The last new quarter of 2004 is 30th in the 50 State Quarters^® Program.  Wisconsin, which became the 30th state on May 29, 1848, is moving "forward" with a farming theme for its quarter design.  A statewide vote selected the "Agriculture/Dairy/Barns" theme over the other two candidates, "Scenic Wisconsin" and "Early Exploration and Cultural Interaction."

Wisconsin can be called the dairy capital of the world.  It has more milk cows than any other state and produces more than 15 percent of the nation's milk.  More than a million cows live on Wisconsin's 17,000 dairy farms, and each cow produces an average of 17,306 gallons of milk each year!  The state also makes more than 350 different kinds of cheese and is a major corn-growing state.

Wisconsin, wanting to be a leader among the states, adopted "Forward" as the state motto in 1851.