>>>>Actually it always sounds to me like an unsavory practice involving sheep ...
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>>>Exactly. Or maybe cows.
>>>
>>>These days with two daughters in college in Wisconsin I get to do a fair amount of driving there. It really is a beautiful state. Lots of rolling hills and herds of cows. There is one particular place I pass by all the time on the way to Madison with probably a couple hundred cows and one goat. The goat always stands on a little edifice, master of all he sees. It makes me smile every time.
>>>
>>>You probably already know this but Wisconsin is no longer the dairy state in terms of milk production. Do you know what state it is? Take your time.
>>>
>>>California. There is a weird milk subsidy in the books based on distance from Wisconsin. I think it was originally instituted for Florida's benefit. On this point I fully agree with anyone that the federal government is nuts.
>>
>>California has been number 1 in cows milk production since 1993.
>>
>>http://www.californiadairypressroom.com/Press_Kit/Dairy_Industry_Facts
>>
>>The Irish side of my family since 1849 has been involved with dairy ranching in California. My grandfather grew up on his grandfather's dairy ranch in San Francisco.
>
>Dairy and Ranch. Somehow those two words just don't go together. To me a ranch is a huge area of practically barren ground (a bit like in Bonanza) and dairy is a farm with lush green grass and lots of rain.

I have had arguments with relatives in the dairy business as well as others as to the use of farm or ranch when it comes to the dairy business. What some have told me is this: “A farm grows crops and a ranch manages animals”! My uncle grew crops to feed his cows, and had a dairy. That was a bit confusing and as a child I did not know if it was a farm or ranch. My uncle called it a ranch so I went along with it.

Where my uncle's ranch is located is an area that gets little rain (Janesville, California), has a lake (Honey Lake) that is dry, snows in the Winter and is hot as hel* in the Summer. My uncle was in the Navy and when he got out said to my mom that he was going to move as far from the ocean as he could. He did a good job as his property is about 80 miles West of Reno, Nevada! :)