Believe it or not, dairy is Arizona’s highest grossing agricultural sector. Current revenue from the state's dairy industry totals about $871 million annually. Approximately 177,000 milk cows work in about 180 dairies across the state. Like farms and cattle ranches, many of these are family owned.
Arizona is ranked number twelve in the nation for milk production. In 2012, Arizona cows produced almost 400 million pounds of milk for cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy favorites. Some of these products travel around the world to Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Most dairies in Arizona are fairly large, keeping between 1,500 to 2,000 cows. Many remain family owned. Like any business dependent on animals or the weather, dairy farming has many risks. In 2009, rising feed costs mixed with a drop in demand overseas and soured the economic outlook for many small dairy farmers. Several dairies that had existed for generations were forced to close their doors. The past few years have seen the industry stabilize somewhat.