Start spreading the moos — be part of National Dairy Month with ‘Wisconsin Life’

Meet the farmers, savor the flavors and commemorate an essential pillar of our state’s heritage with Wisconsin Life this June during National Dairy Month.

Visit Wisconsin’s creameries, dairy farms, cheese factories and pasteurizing plants to sample a diverse collection of humorous, surprising, emotional and thought-provoking stories that illustrate why the dairy industry in the Badger State is the cream of the crop.

Dairy farm life

When Rosario Ibarra arrived from Mexico for her internship, she had never seen a Holstein cow. Ibarra now runs one of Manitowoc County’s largest dairy farms. It’s a tireless job that has become a lifestyle.

Windmill Ice Cream, an iconic Northwoods institution

Built in 1939 as a Sinclair gas station, the Dutch-style windmill building in Tomahawk evolved into the Berg family’s ice cream shop — Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe — in 1993. Now a Northwoods landmark, the shop offers over 100 rotating flavors while serving generations of families by boat and car.

45 years covering Wisconsin’s dairy industry for The Milkweed

Pete Hardin is editor and publisher of The Milkweed, a monthly dairy economics report he founded in 1979. He shows generous heart and drive in his work, visiting Wisconsin dairy farms and cheese plants while maintaining personal relationships with hundreds of industry sources.

Dairy testers

States like California may cultivate wine taste testers, but here in Wisconsin, we develop dairy taste testers. For years, University of Wisconsin-Madison Emeritus Professor of Food Science Bob Bradley taught a course in “sensory evaluation,” training students to be taste testers of dairy products.

Scientific research on cow comfort

It’s generally thought in the dairy industry that a happy cow is a productive cow. But how can you tell if a cow is happy? That’s where scientists like Jennifer Van Os come in. Van Os is an animal welfare specialist with the University of Wisconsin who works with dairy producers to improve conditions for their herds.