Timing “finally right,” says Idaho dairyman

Capital Press Staff Writer
Dave Wilkins

The time was finally right.

Earlier this year, Idaho dairyman David Roberts joined the growing number of American farmers who produce organic milk.

The third-generation dairyman and his dad milk about 200 cows near Preston in southeastern Idaho.

They wanted to make the switch earlier, but the infrastructure wasn’t in place.

“Our holdup was that we didn’t have a market for the milk,” Roberts said in a recent telephone interview from his farm in Franklin County. “Part of it was that the market had to grow.”

Things finally took off when some of their neighbors decided to join them in organic milk production, making it feasible for a local processor to get involved.

Another key element was an increase in organic alfalfa and barley production in the area and the decision by a local grain co-op to begin handling organic feed.

Roberts views his switch to organic as a natural progression that follows the adoption of a low-input, pasture-based system back in 1992.

“It was natural to take the next step to organic,” Roberts said.

They’ve never used rBST, the artificial milk-boosting hormone, and they’ve always tried to keep antibiotic use to a minimum.

Their cows graze on pasture much of the year – from about April through November.

Once they went to a pasture-based system, they found that their cows needed even less doctoring. The animals were getting more exercise and were under less stress.

“Pasture is a big part of what we do,” Roberts said. “That’s what attracted us to organic in the first place.”

Their milk is processed into cheese at the Nelson-Ricks Creamery in Rexburg, Idaho, and marketed through Organic Valley, a national cooperative.

Roberts has been getting $23 to $24 per hundredweight for his organic milk this year. At times, that has been about double the price of conventional milk.

The price premium was part of what attracted the family to the organic market.

But just as important was the fact that organic milk is much more stable in price than conventional milk.

“We know what our milk price is going to be for the whole year,” Roberts said.

That’s a big deal when it comes to making decisions on the farm, he said.

Volatile commodity prices make it hard for most small farmers to stay afloat, he said.

That price stability, “gives us a way to deal with the uncertainty,” he said.

Local processors weren’t interested in organic five or six years ago when the Robertses first started thinking about making the switch.

But that all changed just in the past year or so.

“All of a sudden we had a couple companies interested at the same time,” Roberts said. “The timing was finally right.”

By mid-2007, there will be about 15 local dairies certified for organic milk production, Roberts said.

Franklin County Grain Growers, a local co-op, recently began processing and delivering organic feed to several dairies that are already certified.

“That was a big deal for us,” Roberts said.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has been working with several dairies that are making the transition to organic production.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” said Margaret Misner, manager of the ISDA organic certification program.

The Cassia County Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved an organic dairy for Brent Stoker near Declo.

Idaho is already a major player in the organic dairy market.

Horizon Organic Dairy near Paul has about 4,500 milk cows. It was one of the first large certified organic dairies in the country when it began operation in 1994.

    Dave Wilkins is based in Twin Falls, Idaho. His e-mail address is [email protected].

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