Creating Dairyland: How caring for cows saved our soil, created our landscape, brought prosperity to our state, and still shapes our way of life in Wisconsin

by Edward Janus

The story of dairying in Wisconsin is the story of how our very landscape and way of life were created. By making cows the center of our farm life and learning how to care for them, our ancestors launched a revolution that changed much more than the way farmers earned their living — it changed us.

In Creating Dairyland, journalist, oral historian, and former dairyman Ed Janus opens the pages of the fascinating story of Wisconsin dairy farming. He explores the profound idea that led to the remarkable "big bang" of dairying here a century and a half ago. He helps us understand why there are cows in Wisconsin, how farmers became responsible stewards of our resources, and how cows have paid them back for their efforts. And he introduces us to dairy farmers and cheesemakers of today: men and women who want to tell us why they love what they do. Ed Janus offers a sort of field guide to Dairyland, showing us how to "read" our landscape with fresh eyes, explaining what we see today by describing how and why it came to be. Creating Dairyland pays tribute to the many thousands of Wisconsin farmers who have found a way to stay on their land with their cows. Their remarkable effort of labor, intelligence, and faith is one of the great stories of Wisconsin.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History

232 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2011

Reviews

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun this was to read! I learned a lot about the genesis of large scale dairy farming in Wisconsin and found it fascinating reading how the different farm families adapted to the changing economics and issues of scale as the dairy industry evolved.

I loved the story of Hannah and how she is developing an expertise in breeding.

I was looking for the story of an organic farmer and was rewarded by the story of Bob Molini and how he chooses not to milk all winter because he wants time for other things in his life, he keeps his herd small and stays with the traditional way of raising cows. He and similar farmers are served by the Organic Valley Cooperative which helps them to buck the get bigger trend and farm the way that fits their life choices.

One of the sessions at the Wisconsin Book Festival this fall featured one of the farmers featured in this book, Mike Gingrich spoke about his journey to the creation of the award winning Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese. He shared some samples also. Three cheers for the farmers of Wisconsin!

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. Pretty hagiographic. Janus starts by telling us how WI farmers in the 1880's wrecked the soil by overfarming wheat. (Oddly, he never talks about the lumber boom prior to that which is what led to Europeans immigrating to WI and planting wheat). He goes on for half the book on that theme of how dairying saved Wisconsin. Then he shifts to stories about "today's farmers." Copyright 2011 so a bit dated reading in 2024. I didn't feel like he ever really showed us "how caring for cows saved our soil...brought prosperity...and still shapes our way of life." Certainly he's done a fairly good amount of research how dairying has changed since the late 19th century, and kudos for including the stories in the 2nd half of the book. But he's a bit scattershot in his arguments, talking about soil in one section, then cheese in the next. And on nearly every page there are takeouts from historical documents and pictures that interrupt the flow of the narrative. I was also hoping that the stories about the current farmers would show more of how agriculture has evolved from timber to wheat to dairy to ____. Like maybe hydroponics? Or shared use of farmland for crop/livestock production & solar/wind power? Or maybe even a discussion of how today's dairy farmers are dealing with climate change issues in the industry? Maybe I need a book that's more about Wisconsin Agriculture and less focused on historical dairying.

[Avery Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great way to learn about the history of Wisconsin as it relates to dairy farming. It was easy to digest being a compilation of articles from different farmers perspectives & experiences, and articles covering important historical information. I would highly recommend to any Wisconsinite. I liked learning about the role of genetics, the importance of a silo, how cheesemaking plays into a farm, and the different ways to farm dairy, that some are small with little technology, and some are state of the art. Now when I'm passing by a dairy farm, I have a different outlook and more understanding than I did before.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mooo-ving book. As a farm grandkid I saw firsthand the hard work and appreciation of the cow. The history of Wisconsin dairying was so interesting. We might take this State industry for granted but it was eye opening. The last half shared stories of various small, large, and other farmers.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative but a clunky read.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew you could make milking cows romantic, a good read for anyone from Wisconsin.