2018 survey data by NASS shows that Michigan’s dairy farmers have expanded their herds since the last census while farm numbers are down. Milk cows actually increased 17 percent to 442,000 although we did see a good decrease in the number of milk cow operations, 251 fewer operations than we had in 2012. Results from the 2017 Census show milk sales were up for the state making it the 7th largest dairy state in the nation. Survey data by NASS does show the herd size declined 6,000 over the past year and the number of dairy farms is continuing to decrease.
