California dairy industry

Dairy is a significant part of the agricultural output of the state of California. California ranks first out of the fifty states in dairy production. The state has about 1,300 dairy farms and 1.727 million dairy cows. The state produces nearly 20 percent of all U.S. milk.

History
The first cows were brought to California by the Spanish. The cows provided them a source of meat and milk to make butter.

The Inland Empire, formerly one of California's largest areas for dairy farming, has lost a significant amount of land to real estate development.

In 2011, PETA sued California agriculture officials and the California Milk Advisory Board for what they claimed was a false and misleading "Happy Cows" ad campaign.

In 2018, the Trump trade war led China to put retaliatory tariffs on US dairy products. This led to major losses among California dairy farmers.

Environmental impact
Water scarcity in California and other states in the American west has led to concerns about large users of water such as the dairy industry. Water usage for cattle feed crops represent 70% of the entire Colorado river usage, of which the California dairy industry is a major contributor. Pastures for cattle are often irrigated, ranking third in California's water when placed against water usage for the various crops grown in the state.

Environmental impacts extend beyond usage of scarce water. The dairy industry additionally makes up 44% of California's methane emissions as of 2018. This mainly originates from the cattle's manure and enteric fermentation.

Appearances in popular culture

 * Visiting... with Huell Howser
 * Episode 410
 * Episode 1408
 * California's Gold Episode 14020