Your Milk’s Journey from Farm to Table
Dairy farming is a vital industry in New York, with many farmers working hard to produce high-quality milk for consumers. A lot of work occurs behind the scenes that allow you to pour yourself a delicious glass of milk. This process includes the care and feeding of the cows to the processing and distribution of milk.
Your Dairy Farmer
The journey starts with the proper care and feeding of the cows. Dairy farmers are responsible for ensuring that their dairy cows are healthy and well-fed, which includes maintaining and improving the land that grows the crops the cows eat.
Dairy farmers allow their cows to graze on grass or provide them with alfalfa hay. In addition, many farmers supplement their cows' diets with mixed ration feeds, including corn, soybeans, sorghum, and grains, to provide additional nutrients and fiber. Sometimes, a dairy cow can eat up to 100 pounds of feed and up to 50 gallons of water per day. A cow's health is critical to producing high-quality milk, as cows that are not well-cared for will produce milk that is lower in quality and taste.
Cattle Care
Cattle care in the dairy industry requires medical assistance. Dairy farmers work closely with veterinarians who perform regular herd checks to ensure the cows are healthy. Depending on the herd size, a vet may visit monthly, weekly, or even daily.
Milking the Cows
Today, most farmers use machinery known as milking parlors that are faster and cleaner. In a traditional milking parlor, cows get milked at least twice daily, usually 12 hours apart. First, a farmer inspects each cow, cleans the four teats on the udder, and then begins milking. This process helps ensure no foreign material gets into the milk.
Farmer's leverage technologies like automated milking systems (AMS). AMS machines allow the cows to enter and exit the milking stall throughout the day. Each cow has an electronic neck tag that the AMS reads; this tag contains information that helps the technology know if the cow is ready to be milked again. The milking process is ongoing, and the milk is piped directly from the cow to the bulk tank, where it is quickly chilled.
Milk Transportation, Processing & Packaging
Before the milk arrives at your local store It undergoes a five-step process to ensure its quality, as seen below:
Storing
Transportation
Lab Testing
Processing
Packaging
Storing
Once the cows have produced milk, it is collected in a bulk milk tank which cools and stores it before it is collected.
Farmers store their harvested milk in stainless steel tanks that can hold up to 10,000 liters of milk. The tank keeps the milks temperature at 4ºC (about the same temperature as your fridge) for optimal freshness and is cleaned by the farmer after each collection, usually daily.
Transportation
Milk is harvested from cows on the farm every 24 or 48 hours and is transported to a processing facility using specialized tanker trucks. These tankers are equipped with heavily insulated stainless steel bodies that keep the milk at a cool temperature during transit.
The drivers of these tankers are specially trained and certified as milk graders, able to evaluate the milk's quality based on temperature, appearance, and smell. They may reject any milk that does not meet the necessary standards. A representative sample is taken from each farm pickup before the milk is pumped onto the tanker. Once the milk arrives at the processing facility, it is stored in refrigerated silos before being processed.
Lab Testing
Upon arrival at the factory, samples are taken from the bulk milk tanker and tested for both antibiotics and temperature. These farm milk samples are also analyzed for milkfat, protein, bulk milk cell count and bacteria count. If the milk does not meet the necessary standards, it is rejected.
Processing
After the milk has been deemed suitable for use and pumped into the storage silo the milk is then processed (pasteurized and homogenized), which involves heating the milk to a specific temperature to kill any bacteria that may be present and breaking down the fat molecules to create a consistent texture.
Packaging
With all the necessary processing and testing completed, the milk is ready to be packaged for delivery to retail outlets. It is transported via pipes to automatic packaging machines which fill and seal the milk into paper cartons or plastic jugs. Along the assembly line, the package is marked with a date indicating the milk's expiration date to ensure freshness for the consumer.
On your table
The final step in the journey from farm to table is distribution. Milk is transported from the processing plant to grocery stores, supermarkets, and other retail outlets throughout New York making it accessible for consumption.
From the care and feeding of the cows to the processing and distribution of the milk, the process is critical to ensure that New Yorkers receive high-quality milk. As a result, New York Dairy farmers and processors proudly provide customers with the delicious and locally-sourced milk they deserve.
