The American quest for extra protein is overhauling traditional dairy practices.

From Waste to Workhorse

Whey, the watery runoff left after cheese sets, used to be treated as refuse. Today it has become the star ingredient in protein powders gulped by weight‑lifters and people on Ozempic alike.

Cheese Craftsman, Whey Businessman

Ken Heiman, a certified Master Cheesemaker at Nasonville Dairy in Marshfield, Wisconsin, still prides himself on flavorful Cheddar and Gouda. Yet he admits the plant’s profits now flow far more from whey than from Colby blocks.

Breaking Even on Cheese, Cashing In on Whey

Nasonville turns out roughly 150 000 pounds of cheese every day, but those 40‑pound Cheddar blocks barely cover costs. The real moneymaker is the liquid left behind. “Shoppers grabbing whey protein at Aldi are keeping our lights on,” Mr. Heiman jokes.

Why Whey Is Suddenly Priceless

Ounce for ounce, whey delivers high protein with few calories—perfect for trends that urge Americans to eat more protein for muscle gain, healthy aging, Keto-style diets, or, most recently, to prevent muscle loss while taking GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs.

A Market That Doubled in Value

Analysts value the U.S. whey‑protein market at $5–10 billion and expect it to double within a decade. Premium powders that cost $3 a pound in 2020 now fetch nearly $10.

Shifting the Economics of Dairy

In the 1960s whey was dumped in rivers, spread on fields, or fed to pigs. Today, according to consultant Mike McCully, some plants earn more from whey than from the cheese itself.

Life on Norm‑E‑Lane Farm

The story starts with cows at Norm‑E‑Lane, a 2 500‑cow operation run by third‑generation dairyman Josh Meissner near Chili, Wisconsin. Every day the farm ships 200 000 pounds of milk to Nasonville Dairy, yet has little say in the price it receives.

Milk Prices and Whey’s Growing Slice

Federal formulas set a monthly base price for milk. In the early 2000s whey represented under 3 percent of a farmer’s milk check; since 2021 it has averaged nearly 9 percent and sometimes tops 10 percent, cushioning farmers against stubbornly low milk prices.

Inside the Cheese Plant

Milk arrives at Nasonville, is pasteurized, cultured and coagulated, then pressed into curds. Ten pounds of milk yield one pound of cheese, leaving vast quantities of liquid that run through a maze of stainless‑steel pipes to separate cream and lactose. What remains is whey at roughly 12 percent protein, further filtered to about 65 percent.

From Liquid Gold to Powder

Large West Coast plants own spray dryers that turn concentrated whey into powder. Smaller Midwestern makers instead send tankers to specialty processors—such as Actus Nutrition—that evaporate the liquid and boost protein content. U.S. output of high‑protein whey powder rose from 8 million pounds in 2003 to 48 million pounds in May 2025, a surge fueled by anti‑obesity drugs.

Preparing for the Next Commodity Cycle

As new cheese‑and‑whey plants come online, prices will eventually fall. To stay ahead, the Meissners are diversifying into Angus beef, while Mr. Heiman courts niche markets with cheeses big factories cannot replicate, like ghost‑pepper Jack. In commodity agriculture, extraordinary returns never last forever—but for now, whey is king.