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Letter: Dairy cows not a good use of California’s scarce water 

Coalition response…California’s dairy industry leads the nation because of one thing: efficiency. It is simply more efficient to raise cows in a mild climate than it is in a state where freezing temperatures dominate a significant part of the year. As a result, California’s dairy cattle out-produce Wisconsin by an average of 2,021 pounds per cow per year, nearly 10% more efficient yield. Dairy products are an important staple in the American diet. The fact that more water is required to produce a serving of cheese as opposed to a serving of tomatoes is irrelevant. Californians are rightly proud of our ability to efficiently produce a diverse food supply here in California.