As friends and family gather for the holidays, Americans are expected to purchase 161 million pounds of butter from the second week in November through Christmas. While butter sales usually increase during the holidays, the pandemic, which spiked a rebirth of home cooking, has also caused butter sales to grow significantly year-round, according to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
Suzanne Fanning, senior vice president with Madison, Wis.-based Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, said that the organization saw a 400% spike in recipe searches during the pandemic.
Wisconsin is one of the top two butter producers in the United States, the organization said, and the dairy industry in the state employs more than 150,000 residents and contributes $45.6 billion to the state's economy.