WSDA Names Dairy Workgroup Participants

[Guest guest]

Folks,

This is a little late-coming from Washington State Department of

Agriculture since the call from the WA legislature for this workgroup

came in March and I had hoped that there would be more folks to represent

the interests of dairies " with less than 10 cows "

(and how many goats, sheep?) as well as a wannabe or two and a couple of

vocal raw milk consumers, but it's in place now and it's time to get to

work. I'm disappointed that Henning Sehmsdorf, a knowledgeable and highly

respected bio-dynamic farmer from Island, WA, who would have

brought a unique and highly relevant perspective (as he has kept a single

cow as a integral part of his diversified farm) was not appointed despite

a strong desire to serve.

I also think that it's unfortunate that no one from the WA State Dept. of

Ecology was appointed since that agency has significant regulatory

oversight of dairies.

I am happy that WSDA appointed Carey Hunter, Chair of the

Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network's Developing New Markets

Committee and newly licensed goat cheese micro-dairy to the workgroup. I

would encourage WA micro-scale dairy folks and those considering entering

the field (and out-of-staters as well) who have specific regulatory

barriers and related issues that you feel need to be investigated by this

workgroup to contact Carey at:

Email: pinestmp@...

Ph: .

More about the Network can be found at:

www.wsffn.org

..

Below is a press release from WSDA and the text of a PDF from the WSDA

website.

Chrys Ostrander

==================

Washington State Department of Agriculture

News Release: Aug 18, 2006

Contact:

Group to investigate whether small dairies face barriers to

licensing

OLYMPIA – Do very small dairies with less than 10 cows have

difficulties meeting state licensing requirements? Can microdairies that

offer unpasteurized milk or process artisan cheeses thrive as small

businesses in Washington?

A workgroup of licensed small dairy operators, as well as industry and

consumer advocates, will investigate what financial or regulatory

barriers, if any, exist to starting a small milking or dairy processing

operation, as well as solutions to knock down those barriers.

During its move to strengthen the state’s dairy laws last session, the

legislature heard public testimony about possible barriers and directed

the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to convene the

workgroup. WSDA and the workgroup must report their findings and

recommendations to the legislature by Dec. 1.

The workgroup includes small licensed pasteurized and raw milk producers,

small cheese and yogurt manufacturers, larger dairy operators, public

health officials, WSU extension agents, and industry and consumer

advocates. The names of the 14 workgroup members are listed on the WSDA

Web site at

www.agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/Dairy.

According to WSDA licensing records, the number of small milking and

dairy processing operations has seen a dramatic increase since a 2005

change in state law that allows hand-capping of milk bottles. The number

of licensed unpasteurized milk producers has increased from one to more

than a dozen in less than a year. Since March of this year, the number of

licensed milk processing plants has increased by nearly 50 percent, with

most of the new operations being small bottling, yogurt and cheese

operations.

Under current state law, a dairy must obtain a free milk producer license

to sell milk to a processing plant. If the dairy wants to bottle its own

milk or make other dairy products, it is required to obtain a $55 milk

processing license. The licensing requirements stipulate that dairies and

processing plants must meet sanitation requirements and that dairy

animals must be tested for certain communicable diseases. WSDA offers

technical assistance and guidance to those wishing to obtain these

licenses.

Members of the public may identify problems or suggest solutions to the

difficulties of obtaining milk producer or processing licenses by

submitting written comments to workgroup coordinator Jordan at

njordan@.... Jordan, a

community and business development expert, was raised on a dairy in

Oregon and worked as a commercial and agricultural lender for 14

years.

Small Dairy Work Group (PDF)

http://www.agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/Dairy/docs/SmallDairyWorkGroup.pdf

Reproduced below:

WSDA Small Dairy Workgroup

The 2006 Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 6377

directing the Department of Agriculture to convene a work group to

identify and help resolve obstacles faced by small-scale dairies in their

efforts to become licensed as milk producers and milk processing plants

The workgroup will:

Evaluate the licensing processes of dairy producer and processing

operations and prepare a report for the Department of Agriculture.

Specifically:

“Identify licensing barriers and examine possible solutions for small

dairies in their efforts to become licensed as milk producers and milk

processing plants.”

The workgroup will provide input and assist the workgroup leaders in

drafting a comprehensive and inclusive report that quantifies the

following key items:

• Identify barriers to small dairies in becoming licensed, which

could include monetary limitations, misinformation, local zoning issues,

water rights, etc. • Examine solutions to these barriers. Discuss size appropriateness

and economic feasibility. While this is not intended to be a feasibility

study, factors to be studied should be suggested.

Other aspects to include in this report are:

• Identify Technical Assistance sources & Best Management

Practices • Recommend other actions to become licensed

Workgroup Members appointed by the Director of

Agriculture

Carey Hunter, Pine Stump Farms, Okanogan County, Raw aged

goat cheese

Tim Lukens, Grace Harbor Farms, Whatcom County, Raw and pasteurized

Guernsey and goat milk, yogurt and other products

Howell, Twin Oaks Dairy, County, Pasteurized Holstein

milk and cheese

Lorri Conway, Conway Family Farms, County, Raw goat

milk

Brown, Dungeness Valley Creamery, Clallam County, Raw Jersey

milk and cheese

Steve , Wilcox Family Farms, East and West Washington

sites, Conventional dairy plant

is Koester, Brothers, East and West Washington sites,

Conventional dairy plant

Chudek, Whatcom County Health Dept

Darrel Cochran, Thurston County Health Dept

Fredricks, WSU Cowlitz Dairy Extension

Dougherty, WSU Food Science Extension

Gloria , Washington Dairy Federation

Goldie Caughlan, PCC Natural Markets

, Western Center for Risk Management

WSDA Workgroup coordinators

WSDA Food Safety Coordinator Lucy Severs

WSDA Small Farm & Direct Marketing Coordinator Fred Berman

Workgroup Coordinator Jordan

Phone:

Email: Njordan@...

This message originated from or was forwarded by:

Chrys Ostrander

Chrysalis Farm @ Tolstoy

Organic Micro-permaculture

33495 Mill Canyon Rd.

Davenport, WA 99122

chrys@...

http://www.thefutureisorganic.net

" From each according to their ability to each according to their

need "

Karl Marx - " Critique of the Gotha Program " 1875

" The purpose of agriculture is not the production of food, but the

perfection of human beings "

Masanobu Fukuoka - " One Straw Revolution " 1978