For over 50 years, the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders’ Association has provided Alice in Dairyland with mink clothing as a demonstration of mink craftsmanship. As Alice, I proudly wear the vest to facilitate educate the public about this unique aspect of Wisconsin’s agricultural industry, helping represent Wisconsin as the nation’s leading producer of mink fur.
In Wisconsin, 99% of all farms are family farms, and mink farms are no exception. My vest is made from hides from Zimbal Mink, a 70-year-old company that has grown from humble beginnings breeding five minks as a wedding gift to become a national industry leader.
Mink farming is very similar to animal farming, which uses other species of farm animals such as cattle or pigs. For a family business to continue operating into the future, it is common business sense to provide quality mink care to offer a quality product that consistently places Wisconsin-produced minks at the top of the world. Breeders work closely with veterinarians and nutritionists to maintain mink health, ensuring the animals are protected and well cared for.
Zimbal mink prepares fresh food for her animals every day. Minks are carnivores and their diet consists of high-quality protein from Wisconsin’s luxurious animal farming community.
A enormous part of a mink’s diet consists of food by-products that are unsuitable for human consumption. Many Wisconsin food processors establish cooperation with mink breeders in our state to employ food waste such as meat, fish, liver, eggs, cheese and others. The specially developed Mink diet is fresh and fed to animals every day.
As natural recyclers, minks facilitate prevent food waste from ending up in landfills. This high-quality food is one of the main ingredients needed to breed high-quality mink. It is also very crucial to provide them with fresh, tidy water all year round, even during frosts. Water in Zimbal is available in a filtered circulation system that is heated in the winter months and cooled in the summer months, so the minks can easily drink it.
When most people imagine mink clothing, the customary color that may come to mind is black or mahogany. However, dozens of mink colors are actually produced, including sapphire blue, iris blue, pastel, peach and cream, and purple.
Zimbal Mink and the Kettle Moraine mink farmers taught me about an industry that has a $16.8 million annual impact on Wisconsin’s economy. In 2022, Wisconsin produced 571,750 hides, representing 43% of the nation’s total production. Wisconsin also has an international reputation for producing the highest quality mink in the world, and the skins produced here are worn around the world.
There are many pieces to the American dairy puzzle that fit together to create Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agricultural industry. The mink farmers I came to know as Alice exemplify the heart of Wisconsin farms: hard-working, dedicated families who place the highest priority on quality and care for their animals.
