PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Foreign dairies are immigrating to South Dakota because of the state's near-perfect dairying conditions.

Dairy Development Specialist David Skaggs says there are 23 herds, or 20,350 cows, in the state belonging to transplanted foreign farms. In the past decade, about 35 dairies relocated to South Dakota from other parts of the country, Canada and Europe.

Skaggs tells the Capital Journal (http://bit.ly/UN8ZDc ) that the state is appealing to outside farms because there is so much available land, especially compared to Europe. The state can support a large cow population, as well as a variety of feeds.

Foreign dairies also face land and quota restrictions that don't exist in South Dakota.

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Information from: Pierre Capital Journal, http://www.capjournal.com

Copyright 2013 The AP.