As number of dairy farms declines, officials blame stagnant milk prices, costly technology

Dairy farms used to blanket much of the landscape in Frederick County. Even though the county still leads the state in milk production, dairy farming is on the decline, as farmers find it less lucrative.

Since 1994, the number of licensed dairy farms in Frederick County has dropped from 287 to 125 today, according to the county's Maryland Cooperative Extension office.