ROCKVIEW FARMS -- BUILDING A PATH TO PROGRESS Some people might think the hot, arid region of the Amargosa

Valley in Nevada is an unlikely place for a dairy farm. But according to Amanda Arata, Dairy Manager for Rockview Farms Ponderosa Dairy, The area has ideal conditions for our organic and conventional dairy farming operations. The cows do well in this environment just look at how content they are! The 60 temperature on a clear winter day certainly seems ideal, but what about the hot summer months? Cows dont mind the heat so much as humidity thats what really drives up the heat index factor and makes them uncomfortable, according to Amanda. We get only about 3.8 inches of rain yearly and the humidity averages less than 14% in this region. That makes for ideal dairy farming conditions. Located off Highway 127, ninety miles north of Baker, Ponderosa Dairy is not likely a place youd pass on your way to somewhere else unless youre going to Death Valley, that is. Once there, however, you cant help but be impressed by the size, efficiency, and cleanliness of the operation. It Starts with the Cows For a cow to give milk, she has to have a calf. After spending a few months here in Nevada, the calves are transported to our ranches near Bakersfield, California where they graze on free-range grass until theyre bred and ready to have their first calf. Then, the springer heifers (what cows are called when theyre going to have their first calf) are brought back to Nevada to give birth and to enter the milking herd. Nearly 9,000 cows are milked twice a day at Ponderosa Farms in three state-of-the-art barns. Constructed of concrete, block, tile and stainless steel, these facilities are designed for the safety and protection of the animals and to ensure the efficient production of high quality milk. Animal welfare is a high priority and audits are conducted each year to ensure compliance. The barns are well lit and airy. Specially designed vents in the roof and huge fans overhead keep the cows cool and comfortable year round. Twice each day the cows eagerly walk into the barn and contentedly wait for the milking machines to be attached. The three barns are configured as follows: Barn #1, where the organic cows are milked, is a double 25 and was constructed in 1994. In this configuration, 50 cows can be milked at a time, 25 animals per side. Barn #2, a double 30, was constructed in 1996. Barn #3, a double 40, is the newest and largest of the three. Completed in February 2003, this barn replaces an outdated facility in Moapa (about 40 miles east of Las Vegas). In all three barns, milkers tend to the animals from a raceway about 3 below and between the two lines of milking stalls. The cows udders are thoroughly washed and dried before they enter

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the lanes where the milkers inspect the animals to make sure they are in good health and attach the milking machines. After milking, the cows teats are treated with emollients and an iodine solution that prevents bacteria from entering the milk ducts. Then the cows walk leisurely back out to their large openair pens and are treated to a nutritious diet of hay and mixed green feed. Quality milk starts with healthy animals and that is always first and foremost at Ponderosa farms. According to Amanda, Each cow consumes an average of 50 pounds of feed daily including 25 pounds of green feed. She drinks about 50 gallons of water and will give, on average, 70 pounds of milk daily (about 8 gallons). Thats not a high average because we dont inject our cows with rBST (artificial growth hormones) but it ensures the health of the cow and quality of the milk. After leaving the cow, the milk travels through stainless steel pipes to cooling plates and is chilled to 35. Its then briefly stored in stainless steel silos until an insulated tanker truck transports the milk to Rockview Farms (or other destinations) for processing and packaging. On average, one tanker truck leaves Ponderosa Farms every two hours around the clock. Protecting and Improving the Environment Ponderosas dairy farming operation is environmentally friendly. The entire site is elevated above grade so that storm water does not flow through the dairy. Two water retention ponds were constructed, each capable of holding 30 million gallons. 700,000 yards of dirt were moved to elevate the site thereby moving excess water off the corals and away from the animals. It is the first dairy in Nevada to have obtained an NPDES Permit, which declares it is in compliance with all Federal, State and local laws pertaining to storm water collection, retention and run off. By recycling organic dairy nutrients and improving the production level of existing fields the dairy has become an ongoing renewable resource in the community. Currently Ponderosa has 1,500 acres planted for feed. Roughly half of all the farming is organic including pastureland for grazing. Manure, composted by adding naturally occurring minerals, is used to supply valuable nutrients to the soil and turn the arid, desert floor into fertile fields. Dramatic increases in the cost of energy have lead to discussions for Ponderosa to begin converting methane gas into electricity. Its been estimated that they could produce enough methane to provide power to 6,000 homes. In addition to the three milking barns and farmland, the site houses a 14,400 square foot shop, four hay barns, and numerous other buildings. Ponderosa Dairy is able to produce half a million pounds of milk per day more than enough to supply Rockview Farms and all its valued customers with quality rBST-free conventional and organic milk.

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