Do You Know Vermont Dairy As Well as the Dairy Bowl Kids?
How Well Do You Know Vermont Dairy?
On March 7, nearly 50 Vermont kids ages 8 to 18 competed in the 2026 State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl at UVM — answering rapid-fire questions about breeds, nutrition, animal health, and the dairy industry. We put together 10 questions inspired by the kinds of things those kids were tested on, with a heavy Vermont angle. Think you can keep up with an 8-year-old from Addison County? Answers are at the bottom. No peeking.
1. Approximately how many dairy farms are currently operating in Vermont?
A) About 1,200 B) About 750 C) About 480 D) About 280
2. Which Vermont county is known as the state’s “dairy capital” and is the largest dairy-producing county in New England?
A) Addison County B) Orleans County C) Washington County D) Franklin County
3. What share of all milk produced in New England comes from Vermont?
A) About one-quarter B) About one-third C) About half D) About two-thirds
4. The Crowley Cheese Factory in Healdville is believed to be the oldest continuously operating cheese factory in America. When did the Crowley family begin commercial cheesemaking?
A) 1776 B) 1824 C) 1882 D) 1851
5. Which single dairy breed makes up about 90% of the U.S. dairy cow population?
A) Jersey B) Brown Swiss C) Guernsey D) Holstein
6. Vermont has the highest percentage of dairy sales as a share of total agricultural receipts of any state in the U.S. What is that percentage?
A) About 35% B) About 50% C) About 63% D) About 78%
7. In the 1890s, the Franklin County Creamery Association in St. Albans held what remarkable distinction?
A) First creamery to export butter to Europe B) Largest butter factory in the world C) First to use pasteurization in the U.S. D) Largest milk cooperative in North America
8. How many pounds of dairy products did the average American consume in 2023, tying a historic record?
A) About 430 pounds B) About 550 pounds C) About 661 pounds D) About 720 pounds
9. Which dairy breed generally produces milk with the highest fat and protein content?
A) Holstein B) Ayrshire C) Jersey D) Milking Shorthorn
10. Vermont’s dairy industry accounts for approximately how much in total annual economic activity statewide?
A) $1.2 billion B) $2.6 billion C) $5.4 billion D) $8.1 billion
Answers
1. C) About 480. According to Vermont Dairy Delivers, a 2025 report from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Vermont had approximately 480 dairy farms in 2024 — down from 868 just a decade earlier and more than 10,000 in 1950.
2. D) Franklin County. Franklin County has the highest concentration of dairy farms in Vermont and is the largest dairy-producing county in all of New England. Two-thirds of Vermont’s dairy farms are concentrated in just three counties: Franklin, Addison, and Orleans.
3. D) About two-thirds. Despite its small size, Vermont consistently produces about two-thirds (63%) of all milk in the New England region, supplying dairy to populated markets across New England and New York.
4. B) 1824. Commercial cheesemaking by the Crowley family began in their farm kitchen in 1824 — before the American cheese factory had even been invented. The current factory building was constructed in 1882 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2025, the current owners are seeking a buyer to carry the legacy forward.
5. D) Holstein. Holsteins — the iconic black-and-white (or occasionally red-and-white) cows — dominate U.S. dairy herds. They produce the most milk per cow of any breed. This is exactly the kind of question Vermont 4-H kids are tested on in the Quiz Bowl.
6. C) About 63%. Dairy accounts for about 63% of all farm sales in Vermont — the highest share in any U.S. state, making Vermont uniquely dependent on the health of its dairy sector.
7. B) Largest butter factory in the world. The Franklin County Creamery Association in St. Albans was the largest butter factory in the world in the 1890s — a testament to how central Vermont was to the American dairy industry even in the 19th century.
8. C) About 661 pounds. The average American consumed 661 pounds of dairy products in 2023, matching the record set in 2021 and the highest level since the late 1950s. Americans are drinking less fluid milk but eating far more cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream.
9. C) Jersey. Jerseys are known for producing the richest milk. While Holsteins produce more volume per cow, Jersey milk commands a premium for cheesemaking because of its high butterfat and protein content — a reason they’re popular on Vermont artisan dairy farms.
10. C) $5.4 billion. The Vermont dairy industry generates approximately $5.4 billion in annual economic activity — nearly 12% of the state’s entire gross domestic product. That’s up from $2.6 billion when a similar analysis was last conducted a decade ago.
Scoring
10 correct — Vermont Dairy Scholar. Perfect score. You could coach the 4-H team.
8-9 correct — Seasoned Vermonter. You clearly know your way around a dairy barn.
6-7 correct — Dairy Curious. Solid foundation. You’d hold your own at the county fair.
4-5 correct — Flatlander. Room to grow — but at least you showed up.
0-3 correct — Lost in the Pasture. The 8-year-olds in the Quiz Bowl would like a word.
About the 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl: The contest consists of a written assessment and rounds of verbal buzzer questions about animal health, nutrition, breeds, and the dairy industry. Think academic bowl, not football. Teams of four compete head-to-head with a moderator reading questions. Youth from Addison, Orleans, Franklin, Essex, Washington, and Windsor counties placed in the top finishers. The senior division winner was Sloan Nelson of Orleans County. To learn more about the 4-H Dairy program, contact UVM Extension State 4-H Livestock Educator Wendy Sorrell at wendy.sorrell@uvm.edu.
Sources: Vermont Dairy Delivers (Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 2025); Vermont History Explorer; Crowley Cheese; USDA Economic Research Service; National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl study materials; UVM Extension.