Sarah E. Bedgar, Regional Extension Educator - Dairy

August 13, 2005

Recently, I decided to travel to California to do a little digging into how dairying became king there. If you haven’t had a chance to visit California, I encourage you to do so. Until you get a chance to go and see for yourself, I would like to provide some observations and hope that you find this article to be a helpful snapshot of the California dairy industry.

California ranks #1 in the U.S. in total dairy cows (1.7 million cows on 2,030 dairies) and #1 in total milk production (21% of U.S. milk supply). The average herd size is 850 milking cows, with 46 percent of all dairies over 500 head. Tulare County and the five counties in the central valley account for 49% of the total milk production in California. Tulare County alone accounts for 25% of California’s total milk production and has an average herd size of 1,300 head.

These statistics are very evident from the miles and miles of nearly continuous dairies I saw in this area. It’s absolutely breathtaking. But don’t get stuck on the image of thousands of cows in dry lot dairies. Many freestall operations exist, and there are even quite a few grazers. Sixteen percent of California dairies are even milking less than 50 cows.

I’d like to introduce you to some of the folks I met on my California journey…

Don’t like what’s happening in your industry? Then get involved in the process of changing its direction! Ray Prock Jr., manager of Ray-Lin Dairy in Denair, California has 350 milking cows. He was excited to tell me about his service on the California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Committee, where he has been aggressive in speaking to legislators about the importance of the dairy industry in California. Ray is a fine example of a young leader that is going to help shape the future of the dairy industry in California. You too can get involved in a farm related organization and make a difference in Minnesota’s dairy industry.

I traveled south from Denair to Hilmar, where I met with Kim Clauss, of Clauss Dairy Farms. The Clauss’ milk over 3,500 Jerseys and are located right next door to the Hilmar Cheese Company, the largest cheese plant in the U.S. I was impressed with the importance that Kim places on one of her main responsibilities for her family’s dairy—the area of public relations and legalities. She sets time aside to specifically assure that her dairy has a positive image in the community. I believe this is just as important here in Minnesota because each generation of dairy consumer becomes farther removed from what daily life is like on the farm and our dairy industry continues to become more and more technologically advanced.

Speaking of the Hilmar Cheese Company, what a fantastic job they have done of bridging the gap between the dairy producer and dairy consumer! Their Visitor’s Center draws thousands of people each year (and in an area much less densely populated than the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area). Denise Skidmore, Education Coordinator for Hilmar Cheese Company, has designed fabulous exhibits and an educational video for visitors to learn first-hand about how milk and cheese are produced. In fact, they charge from $2 to $4 per person for their tours which has been quite profitable for the company. This is an example of how hungry the general public is for information on how their food is produced and will actually pay to hear about it first-hand!

Margo Souza, President and CEO of Circle H Dairy Ranch Inc. visited with me about how she worked her way up on her family’s 1,000 cow dairy. She said one of the best things she did to earn the respect of her employees and improve their performance was to give them ownership of some of the decisions made on the dairy. If they have ideas on how to improve efficiency on the farm, she welcomes them. She even involves her equipment operators in equipment purchase decisions, taking them along to the dealership, having them test-drive equipment, and considering the operator’s input prior to any purchase. Margo has also been a key player in getting a $100,000 grant to get milk vending machines into the local school system.

I realize the people I've mentioned have done some extraordinary things as part of the dairy industry in California, but they started with small steps by putting a few things into action and worked forward from there. Dairy men and women in California have made wise business decisions such as encouraging young people to get involved in their operations and by being proactive and persistent at maintaining a positive image for their industry. These are only a few of the reasons California has become king of the dairy industry. However, they are ideas that are extremely applicable to our state and could keep the dairy industry in Minnesota moving ahead in a positive direction as well.

The Visitor's Center at Hilmar Cheese Company has a Cheese Theater where visitors are shown an educational video to learn first-hand about how milk and cheese are produced.