![[photo, Grazing cows, U.S. Naval Academy Dairy Farm, Gambrills, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/01glance/images/i003123a.jpg)
In 1998, milk was designated the State drink of Maryland (Chapter 220, Acts of 1998; Code General Provisions Article, sec. 7-314).
Found primarily in Frederick, which produces one-third of the State's milk, and Washington counties, most Maryland milk cows are Holsteins and can be recognized by their large black and white spots. As of 2019, Maryland had some 43,000 milk cows on 350 farms throughout the State.
Grazing cows, U.S. Naval Academy Dairy Farm, Gambrills, Maryland, June 1999. Photo by Diane P. Frese.
![[photo, Cow, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/36loc/an/images/1198-1-09980c.jpg)
Daily, a single cow can produce up to 8 gallons of milk, consume about 80 pounds of feed, and drink 30 to 40 gallons of water. Annually, each cow can produce an average of 19,535 pounds of milk. Milked twice a day, Maryland cows produced 840 million pounds of milk in 2019.
Milk Cow, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland, August 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
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