Grazing for Business

When California became the nation’s No. 1 dairy state a couple of years back, some farmers in Wisconsin, the erstwhile leader, “felt real bad about it,” said Pete Knigge, a Wisconsin dairyman who advises the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Hoping to tip the balance back in their favor, a Wisconsin contingent earlier this month ventured into the Golden State’s prime agricultural lands to tout Wisconsin’s cheaper land and feed costs and bigger profits on fluid milk.

In seminars in Chino, Visalia and Tulare, Knigge and others attempted to interest California dairy farmers in helping to replenish Wisconsin’s shrinking industry, where 10% of producers retire or go out of business each year.

The audiences were small but receptive. After all, high costs have spurred many Golden State dairy farmers to relocate lately, mostly to New Mexico and Idaho.

And to Californians worried about those frigid Upper Midwest winters, the visitors replied, “Cows tolerate cold better than heat.” The Wisconsinites expect to be back with a booth at February’s annual farm equipment show in Tulare.

Martha Groves can be reached by fax at (213) 237-7837 or by e-mail at martha.groves@latimes.com