How does one become a certified dairy? NY

hippiehill · #1 11/26/06, 12:48 AM

I may be interested in becoming a certified dairy. I'd like to legally sell milk and cheese. At least I'd like to look into what it entails. Any certified dairy's out there?

toomb68 · #2 11/26/06, 04:52 AM

sent you a pm.

steff bugielski · #3 11/26/06, 05:41 AM

Call the Dept. of Agri. Ask for circular 958. It tells you every thing you need to know, although a bit wordy at times. They seem to be very helpful when I got my license. I am a raw milk dairy. Every one says it if hard but I found all of the regs to be right in line with what I would do any way. We did ours on a real shoestring. It did not cost us much at all. The cheese is a bit more involved because you need a different room and lots of equiptment.
Good luck. Where in NY are you.
Steff

hippiehill · #4 11/26/06, 11:15 PM

Steff: Raw milk for now would be cool. I'm on a very small shoestring! I bet my garage would not work for a separate room! lol I'm in Wyoming County, between Bliss and Warsaw. I didn't know raw milk could even be sold here in NY besides marking the jugs "pet use only".

Toomb68 :Thanks for the pm, I pm'd you back

steff bugielski · #5 11/27/06, 05:25 AM

Yes Raw milk is legal. You can not ship or deliver it though. It must be picked up on the farm. I feel it is the best way to go. If the customer wants to pasteurize they can do it at home. The state comes by once a month to inspect and once to take samples. They check the milk for pathogens and bateria, something they don't do if you are pasteurizing before selling.
Having customers is the tricky part. Over the years I have built up quite a customer base. I am only 2 hrs from NYC, that helps.
Steff

hippiehill · #6 11/28/06, 08:08 PM

I bet that helps! I have already sold some to an alpaca farmer for pet use. I also do have a customer base all ready. I work at a local store in my itty bitty town and word of mouth has people knocking on the door. I tell them it's unpasturized, it's marked pet use only, and I cannot sell them milk for human consumption. What they do after that is all up to them. I am extremely small - two goats. I am starting my own kinder goat line for people who want small milkers. First birth due April.

What do they inspect? Goats, housing, etc. I have to get that publication! My milk stand is in the garage. The garage is attached to the house, and I use my personal fridge and kitchen sink. I bet I need to build a room in the garage with hot and cold running water and a separate fridge!

I'm not looking to make alot of $$, just to supplement goat feed and chicken feed!

steff bugielski · #7 11/29/06, 08:08 AM

They will inspect they cleanliness of the milking parlor, milk house, exterior of milk house, goat resting area, pasture , equiptment. As for the goats they are not of concern to the inspector. When I started I was only milking 5-6 goats. It was a lot easier for them to go along with my small set-up since I only had a small amount of milk. I have now grown to milking 20-25 but since I am already approved this way it is sort of "grandfathered". Yes a seperate room or building would be required.
Steff