Final answer:
Tulare, California is the top dairy county in the U.S. based on the amount of milk marketed. California produces more milk than any other state due to the high demand for milk in regions with large populations. The map of milk production in the U.S. follows the map of the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tulare, California is indeed the top dairy county in the U.S. based on the amount of milk marketed. Despite not having a reputation as a dairy state, California produces more milk than any other state. This is due to the high demand for milk in regions with large populations, such as California, which has the largest population in the country.
The map of milk production in the U.S. follows the map of the population because milk is perishable and needs to be transported quickly to the market. Each large city has a regional hinterland of milk production known as a milkshed.
Improvements in refrigeration and transport speed have expanded the radius of milksheds to over 500 miles. This means that milksheds no longer have a 50-mile radius as they once did. Instead, they cover a much larger area surrounding cities with high demand for milk.