American life in the 1800s looked vastly different than today. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the 1800s saw the newly established United States of America expand from a largely agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse. As the century progressed, droves of American citizens left a life of subsistence farming behind, lured to America’s growing cities    and a completely new way of life.

In 1800, the U.S. was a fledgling nation of just more than 5 million people. Throughout that century, as boatloads of new immigrants continued to arrive on American shores — often seeking refuge from persecution in their homelands, encouraged by the promise of a brighter tomorrow — they typically settled in cities, not in the country.

My own story intertwines with this transformative time in America. In the mid-1700s, before the birth of our nation, my Dutch-German father’s family moved from Europe to the wild lands that would eventually become Kentucky. They generally worked as farmers, living off the land.

But a century later, by the mid-1800s, times were changing. It was around then that my great-grandfather made the bold move to move off the farm, establishing a general store in Paducah. For a nickel, you would get a cold soda and a snack. My father remembers that snack as a cracker with some cheese, looking up at the men sitting around the cracker barrel, discussing the day’s concerns.

Times were changing, with industrialization fueling growth of our new American cities. The age of electricity was taking hold. Steel forged new fortunes. Petroleum processing was digging in just as the automobile was getting its start. By the end of the century, the U.S. had grown to a bustling nation of more than 72 million people.

That’s a lot of people to feed. So, the farming community got busy innovating. Because of our steadily increasing population, with strong concentration in urban areas, farming developed into an economic necessity. Without people growing their own crops, raising their own livestock, and milking their own cows, they increasingly relied on the ingenuity of farmers — and the local general store — for their sustenance.

For those early commercial dairy farmers, modern milking machines helped speed the process —and improved cleanliness and overall safety. The industry took a leap forward by establishing safety and hygiene standards at the turn of the century, followed by the prolonged introduction of pasteurization. The dairy industry was on a roll.

Just as America was poised to turn the page on a monumental century of progress, in 1899, the publication that would grow into Dairy Foods magazine was established to serve the information needs of the fast-growing American dairy industry.

Fast-forward 125 years, and — as we note in our annual State of the Industry coverage this month — the dairy industry reaches into more product areas than ever before, including a wide range of fortified beverages. These days, annual retail sales of core dairy products like milk, cream, ice cream, frozen dairy novelties, butter, cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, and cottage cheese products account for $86 billion in sales, as tracked by Circana. 

Our coverage also notes unit sales increases in natural cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, sour cream, ice cream, and cottage cheese, which has been having a moment. Dairy is always finding a way to innovate.

This month, as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of Dairy Foods, it has been a pleasure looking back at our long and storied path. We feel the ongoing influence, support and ingenuity of our predecessors every day. It is a great privilege to curate this esteemed publication. We feel gratitude every day for our readers and supporters.

So please join me in raising a glass of frosty, cold milk in a toast to a century-plus of dairy industry progress, and to 125 years of dairy publishing excellence at Dairy Foods magazine. Cheers to another 125 years — and beyond!