Small Organic Dairy in USA: Tour and Licensing
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2020
- After 12 long years of planning, two years of raising dairy cows, and almost a year building the dairy barn, we finally are a fully licensed Organic dairy in Washington State! It felt so good to put milk from our cows in the bulk milk tank knowing we would bottle and sell it next week. Thank you so much to our mentors, family and friends for all their support and guidance. Now we are moving to the next phase of operation and sales! Stay tuned!
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It sure is a nice little setup. Congrats on getting your licensing!
Thank you!
Congratulations!!!
Thank you!
Congratulations you two
Thank you!
Congratulations very exciting!!
Thank you!
Woohoo!! Congratulations!
Thanks!
Congratulations so nice too keep the dairy industry going.
We’re just trying to do our part! Thanks for your support!
I had no doubts. Congratulations. You are very detailed and careful people. Waiting for a chicken report.
Thank you! Chickens are... well, Chickens! First group should be starting to lay soon!
Congratulations. Nice to see your progress.
Thanks!
The people that are commenting on your channel wrote some of the most intelligent and kind words that I have seen on any post on You Tube. Many people identify with you because they are in a similar business and recognize the tremendous effort you put into to get where you are today. Stay healthy and I wish you all the success you deserve.
Thank you! Yes, we are blessed to have so much support from our community on YT. When we look, and see people commenting from all over the world, it just reminds you how small the world really is, and that we’re all in this together.
Hi Guys , I'm so happy for you Thanks for the tour.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Awesome you guys congrats on your dream come true
Thank you!
Congratulations!!!!!!!!! I'm thrilled for you. Dairy is my passion too.
Thank you! We love dairying! It’s so rewarding to be milking our own cows on our own place, but I am so grateful to all our mentors for whom I milked their cows on their places. We wouldn’t be where we are without them!
@@vnthomas16 I got bit by the dairy bug working a commercial dairy at 16 and I am bound and determined to at least milk my own cow a la homestead. I'm now at 34 in the works of buying my family farm now. 25 acres just north of Indianapolis. I'm hoping to turn it back into a profitable working farmstead. I'm thinking about a small herd of grass fed American Milking Devon and milk a few as a hobby/maybe an enterprise. If I hit the lottery I'd turn my farm into exactly what you guys are doing (I love Jerseys!!!! Sassy cows). I'm so excited to see people in organic and regenerative agriculture doing well. America needs it's small farms back! Dairy cows should have names! Good vibes from Indiana!
Thank you! Wishing you the best! We need more small farms!
Thank you for sharing your journey to become dairy farmers with us. We love your videos and wish you success in your new business adventure.
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoy them and we appreciate your support!
Congratulations ! Wishing you the best of luck! Please keep more videos coming!
Thank you! Stay tuned!
Congratulations from all of us here at Otter Creek Valley Farm Eau Claire Wisconsin USA! Your dairy is the perfect example of the American dairyman can do attitude. Your attention to detail, the thought process of your plans and design , the desire to succeed as a team all speak volumes of your hard work. Excellent job 👍 your dairy farmers now,!!!
Thank you for your support! We always appreciate your comments! More to videos to come, so stay tuned!
Congrats and wishing you well.
We appreciate that!
Awesome setup. Beautifully happy and healthy cattle.
You guys should be so proud. Watched you from the start and all that work is now paying off. Awesome job.
Thank you!
Salut super tank you vidéo magnifique bravo
Never seen a milk house without at least one fly in it.
We don’t like flies, so we do our best! Haha! Thanks for watching!
Loved it! Beautiful facility. Next video - marketing! Yep, make sure the tank drain is closed before you start milking. I think we've all made that mistake a time or two over the years. Nothing more disheartening to come into the milk house and find you've just run all of the evening milking out the bulk tank and down the drain...Have dumped the pipeline wash into the tank a time or two as well...that means the whole thing gets to hit the drain. Loved the photo @ 18:38
Keith-
The valve was closed and the cap was tight! Haha! We always appreciate your comments and enjoy your videos too. Glad you’re along on our journey with us!
Congratulations...it's been a long road. Glad all the inspections went so well.
Us too! Thank you!
Is the milk parlor a 1 or 2 stall parlor I couldn't tell - next time do the Happy dance with your wife don't leave her hang in like that! Your dairy is awesome you guys have done a fantastic job!
It is a two-stall parlor. We love it! It makes milking so enjoyable! I think it is best for all, viewers included, that I refrain from dancing! Haha! Thanks for your support and thanks for watching!
You two are awesome. They sure make you jump through the hoops just to make a natural wholesome product. Congratulations and many blessings to you.
Thank you for your supportive comments!
Congratulations.
Thank you!
Small is beautiful! I LOVED that yellow Jersey milk being stirred in that classic tank. Wish we lived closer so we could taste it! Congratulations and whew! As if the farming part of farming wasn't enough, you're carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers, engineers, janitors, administrative staff and (no insult intended) lawyers too!
Thanks! Small is beautiful. We want to increase our herd a couple cows, but have no aspirations to become “big”. I don’t think a company’s size is a measure of its success.
RustyVT Congratulations for a job well done 👍. I grew up on dairy farms the late 40s, 50s 60s my Dad sold out in 69. I have never seen a bulk tank that small. Good Luck
Glad you passed the inspection. Nice WSU shirt, great school.
Go Cougs! Thanks for watching!
Good job congratulations from Chesapeake Va.
Thank you! We appreciate the support!
What a huge accomplishment.!!! This is so cool. Good job!!
Thank you!
@@vnthomas16 very nice
Congrats to both of you..the farm is spotless,,, shows you care and love the animals....you both came along way,, best wishes for the many months and years ahead for you both...
Thank you for your kind words!
@@aaronmerkel5216 why is dairy farming dead
I would love to visit your farm to learn more about diary farming
@@aaronmerkel5216 lmao sounds like you’re living in a fantasy world
Congratulations! I'm glad you share your journey with videos. There are a lot of hoops to jump thru to be a dairy producer for sure. They seems to be a few less for Pennsylvania for direct farm businesses, I'm sure the amount of amish here helped contribute to that, but there are still several agencies to deal with. Side note though, you can sell raw milk here in Pennsylvania (though we probably won't)
You can sell raw milk in Washington State as well, but we chose to pasteurize as we feel it’s a better market for us. There are several raw milk dairies around us, but no small dairies doing pasteurized milk in glass bottles, so that’s the direction we went! And yes, there are a lot of hoops to jump through, but honestly, all the regulations are pretty common sense things. Thanks for watching!
@@vnthomas16 I didn't know that Washington state allowed raw milk sales. We were going to pasteurize as well as we feel its safer and since we wanted to primarily do cheese and butter then if we do a soft cheese ot would have to be pasteurized. Raw milk cheeses have to be aged a minimum of 60 days here I believe.
Yes, in fact, you can buy raw milk in the Supermarkets here. With pasteurizing, it was certainly easier (and cheaper) to find somebody to underwrite our product liability insurance as well.
@@vnthomas16 Glad you have a good attitude about the regulations, process controls and licensing. Too many people parrot complaints about excessive government regulations. But here there is an important reason - keep people from getting sick!
Congratulations! You two have come a long way.
Thank you!
Impressive. You've worked hard and deserve your licenses. Congratulations.
Thank you. We appreciate your support!
Gongratulations. I'm waiting for the hay trolley video and also for the first cut of hay video if you gonna publish them
We’re waiting for sun so we can cut some hay! It’s been so wet! Looks like the weather will be turning around for us soon! Stay tuned, because there will definitely be a hay trolley video!
You two are doing a awesome job. I hope everything works out and your farm prospers
Thank you for your support!
Hey love your farm and your story. At our farm we seperate the young from the mother at young age and feed them bottles and just give the first milking of the cows colostrum to them
We bottle feed colostrum just to ensure that the babies get the immunities they need, but otherwise leaving the babies with their mommas is a huge labor saver and the gains are amazing. We love this system! Thanks for your support and thanks for watching!
I got my Animal Science degree from WSU in Pullman. Great school, great state and wonderful people.
We love WSU! Go cougs!
This is my all time favorite channel. I want a small dairy with 2-4 cows and a couple goats. You guys are so wonderful for sharing the detailed ins and outs of dairy farming. Most people leave out Financials, licensing etc. Ya'll are awesome.
Glad you enjoy our channel! Stay tuned as there is more to come!
There was no doubt in my mind that you would pass all tests. Two very intelligent people, congratulations!
Thank you! We were confident, but it is still nerve wracking!
You are so organized. I know you will do well. If I lived closer I would buy your milk.
We appreciate that! We’re glad you can support us on CZcams though!
WooooHoooo! Great job and congratulations !!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
I’ve been watching you two for quite some time. The amount of work that you put into this is unbelievable. Starting from almost nothing to where you are today. You should be very proud of your accomplishments. I’m 60+ and I’m now just starting farming after 30 years of military, but I’m too old to start up a dairy despite being raised on a dairy farm. I see there’s a lot of haters out there they’re either just ignorant or living in their own fantasy world. You two are doing a wonderful job. And you have such a supportive wife. God bless the two of you.
Thank you for your kind comments! We really appreciate them!
Congrats to the both of you for having it running and now hoping that everybody loves the clovermountaindairy milk, would love to come over and try some but i quess i have to stick on my own milk for a while which btw taste excellent, thanks and the best of luck,greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
Well, we appreciate your support! Thanks for watching!
Co ngratulations......... I can remember the first time the cows arrived from Ontario and we milked them.... 2 days later the Co-Op milk truck picked up what was in the Tank..... Being involved with Dairying my whole life... I loved the experience.... but it was not to last as milk prices fell to where it was a struggle to survive......After 5 years the USDA instituted a buy out program to reduce the amount of milk produced in the country..... I got out.......I still got one Cow........ painted on the Barn
Thank you for your kind words and sharing your story!
I’m doing the happy dance with you! Your wide smiles say it all-CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉Most of us do not have 5-10 year goals much less actually meet them to fruition. So impressive! Love the office, tank, fridge...I can’t believe it! Woot! ♥️💜💙
Thanks! Now Virginia isn’t alone in the happy dance! Haha!
Just watching random videos, congratulations on the accomplishment. The Milking system took me back to my early childhood when my parents was dairy farmers. In fact I still have cousins who still operate larger diaries on a commercial scale
We’re glad you stumbled upon us! Feel free to check our some of our other videos!
Congratulations!!! Well done, long road, but you made it easily.
Inspectors are not bad people, they are a source of information and assistance if approached properly. I little while back I helped a friend set up his business which involved multiple inspectors from 3 levels of government - local, state and federal. To be honest, we pestered them, asking questions, asking for quick face to face meetings etc. One inspector said it was a pleasure to come and chat and see our progress, offering over the top advice and having coffee with us. We were told that some people insisted on arguing over silly points, whereas my friend would listen and act on their advice. For final clearance, one inspector even asked if he was really required because we had acted on all his advice. "Only if you want coffee" was our response, he turned up, quick run around, all good. Some people don't realize that they are on your side, as long as you follow the rules set down by years of experience. Shortcuts are a no no.
Congrats again, well done, you deserve the rewards.
👏👏 👋👋 🇦🇺
Thank you for the support! Yeah, once in a while we run into a bad apple, but for the most part it’s all good!
Y'all have worked SO VERY hard for this!! I have enjoyed following your beautiful dairy farm through it's delvelopment. I just wish I could get over to beautiful eastern Washington so I could taste some of your beautiful herds milk and products!!!
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement!
CONGRATULATIONS I hope you're taking us to the farmers market!
Of course! See you there!
Congratulations! It's been a long time coming but I'm sure, worth the wait. Wish I lived close enough to buy a quart.
Thank you for your support!
Great news, congratulations
Thanks for your support!
i will be surprised if you don't sell out the first day! no pressure.LOL
Haha! No pressure! We hope that’s the case!
Love your vlogs. Hope you post more often. Beautiful farm and cows..
Glad you enjoy the videos. We do that as much as time allows! Stay tuned!
Whoot whoot! Congratulations! I'm happy for you, and I'm sure you'll sell out of the milk at the market.
We hope so! Thanks for the support!
What a great achievement. You've worked long and hard as a team to reach these goals. The herd looks healthy and happy. Thanks for sharing your story. Enjoy!
You’re welcome! Glad to have you along!
Congratulations you two! You are truly inspiring to others by showing that a dream is possible by hard work and determination to make it happen! Thank you for taking us along your journey!
You’re welcome! Thanks for coming along!
This was very informative. Thank you
Congrats 🎉 can’t wate ti see how things go at the farmers market .
Us too! Thanks for your support!
Congratulations guys, thats huge! I couldn't be happier for you two!
Thank you! Been a long road to get here!
BIG Congratulations! It has indeed been a long road, but you are dairy farmers now! You all are a GREAT example to everyone that if you will work hard and persevere you will reach your goals! I only wish we were local so we could purchase your products!
Well, we appreciate your support here on YT... We also do have some merchandise that we can ship that we’ll be selling through our website, so stay tuned!
Best of luck.
Thank you!
Nice cattle, nice facility best of luck. Stand-By Gererator
Stand by generator? Replacement hoses, parts for milker? Talk to your electrican about what size generator. If you can get one big enough to run your house also. Used generator check to make sure not a lot of dust inside blow-out before starting. Turn off all breakers before starting then turn on one at a time so not to overload and trip main breaker. New generator is better if possible will have a warrantee. Test at least once a month under load or before a storm if possible. Bye.
Hello! If 20 years in the military taught me anything, it’s standardization and redundancy! Yes, we have a PTO generator that is sized to be able to keep the lights and heat on in the house as well as be able to milk cows and cool milk in the barn. Also, I keep replacement parts and seal kits on hand for everything in the Dairy because when you need them, you need them right now! Haha! Thanks for your comments and thanks for watching!
Congrates!
Thanks!
🥳🎉🎊CONGRATULATIONS🎊🎉🥳
Thank you for sharing your journey with the rest of us. So happy for you both!! I do have a couple of questions though.
Are you able to put more than one milking in that big chiller from the 50's? Or only one milking at a time? Will you be getting a second Miller, so that you are able to utilize both milking stanchions? How far are you willing to ship your finished product???
Congratulations again, you two!!! That's a lot of licensing. Looking forward to future videos on the milking, the calves, the cows, the farming, and of course, the two of you!!
Thank you for your kind words! Yes, our tank can hold multiple milkings. We are just required to empty and wash it every 72 hours. Eventually, when we get more cows, we’ll end up using both stalls. With only two cows, it’s just easier to use one stall. There was a time a couple days ago where both cows snuck through the door before I could close it, so I put one in each stall, and Buttercup just had to stand there until I was done milking Rose. We’re just planning on selling our milk locally because it’s so perishable, but we do have some Clover Mountain Dairy merchandise that we plan to sell through our website, so stay tuned!
@@vnthomas16 thank you for such a quick response!! I really am happy for you both! This all must be so exciting!
Do you know when you plan on getting more cows? I'm going to assume you'll be keeping any heifers born on the farm, and adding them to your heard. What is your plan for the little bull that was born on the farm? Will you make him a steer and once he's ready, send him to "freezer camp?" Or are there different plans for him as well as any additional like him born on the farm?
Thank you again for sharing your journey. It brings back good memories from the farm I grew up on, even though ours was not a dairy farm. Congratulations again!! 💗💗
Rainy is already a steer, we did that at dehorning. As far as growing our herd, it will be a slow process, since we do plan to build up from within. Hopefully our next calf is a heifer!
Congratulation obtaining licence, great reward both of your hard work
Thank you!
Congratulations from Tempe, Arizona. I've been following you from barn erection to becoming milk producers and sellers. If I lived in your area, I would buy your wonderful milk. So happy for you both!
Thanks for your support!
Good work
You guys are awesome! I hope your business is very successful! Do ya'll ship to south Texas? Lol God Bless!
Thank you! Milk probably wouldn’t ship well! Haha! But, we do have some merchandise that we will be able to ship. We need to get an online store going, so stay tuned for that!
Congrats
Thanks!
Wow, a great accomplishment on becoming a Licensed Organic Dairy Farm. Your dream, determination and dedication have made it happen. Wishing you the best of success. I'm happy and excited for you both. Congratulations!!!
Thank you for your support! It means a lot. Have a happy day!
Congratulations on the complishment😊 very happy for you.
Thank you!
congratulations guys
Thanks!
Great job u 2
Thank you!
thanks for the trour!
You’re welcome!
Proud of you. You’re bucking every cultural trend by going into the dairy business, and you’re doing it in an exceptional manner. We continue to wish you every success. I’m curious to see how your cows let down when they realize that they will have access to calves after milking.
What’s the old joke? “There’s no such thing as a good time to get into dairying”? Initially, we were worried that letdown might be an issue, but we really haven’t had any issues. There was a few days when Rose first came fresh that she was a little reluctant to let down. Usually just a little massaging on her udder would overcome it, but now there is no problem! In fact, when Rose lets down now, she just lets go and it’s a torrent the entire time until it just stops when she’s empty! Thank you for your support!
Wonderful.
I know im randomly asking but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly lost my account password. I appreciate any tricks you can give me
@Ishaan Andrew instablaster =)
@Marc Kaden i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Have you ever thought of autographing the milk bottels or bottle cap with the cows name on it , little marketing humor , could turn into collectors item for adults , kids . So happy for you two. I use to milk 8 to 12 head by hand,and pail milk with under belly pail milker , the good old days lol . Any plans for other products , cheese ,butter,ice cream ? You hiring lol ?
We would like to do yogurt and maybe cheese curds in the future. I don’t think we want to encourage folks to keep our bottles! Haha! We want them back! Of course, I know we won’t get them all back, but we can try! Thanks for watching!
Yea!!
Our thoughts exactly!
Thank you for this video and congrats on passing! This is something I've been wanting to do on my family farm in Minnesota but its so hard to find videos and sources for guidance to get started. You two are great! Just gotta find out how to do it in my own state.
You’re welcome! Glad it helps! Are you milking cows right now? If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact us! You can reach us through our website at clovermountaindairy (dot) com. Thanks for watching!
@@vnthomas16 Will do! We do have 15 jersey cows certified organic like you have but only sell on farm raw milk that a few people are interested in. Really want to take the next step to pasteurize so we can advertise and reach more people.
❤❤ Thank you for the video very intresting
You’re welcome!
New to the channel (sub'd a couple weeks ago). Congrats on the licensing!
Even though im not a farmer of any kind :( I find the process of diary farming very interesting (im weird like that I guess lol)
Anyway.....love the channel and many thumbs up!
Welcome aboard! And thanks for the support! We’re glad you found us!
Big old congratulations from me to you two!!!!! How amazing it must be. That’s a LOT of red tape. I’m sure it was a bit stressful at times.
It could be overwhelming at times, but like we mentioned, the regulatory agencies wanted us to succeed and helped us through it! Thanks for your support!
Nice milk parlor!!!!
Thank you! We love it still!
Love🎉
Love it, wish I was there to see it in person.
Can't get the dairy farming thing out of my blood. The best of luck to you guys for doing what a lot of people wish they could do. You have obviously over come all the barriers that today's society throws in front of most people. Wouldn't it be great if a lot more people could make a living off just a few acres with a minimum of investment
Starting a farm from scratch is definitely not an easy feat. It took us 12 years to get where we are. Nearly everything on our farm was the result of our own labor. If we were to hire someone to build our farm, we could never afford it. It was hard work for sure, but worth it! Thank you for your kind comments!
I'm 1958 vintage too, and can only hope I look good for my age, haha. More importantly, I aspire to work well for my age. Did you notice any increase in the amount/weight of milk after separating the calves for 4 hours? I thought that the calves didn't look to desperate in the clip of them walking down the lane after milking. Would you - Virginia - be able to do all the milking/processing steps if needed? I have been thinking a lot about that lately for our farm, that I don't know how to use all the equipment (not a dairy operation) and don't know how to move the livestock and such. We need to figure out a backup plan that doesn't require my husband to be there every day (like if he is sick or something). We've been doing it this way for years but it's not smart.
I love watching the cows get milked after seeing all the equipment. So complex but it all came together!
We did get some increase after separating for four hours, but we’ve since transitioned to separating the calves at night, from about 10 until 6. There’s a definite increase in milk production there. All our systems and facilities are designed for the both of us. Hopefully, once we get in the groove of things, we’ll be able to give each other a day off once in a while. Thanks for watching!
I can’t believe surge milkers are still around. 1970 s tech. Nice!
They’re still popular too! They’re just a tried-and-true bulletproof design!
Well done guys, you should be very proud of your achievements, never realised it was so involved for you. When do you get a third member of the milking team?
Carnation is due mid-July, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s a few days early!
Wow! That is a lot of licensing! Congratulations on navigating through all the paperwork. How many gallons did you end up getting with the new calf separation plan? I might've missed it if you said in the video. I'm seriously wanting some of that chocolate milk now. Would you ever consider doing something like yogurt or kefir? I know it may be too soon to ask, but thought I'd throw it out there, anyway. It's really cool to see how you two worked out a plan, stuck with it, and have come to fruition now after all that hard work. You deserve every bit of success I am sure will come your way.
We just started separating the calves at night, 10pm-ish to 6am-ish, and in the morning, we get 1 1/2 - 2 gallons from each cow. The calves run with momma all day, so a little less milk at evening milking. We plan to do yogurt someday in the future. Thanks for the kind words!
I would buy from you all was raised on fresh milk.❤from Coleville
Love to see some ove the dutiful orange butter.
We make butter for the house and it is a beautiful deep yellow color. And delicious!
Stir caves from that bread are consider to be that best stakes or meat perfect marbling
We will see! Thanks!
Hi Folks, What happened to your other two cows ? Hope you are doing well thanks for the update 🇺🇸
Hi there! Well, we started milking two cows who calves pretty close together (Buttercup and Rose) and then it wasn’t until a few months later that Carnation calved, so right now we’re milking three. Daisy didn’t get bred last year, so she’s just freeloading this year. But, all four have been rebred this year, and confirmed pregnant, with Daisy being the first one due in the Spring! Thanks for watching!
I see you’ve dawned the suspenders he’s truly old time dairying
I’ve worn suspenders pretty much my entire life... The only thing is pants are getting harder and harder to find with suspender buttons pre-installed!
Go Cougs!
Love WSU!
Hey I live in Colville cool guys
The creamery milk is available at the Super 1 Huckleberry’s in Colville.
It is eaxcalty true that smaller farm are most cleanest job. Oh yes I love that Jersey cows milk they are very good milk the best number one milk taste more butterfat in it
Jerseys definitely give the best milk!
Congratulations!
Is it cost effective with the current number of cows?
Good luck!
Great question! Just the two cows does cover our expenses, but it will be nice when the next cow comes online in July. That said, we’re just starting our and plan to grow. While we never want to milk more than 12, I think 6-8 would be a good place to be. Thanks for watching!
bravo...i'm in ny....looking at same....working with 5-10 cows....on farm processing of milk into butter and cheese...like more insights...
Hello! We’re really happy with how everything has turned out! I love small dairies. Best of luck with your venture! We’ll continue to make videos of our journey so hopefully you can get something useful from them!
look fwd to your progres... cheers!!1
I grew up on dairy farm I remember that kind milker machine some where it just vaccum with milk hose it something it made pulse vaccum. I was wonder what name brand this milker machine. Yes I was grew up by surge milker but have other pulser equitment like one hose for milk other small pusle hose
The milking claw with pulsator we use is by NuPulse. We love the way it works. Thanks!
Very informative When your heard grows to 400 you will need a milking parlor lol I now have 3 Dairy Farmers to enjoy: Sask Dutch Kid; 10th Generation dairy farmer; & Clover Mountain 🐄 🐄 🐄 🐄 🐄
Haha! We’ve both milked cows on bigger dairies and have no desire to do that again. One of the reasons we process ourselves is so we can have a small herd and still make a living. When we designed our milking parlor and milk house, it was with a self imposed quota in mind. We never plan to milk more than 8-10 cows. We enjoy SaskDutchKid too. The Canadian supply management system makes it so even small dairies up there can make a living on their farm. Thanks for watching! We’re glad you’re here!