Importance of One Cow to the Economy
While the area has changed from a dairy area to more grain, the dairy industry is still very important. It makes substantial contributions to the…
While the area has changed from a dairy area to more grain, the dairy industry is still very important. It makes substantial contributions to the local economy.
Some folks seem to feel that cows are really not important to the economy, but don’t tell the cows that.
In a recent study in Iowa and reported by Hoard’s Dairyman, a well-respected publication, just one cow contributes $23,445 to the economy of that state. That figure can also be applied to one cow in this area.
One may be asking how one cow can add that much to an economy. Good question. Dollars earned from the milk produced and sold from that cow go right back into the local economy. One direct major production expense is feed purchased or raised, which goes into the economy. Others include veterinary services, nutrition services, farm equipment repairs and maintenance, employee costs, hauling expense and more.
Then, there are indirect expenses that include transportation after processing, interest costs, equipment dealers and many marketing costs.
All these businesses take local people to run them. The Iowa study said that for every dairy cow, 10 jobs are created.
Applying Iowa’s data to local conditions, one finds that the 6,800 milk cows in Ashtabula County add $159,426,000 to the local economy. It is a major contribution and one that goes unrecognized by many people. More urban Geauga County has about 2,900 cows making a contribution of $67,990,500 to the economy of that county. Trumbull County is listed with about 3,400 cows that would contribute $79,713,000.
Once the bills are paid to produce the milk from their herd of cows, dairy farmers hope there is money left to provide a reasonable family income. Money that will buy food, clothes for the family, heat their home, pay medical bills, provide transportation and save some for retirement.
All that money, in turn, goes right back into the local economy.
Dairy farmers support an active industry here in northeastern Ohio and across the state. There are over 272,000 cows in Ohio producing over 600,000,000 gallons of milk each year. Humans consume that milk in several forms, such as the milk they drink every day, many different kinds of cheeses, butter, ice cream, yogurt and more.
Milk and dairy products are also very safe foods. Because milk is highly perishable and is considered an essential food, especially for babies and growing children and also important for adults, it is the most inspected and regulated farm product one buys.
Milk does not contain antibiotics. With even the slightest hint of an antibiotic in a milk sample from a farm, that bulk tank of milk is rejected. The tanker load of milk at the processing plant is tested again before unloading and if somehow an antibiotic did get by, the entire tank load of milk is destroyed.
Then individual farm samples are tested again to locate the problem farm. An inspector visits that farm immediately to help find the problem and prevent any further contamination of its milk.
With today’s refrigeration and milking techniques, milk is cooled to 38 to 40 degrees after it has left the cow. Milk quality continues to improve. Somatic cell counts, a measure of quality, keep getting lower and lower and regulations more and more strict. It takes health and quality conscious dairy farmers to be successful.
So, drink up and enjoy that glass of milk, piece of cheese or dish of ice cream. It’s healthy and good for you.
Parker is an independent agricultural writer.
