Dairy Tours: A Lesson in Fallon Milk Production

             On a recent tour of two Fallon Dairies, our nutrition team experienced a welcoming into the daily life of dairy families as opposed to just an overview of how a dairy farm works.  The first stop was Liberty Jerseys where we were greeted by the family matriarch.  Our team was comprised of two dietitians, one’s fourth grade daughter and a dietetic technician intern; the first question asked by our youngest member was “Where are all of the stools and buckets that the milkmen use?”  This gave us all a snicker, but had us wondering how far has the milk production industry come since the time of milking each cow one by one?  The answer we observed came down to one word, far.

Enjoying breakfast at Liberty Jersey Farms.

 

While inside the milking barn with a row of cows on each side readying themselves to be milked by politely lining up, the son (and recent Cornell graduate) overviewed the safety precautions taken before and after the vacuum milking units were set in place to gather the milk.  These precautions are numerous and include a daily prewashing of each cow as well as an iodine spray-down of the udders after milking to ensure they stay bacteria free.  With these careful procedures in place, it is evident that this family is not only caring for a herd of cows but is protecting their livelihood, taking pride in the commodities they produce and ensuring that their milk is safe for all who enjoy it.

The ‘nursery’ was a special treat on our tour.  These calves, some only days old, were a thriving addition to the existing herd.  It was here that we learned most of the female babies would be kept and eventually become milking cows on the farm while the male calves had the various option of being raised for meat, sold at auction or, on a rare occasion, raised and kept as a bull for the few heifers that resist artificial insemination.  The nursery held over 20 calves, the majority of them healthy, curious, and wobbly on their legs.  The few little one that were having a hard time thriving were being cared for with the utmost attention and skill.  This proved to our outsider eyes that even the weakest animal on the farm was an important part of their dairy family and deserved every possible chance to grow into the asset of a milk producing cow.  

One day old calf.

Goodbyes and thanks were said as we set off to explore our next dairy.  The stop was Hillside Dairy where it was evident from the roadside that this milk producing farm was on a larger scale.  With Holstein cows as their specialty, our tour guide (and daughter-in-law to the owner) let us know that the Holstein cow produces a higher quantity of milk, while Jersey cows produce milk with a larger percentage of butterfat.  That percentage of butterfat equals a better pay rate for the farm however, the higher butterfat ratio does not come without its drawbacks such as an ill ability to adapt to environmental changes. These Holstein cows however, seem to adaptive to the extreme variances in temperature, which is a significant trait of Fallon, NV.  One of the results of being exposed to these extreme temperatures is reduced production capacity that can absolutely hurt the bottom line.  To increase milk production, on the hot June day of our visit, several high powered fans were in continuous motion throughout our tour of the milking barn.  This made for a loud stay while watching the cows being skillfully milked, however the air was cool in comparison to the outside temperature which made for happy (milk producing) cows on the inside.

In coming away from our day on two Fallon, NV dairy farms, our group was shown that milk production is not only a business for these families but a way of life.  Each of the cows are known and cared for individually just as any other member of their family would be through good times or bad.  Each person that worked on the farm was just as knowledgeable as the next, with a firm grasp on the cycle of the working dairy farm from how to keep the young calves healthy to what conditions make for a higher milk-producing cow.  And on our way home, as we stopped to grab a smoothie (with milk in it, of course), our youngest member said what we all were thinking “Nevada cows are happy cows too!”

A big thanks to Liberty Jerseys and Hillside Dairy for taking the time out of your busy day to give us all a little lesson on the lifestyle it takes to produce the milk we love!

Nicole Robinson 

Dietetic Technician Intern with Utah/Nevada Dairy Council