Unfortunately, California dairy farmers have been plagued by challenges over the last decade. For one thing, national milk consumption has been on a precipitous downswing since 1975 (down 42% overall), owing, initially to Americans consuming more sugar-sweetened beverages, and more recently, to Americans turning increasingly to plant-based “milks”, per USDA’s Economic Research Service. In addition, a rising tide of animal cruelty claims against dairy farmers appears to have eaten into U.S. demand for dairy, as The New York Times reported in December 2020.
