Starting a dairy?

[OneFineAcre]

License? I don't need no stinking license!!!

I will just continue to sell my products for "pet consumption only"

Rock on bootleg milk and cheese!!!!

 

[babsbag]

License? I don't need no stinking license!!!

I will just continue to sell my products for "pet consumption only"

Rock on bootleg milk and cheese!!!!

You are either braver than I am or crazier, not sure which.

I would like to quit my job and figure out a way to make some money from my hobbies that bleed me dry so I really need to make this a legal venture. CA has no law regarding herd shares, one way or the other, but that doesn't stop them from shutting them down. I would take the rsk, but DH won't let me. They do have laws about making cheese, so that is a no go if I want to sell it commercially. It just isn't worth the risk on the cheese making, our state inspectors can be pretty ruthless.

Ultimately I would like to sell raw milk off my farm. CA is one of the few states that will allow that if you can get through the regulation process.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

WMR. are you sure you don't want to move to northern CA and get out of that desert. I am thinking we could have lots of fun together; and our dogs already know each other

There is land near me that will be for sale soon and I could use a partner that has a "can do" attitude. I want to do the educational center too; and have a community garden and farm and also teach canning and soap making. We just fit together. Come on up.

Haha that would be awesome! Unfortunately we already have things settled here, (my boyfriends business has been established here for 20 years).

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

License? I don't need no stinking license!!!

I will just continue to sell my products for "pet consumption only"

Rock on bootleg milk and cheese!!!!

Haha yep, that's where were at right now with so many regulations and laws and licenses and permits; wayyyy to expensive. :/

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Man, there sure is a lot of good info on this thread; I will add what I have found so far...

Grading
In the United States, there are two grades of milk, with Grade A primarily used for direct sales and consumption in stores, and Grade B used for indirect consumption, such as in cheese making or other processing.
The differences between the two grades are defined in the Wisconsin administrative code for Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, chapter 60.[51] Grade B generally refers to milk that is cooled in milk cans, which are immersed in a bath of cold flowing water that typically is drawn up from an underground water well rather than using mechanical refrigeration.
Grade A farms are inspected every six months, while Grade B farms are inspected every two years {WI-ATCP 60.24.2}
Both types of farms are required to have two cleaning vats in the milk house for washing and rinsing of equipment {WI-ATCP 60.07.2(g)}. A farm also must have an additional separate sink and faucet provided for hand washing {WI-ATCP 60.07.2(h)}, unless the bulk tank was installed before Jan 1, 1979, or the farm uses milk cans.
Grade A milk stored in a bulk tank is cooled to 45 F (7 C) within two hours of milking. Grade A milk in a tank may only rise to 50F if milk from additional milking sessions is added to the tank (potentially requiring a plate cooler to reduce the temperature of a large volume influx quickly enough) and must be cooled back to 45F within two hours. {WI-ATCP 60.2.4(b)}
Grade B milk in milk cans is cooled to 50 F (10 C) within two hours of milking. Grade B farms cannot mix milk into cans from previous milking. {WI-ATCP 60.2.4(c)}
The somatic cell count (SCC) of Grade A or B cow or sheep milk may not exceed 750,000 cells per mL, and the SCC of Grade A or B goat milk may not exceed 1,000,000 cells per mL. {WI-ATCP 60.15.4}
The bacterial plate or loop count of Grade A milk may not exceed 100,000 per mL, while Grade B milk may not exceed 300,000 per mL. {WI-ATCP 60.15.2}
A bacterial plate count test is required at least once a month. {WI-ATCP 60.18.3} If the bacterial count exceeds 100,000 per mL for Grade A or 300,000 per mL for grade B in 3 out of 5 tests, the license to sell milk is suspended. The license will be revoked immediately if the bacterial count ever exceeds 750,000 per mL. {WI-ATCP 60.18.6}

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

If you have the time, energy and resources...go for it. I think it is wonderful to have dreams...whether you have cold feet or not. Keep dreaming and keep making your dreams happening. This is how we should all live. 54 is YOUNG!

I must second that. My friend's mother is 50 but looks 20-30, tops.
Have fun, and best of luck. Hope everyone is going good ^^

 

[Oakroot]

Hmmm even building everything yourself 50,000 is probably an unreasonably small budget. With 5 acres you may be able to become profitable much faster doing farmers market growing. I knew someone who was doing very well selling exotic mushrooms she grew on the farm at markets. Even two acres of orchard (with some of it going to cider) can be very profitable at a local market. But do up your business plan. Hopefully the math will all work out and we will be hearing about your wonderful new dairy soon.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I appreciate all the insight. The waste water is probably my biggest worry and I haven't quite figured out who to call in our county.

What about running your waste water to a bio-swale like an orchard? That's what were planning on doing- not sure if it's right legally, but it solves our problem of runoff here.

There are a few different places you could contact about waste water. These are the ones for down here; San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group (SDRILG) Down here we call them the "water police". There is also one we call Schwepy; SWPPP. I know these aren't applicable where you are, but it might help you find the organizations up there.

I haven't seen anything on a separate driveway, but I may have to pave it.

I haven't either; may be something to look into since I have a REALLY long dirt road up the side of the hill to my farm. That could get expensive.

As far as the acutal building goes, I think our biggest advantage is the ability to do all the work ourselves. I am not afraid of things like having to add a bathroom as we have built an entire house, and I know that I can get a toilet and a sink for cheap or free. If they require that, and they may, I would have to put in another septic tank, but the leach field is downhill and very accessible from where we would build. We have the backhoe to dig the hole for the tank and we would do the connections. My property is also zoned for a second residence so hopefully they won't balk too much at another toilet.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

So I think that 100,000 dollars to build the shell of a dairy means more a commercial type of dairy. I guess what I want would be considered a "micro-dairy".

I found a pretty cool link- has some basics and a link to his website:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-...o-dairy-in-26-steps-step-1.aspx#axzz2OoGgWhAf
http://bobwhitesystems.com

Why couldn't you just pour a concrete slab and put one of those nice $5000 wooden buildings on it? Granted you still have to buy all the stainless steel for inside, but why wouldn't one of these work? (And maybe another something separate for the cool room (cheese cave).

 

[Queen Mum]

I know there must be people out there as crazy as I am so will someone who isn't crazy please convince me that at the age of 54 I shouldn't want to open a Grade B dairy. Especially I shouldn't want to try and do this in California, the great state of over regulations. I have been thinking about this for 4 years and after a life changing event in my husbands life he is finally on board with my crazy idea and now I am getting cold feet.

Am I crazy?

Insanity is an asset in the goat dairy business. Guard it with your life. If you are not crazy, then your sanity will take over and talk you out of a good deal.