 "Photo: Heather Meyers")
The Organic Dairy Unit at the University Farm was honored for the second straight year with a Silver Milk Quality Award from Organic Valley.
The dairy, which sold its first tank of milk in March 2007, has been successful and profitable in comparison to other similar college programs, said Program Coordinator Cindy Daley.
In October 2009, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo announced plans to reduce its herd from 150 to 30 cows, due to heavy financial losses, according to dairyherd.com.
“We are operating in the black,” Daley said. “We are looking good in comparison.”
The Milk Quality Award is given to dairies producing milk with an average somatic cell count, or SCC, between 151,000 and 200,000 for an entire year, she said.
“Somatic cells are produced by the mammary gland,” Daley said. “The healthier the udder, the lower the somatic cell count.”
The average SCC for milk in California is just under 300,000, she said.
Cows with a high SCC count produce about 8 percent less milk and the flavor and shelf life can also be effected, according to an article from dairynz.co.nz.
Though organic milk is more expensive than conventional milk, there are benefits to spending the extra money, freshman Jonas Eli said.
“I like to drink it and it’s nice to know it’s organic and chemical-free,” he said.
SCC varies from cow to cow and is largely dependent on the animal’s health, said senior Tim Kehoe, a dairy employee and construction management major.
Each cow’s milk is tested and will not be shipped until it meets the dairy’s requirements, he said.
Even with a demanding split schedule that has students at the farm from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then again from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, Kehoe enjoys the work and considers the experience valuable, he said. The schedule during the rest of the week is not quite as strenuous, with students putting in an estimated two hours each day.
“It’s not rough, you just get used to it,” Kehoe said. “It’s only rough when you have to pick up a shift because then it can get in the way of class.”
The dairy unit hopes to keep their average SCC under 150,000 for 2010, which would make them eligible for a Gold Milk Quality Award, Daley said. The dairy unit is always looking for ways to make their milk better.
Howard Hardee can be reached at
hhardee@theorion.com
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