UNDATED (AP) -- California may have taken top honors from Wisconsin in milk production.

But, at least the dairy state can claim number-one status in sheep's milk.

Wisconsin has more than 2000 sheep in licensed milking herds and produces nearly a million pounds of sheep milk per year.

Milk from ewes tastes more like cow's milk than goat's.

Proponents say it's higher in protein and butterfat, tastes creamier and is easier to digest.

Sheep's milk is most often used to make artisan cheeses.

UW-Madison's Spooner Agricultural Research Station is credited with developing the dairy sheep business in Wisconsin.

It began milking sheep in 1995 and started a marketing cooperative.