NAF News

MASS PRODUCING MILK

Once, not so many years ago, much of the dairy products produced in the United States came from relatively small dairymen milking maybe one or two hundred cows. Most such enterprises operated on the outskirts of population centers or near their customers. This writer remembers as a kid helping milk by hand, along with my two cousins, 40 head of Holsteins and thinking that was more than enough. But, like a lot of agricultural production in the country, mom and pop farms including dairies have been fading. Large, state of the art, dairy enterprises have been taking their place. This is also the case in Nevada.

Down south in our State, California based Rockview Farms operates the Ponderosa Dairy in Amargosa Valley and the Pahrump dairy in nearby Pahrump. The Ponderosa milks over 5,000 Holsteins in three sections while in Pahrump some 2,300 more are milked. This produces what these former Mom and Pop dairy operators would consider almost unbelievable. Combined the Ponderosa and Pahrump dairies, milking over 7,000 head, produce around a half million pounds of milk a day or 62,500 gallons. Totally, the dairies account for 30% of all milk produced in Nevada.

Incidentally, none of the milking of all these Holsteins is done by hand. That went out years ago as most are aware. Human hands now don't come anywhere near the milk. Handlers attach and remove electric milking machines and observe proper sanitation in so doing but the milk goes directly from the milking machines to tubes or pipes which transport it to proper cooling or other storing and treatment facilities. Milking barns are now huge, handling a host of cows at a time.

Approximately 90 people are directly employed by the two dairies. Add to this approximately 700 secondary jobs or those related in some or a number of aspects to the two milk producing facilities and it makes them a major industry in the area. They are a significant contributor to the overall economy in Nye County. Indeed, the economic impact of the dairies stretches into other parts of the State. Over 30,000 tons of hay are purchased annually by the dairies to feed their milk cows. Some 90% of it comes from Central Nevada alfalfa producers. Presently, most of the milk produced is processed at the company's California facilities. Down the line, however, a great deal more of the milk may be processed in the area should the company decide to build local plants to provide milk and manufacture butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and a variety of other products.

The Ponderosa and associated dairies are representative of a trend that has been underway for 40 years or more throughout the country relative to agricultural production. Using California as an example, urban sprawl particularly in the Orange County and San Diego areas as well as the Bay area up north is taking more and more prime agricultural lands out of production. Along with the need for a great deal more land to provide housing and required services for expanding human populations, there is also a proliferation of activists seeking causes to pursue. Agriculture has been the target of some of these people who may object to use of pesticide treatments on such lands; possible other pollutions; dust or other disturbances created by soil tilling; odors coming from large dairies, cattle ranches or feedlots; accumulation of insects around farming and ranching; treatment of animals; and a host of similar real or perceived problems - all of which are just integral facets of food growing. Thus more and more agricultural producers are either being forced away from expanding urban centers or are voluntarily leaving to escape what sometimes turns into a constant political or legal battle. Not only dairies but all manner of agriculture has disappeared or is disappearing in areas close to the California population centers I've mentioned. The need for food does not decrease however. Indeed it is expanding. Thus, many former agricultural enterprises close to cities and their suburbs are seeking more remote areas in which to operate and where there are fewer hassles. The Amorgosa is one such locality.

Amargosa Valley is something of an enigma. It is an arid, hot desert environment including sandy soils and vegetated by mesquite, tamarisk, cat claw, cactus forms and other similar plants. It seems far removed from what might be thought of as good agricultural land. Yet, there is more water there than might be imagined. There are some natural warm water pools and desert marsh areas, some of it protected under park status. Water therefore is available, mostly from wells, and where there's water the land blooms with alfalfa and other crops. It provides ample space for housing the dairies and for recycling organic and nutrient rich dairy by products useful in fertilizing local farms as well as agricultural operations elsewhere. Pahrump, the nearest community of any size is over 20 miles away. The growing season there is almost 200 days long. The humidity in the summer is low and temperatures are high. In the winter it remains warm.

It might be suggested that the valley is a good place to house a large and modern dairy operation.

Ponderosa Milking barn handles many cows at a time

Ponderosa holsteins in large corrals, Amargosa Valley.

Holsteins as far as the eye can see feed along lane between corrals.

Rows of alfalfa haystacks store feed for high producing dairy cattle.

Alfalfa hay growing in Amargosa Valley using sprinkler irrigation.