Grade A Dairy ????

mpete · #1 03/13/11, 10:19 PM

I have always wanted to start a dairy, but have always been hesitant because of all the laws that California has. After lots of figuring... I am wanting to take a baby step forward and find out some more information. I am thinking about calling up the inspector person and having them come critque my property and have them tell me "if and how" to put the buildings, etc. I want to keep it a small dairy, but I cannot find information on a bottling system. Does anyone have a link that I can get to? Also, since I am just trying to be small, do I have to have a cooling tank? I do know that Ca laws are that the milk goes straight from goat to bottle (no open air exposure) so I need to have the whole system.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 03/13/11, 10:28 PM

Please post what you learn!!

francismilker · #3 03/13/11, 10:38 PM

Keep us all advised if you don't mind. With Oklahoma being relatively new to grade A goat dairys, we've had quite the roller coaster ride trying to get the dairy inspector (the same one that inspects cattle dairys) that a sewage lagoon the size of a football field and a manure pit to match is needed for goats.

One gentleman I know that was applying for his permit actually made a deal with the guy when he came to do the preliminary site suggestions on sewage disposal. After the guy recommended a large lagoon and pit, my friend said, "how about I recover every single pellet the goats dispose of in my barn this week and you can decide what I need once you see it?" (my friend was already milking sixty does and selling it to individuals and raising bottle calves. He was just trying to get gradeA permitted so he could sell to the local cheese plant.)

After a week the inspector was given a five gallon bucket of goat pellets and didn't believe my buddy was being honest with him. After much debate and bartering, the inspector agreed to let him put in a 10'x10'x6' deep pit with a cover and pump to remove it for pasture application. My friend said that while milking 60 does it took about 4 months for it to fill up with what water he used to hose down the manure in the barn everyday after milking.

With my off farm job schedule, I'd be able to swing running a small goat milk dairy. I used to milk cows for a living so know the routine and commitment it takes. Goats are just smaller in size and make less milk and manure. I've toyed with the idea of jumping in at some point provided the cheese plant's demand ever stabilizes. At this point, they're buying on an as-needed basis while they are building their clientale. They've only been in for three years and it's been quite a hardship on those producers who went "all in" at the beginning. Some of these folks spent mega-thousands of dollars buying 200+ head of good milkers from Minnesota and other northern states. I just want to stay small. Say, 40 head or less.

steff bugielski · #4 03/14/11, 06:54 AM

check out www.microdairy.com
Tell them what you want they are very nice people. and reasonably priced.

sammyd · #5 03/14/11, 08:06 AM

Quote:

I do know that Ca laws are that the milk goes straight from goat to bottle (no open air exposure)

How do dairies ship it to bottling plants? Not every goat farm has its own bottling facilities.

Mironsfarm · #6 03/14/11, 09:03 PM

have you ever called the USDA i have been thinking about the same thing i live in nc and there is a couple of goat dairy farm around here. i say around here were i live they are about 1- 2 hrs from me but none of them will help you or give info on how to get started for some reason. so i don't know were to start so keep us posted.

sammyd · #7 03/15/11, 05:48 AM

The US PMO is followed by most states and is good place to start.
http://www.luresext.edu/goats/librar...sheets/d04.htm

You may also want to try this...

Milk & Dairy Foods Control Branch
Div. of Animal Industry
Dept. of Food & Ag.
1220 North St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 654–0773

steff bugielski · #8 03/15/11, 06:47 AM

You should be able to contact your Dept of Agriculture, dairy dept. Or here in NY it's Ags and markets dept.
They will send you a list of regulations and requirements.
The other farms probably do not want the competition.

Microdairy has a nice pump and bottler system. You can go from your tank directly into the pasteurizer then into your bottles or if it is raw you can skip the pasteurizer. Either way the system is going to be perfect for you.
I have one of their systems without the bottler. I love it.