | (440) | -6.58% | 243 | 2,017 | 8,300 |
| 1965 | 6,083 | (604) | -9.93% | 233 | 2,055 | 8,820 |
| 1966 | 5,166 | (917) | -17.75% | 213 | 1,899 | 8,915 |
| 1967 | 4,729 | (437) | -9.24% | 204 | 1,830 | 8,971 |
| 1968 | 4,494 | (235) | -5.23% | 200 | 1,869 | 9,345 |
| 1969 | 4,264 | (230) | -5.39% | 195 | 1,920 | 9,846 |
| 1970 | 4,153 | (111) | -2.67% | 194 | 1,970 | 10,155 |
| 1971 | 4,083 | (70) | -1.71% | 195 | 2,025 | 10,285 |
| 1972 | 3,982 | (101) | -2.54% | 195 | 2,039 | 10,456 |
| 1973 | 3,852 | (130) | -3.37% | 191 | 1,948 | 10,199 |
| 1974 | 3,709 | (143) | -3.86% | 193 | 1,945 | 10,078 |
| 1975 | 3,688 | (21) | -0.57% | 193 | 2,009 | 10,409 |
| 1976 | 3,691 | 3 | 0.08% | 194 | 2,093 | 10,789 |
| 1977 | 3,531 | (160) | -4.53% | 191 | 2,100 | 10,995 |
| 1978 | 3,382 | (149) | -4.41% | 186 | 2,136 | 11,484 |
| 1979 | 3,347 | (35) | -1.05% | 183 | 2,179 | 11,907 |
| 1980 | 3,372 | 25 | 0.74% | 186 | 2,289 | 12,306 |
| 1981 | 3,356 | (16) | -0.48% | 187 | 2,298 | 12,289 |
| 1982 | 3,292 | (64) | -1.94% | 192 | 1,934 | 12,422 |
| 1983 | 3,216 | (76) | -2.36% | 193 | 2,157 | 12,902 |
| 1984 | 3,170 | (46) | -1.45% | 183 | 2,246 | 12,628 |
| 1985 | 3,113 | (57) | -1.83% | 188 | 2,156 | 12,819 |
| 1986 | 3,063 | (50) | -1.63% | 187 | 2,190 | 13,091 |
| 1987 | 2,771 | (292) | -10.54% | 180 | 2,309 | 13,389 |
| 1988 | 2,713 | (58) | -2.14% | 177 | 2,361 | 13,497 |
| 1989 | 2,534 | (179) | -7.06% | 163 | 2,225 | 14,337 |
| 1990 | 2,370 | (164) | -6.92% | 163 | 2,320 | 14,528 |
| 1991 | 2,381 | 11 | 0.46% | 164 | 2,376 | 14,683 |
| 1992 | 2,325 | (56) | -2.41% | 164 | 2,449 | 15,305 |
| 1993 | 2,265 | (60) | -2.65% | 162 | 2,476 | 15,457 |
| 1994 | 2,195 | (70) | -3.19% | 158 | 2,439 | 15,551 |
| 1995 | 2,047 | (148) | -7.23% | 157 | 2,520 | 16,210 |
| 1996 | 1,976 | (71) | -3.59% | 156 | 2,538 | 16,468 |
| 1997 | 1,908 | (68) | -3.56% | 160 | 2,511 | 16,250 |
| 1998 | 1,815 | (93) | -5.12% | 161 | 2,615 | 16,460 |
| 1999 | 1,782 | (33) | -1.85% | 160 | 2,680 | 16,938 |
| 2000 | 1,659 | (123) | -7.41% | 156 | 2,650 | 17,199 |
| 2001 | 1,565 | (94) | -6.01% | 153 | 2,645 | 17,444 |
| 2002 | 1,512 | (53) | -3.51% | 154 | 2,703 | 17,552 |
| 2003 | 1,459 | (53) | -3.63% | |||
Although the number of dairy farms has decreased dramatically, the amount of milk produced has not decreased. MIlk production per cow has risen.
In 1991, a milk cow in New England produced a little less than 15,000 pounds per year. By 2000, average annual production per cow in New England rose to just under 17,500 pounds per year.
2002 UVM Vermont Dairy Farm Practices Survey
In 2002, the University of Vermont surveyed Vermont dairy farms.
In 2002, the average herd size was 115.5 cows, while the median herd size was 70 cows. This means half of Vermont;s dairy farms had 70 cows or less in 2002.
61.9% of dairy farmers planted corn, and planted 111.4 acres of corn per farm.
More than 75% of dairy farmers rely on rented land. Hay is the most common crop on dairy farms.
Other Jobs
The majority of Vermont dairy farms earned some off -farm income.
Only 37.8% of Vermont dairy farms in 2002 did not have any source of off-farm income.
36.6% of farms earned more than $12,000 off the farm. 25.6% of farms earned less than $12,000 off-farm, but did work off the farm.