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Dairy Cattle History

Dairy cattle did not arrive in the U.S. until 1624. That year, they were brought to the Plymouth Colony (which is Massachusetts today). Until the early 1900s, dairy cattle were primarily used to supply milk directly to the farmer. But at the beginning of the 20th century, more people began to move into cities. Farmers needed to increase production to provide dairy products to people who did not have the room or ability to raise their own cattle. Advancements in technology, including automated milking machines, helped make this possible.

Today there is at least one dairy cattle farm in each state in the U.S. Wisconsin and California are the leading milk producers. Minnesota ranks seventh in number of milk cows.