Dairy ‘evangelist’ makes case for larger dairies

A trained vet, he runs the 3,800-cow Central Sands unit in Wisconsin, and is nutritionist and designer of the Fair Oaks group of similar-sized units in Indiana.

He is an international consultant, who, in the past, advised Nocton Dairies on its proposed 8,100-cow Lincolnshire unit.

In the course of his many entertaining speeches, littered with biblical references, the trip’s main host was unrelenting in his respect for the cow. It is she, in his eyes, who is the foundation on which modern civilisation was built.

Respect

“We knew if we took care of her, she would take care of us. She provided fertiliser to grow large headed grains; she provided high quality protein and milk and her own life for meat. She even provided a vaccine to protect us from smallpox,” he said.

It was with the conviction of an absolute believer that he made the case for large-scale dairies.

They were the result of ‘basic economics’, the need to use scale to drive up efficiency and profit as pressure on margins grow, and the desire of farmers to enjoy a better quality of life.

“They don’t want to have to milk everyday. They want to be able to go on vacation to gay Paris,” he said.

He acknowledged some smaller dairymen were ‘up in arms’ about large dairies, but compared their plight with that of small clothing stores when Walmart moved in and said it was inevitable that, in the same way, some ‘last generation farms’, or ‘sunset dairies’ will disappear.

He was thrown at times by the constant questioning of the group about the ethics of what he was doing, particularly regarding cow welfare.

“Animal welfare is a new arena for us compared to you guys. We are pretty late to the party and should learn from you,” he acknowledged at one point.

Honesty

He was honest about some of his methods that surprised the group, such as regularly injecting his cattle with bST hormone, but was adamant what he was doing was in the best interests of the cow.

“We are a dairy that’s large that cares,” was his mantra throughout the trip.

He believes a combination of his cows’ diet, a housing system which keeps them clean, dry and comfortable and technology that ensures their health is monitored, makes for contented

animals. He used data on the performance he achieves in areas like lameness and mortality rate to reinforce his point.

“People come to my dairy and think it will be all death and dying, but there have been no welfare issues as we have got bigger.

“Our aim is to look after the cow. She enjoys being in a group of cows. She doesn’t want to go outside in 70 degree heat,” he said.

He made no attempt to conceal his bemusement at the furore over the Nocton proposals.

“The Nocton guys came to me for advice. Their challenge, in an unfavourable environment politically, is to show the cow can live happily in that system,” he said.

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