In This Issue

Hats Off

The 1999 Tulare County Fair Milk Quality Contest winners are to be congratulated for having the lowest standard plate, lab pasteurization, coliform, and somatic cell counts during the year and highest flavor scores at fair time. Nearly 300 dairies in Tulare County were entered, and maintaining a top score throughout the year is surely not an easy thing to do. Consequently, these trophy winners are the "cream of the crop."

This year the Grand Champion Award goes to Lerda Farms of Tulare. They were followed closely by the Large Herd Award, Pacheco & Associates of Tulare; Mid-Size Dairy Award, R & M Cattle of Visalia; and the Small Herd Award, Five Star Dairy #2 of Tipton. Hats off to these winners and to the 4-H and FFA dairy heifer entrants, and the Tulare Dairy Women for promoting the industry image to the consumer public attending the fair.

Short Course

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has recently signed an agreement to support the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP), which is a government/industry effort to address environmental, food safety, and animal health concerns. Along with federal and state government agencies and industry, this partnership agreement includes the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) and the University of California. The CDQAP has the Environmental Stewardship Short Course (ESSC), offered by the University of California Cooperative Extension as the first step for having a dairy in 100% compliance with all environmental regulations.

Another series of the Environmental Stewardship Short Course will be offered from 2 to 4 p.m., October 26th, November 3rd, and November 9th in the Ag Building Auditorium, Visalia, at the corner of West Main and Woodland. The three sessions correspond to the first, second, and third classes in the series. If you attended some previous sessions and missed one or another, you need only take those to complete the series and receive the Certificate of Completion. Call the farm advisor at 733-6488 for reservations as seating is limited. Sessions 1, 2, and 3 will also be offered at the Kings County Ag Building, 680 North Campus Drive, Hanford, all from 10 to noon on October 27th, November 3rd, and November 10th. Again, seating is limited and you must call 582-3211, ext. 2730, for reservations.

The second step in the CDQAP certification is a "third party" evaluation of your dairy (presently by a CDFA employee). Only dairy producers with the ESSC certificate are eligible for this evaluation. To speed up this third party evaluation, it is necessary to have the "homework" done for your dairy. Prior to the CDQAP certification a preevaluation meeting to help dairymen with their farm management plan (determining pond capacity and other "homework") will be held Thursday, October 28th, at the Ag Building Auditorium, Visalia, from 9 to noon.

This meeting is a "must" for dairymen with an ESSC certificate who want to complete the CDQAP evaluation. This meeting is free but you must call for reservations by Friday, October 22nd. No other meetings are scheduled through January. Remember, the total CDQAP evaluation and certification will demonstrate to USEPA inspectors that your dairy is 100% in compliance with regulations.

CDQAP

The following gives questions and answers often asked about the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP).

What is the CDQAP?

The CDQAP is a voluntary program that allows producers to become certified in food safety, animal health and welfare, and environmental stewardship.

Who runs the CDQAP?

The program is a collaborative effort by the dairy industry, the University of California, and state and federal regulatory agencies. A committee of dairy industry representatives must approve all program activities.

Who is eligible to become certified?

Any dairy producer in California can become certified, regardless of marketing or trade association affiliation. This program is offered statewide.

Do I have to certify in all three components (animal health, food safety, and environmental stewardship)?

No. Producers may become certified in any or all components of this program.

Which components are available?

The environmental stewardship is available now. The animal health and food safety components will be available for certification in 2000.

Will dairy producers be required to participate in the components of CDQAP?

No. The CDQAP is strictly a voluntary program. No producer is required to participate.

How much will this program cost me?

The environmental stewardship component of the program has been funded through various grants and agencies through June 2002.

What do I need to do to be certified in environmental stewardship?

Producers will attend all three classes of the University of California Cooperative Extension's (UCCE) Environmental Stewardship Short Course I (ESSC), develop an environmental stewardship farm management plan, and successfully complete an on-site evaluation by a non-regulatory third party.

Who will do the third party evaluations?

Currently, the designated third party evaluator is employed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The local milk inspector will not be used as the third party evaluator. Provisions are being made to identify other third party evaluators.

Can my dairy field representative certify my facility?

No. Your field representative can be very helpful in helping you prepare for your on-site evaluation. A third party evaluator cannot have a vested interest in the outcome of the evaluation.

Can the environmental stewardship on-site evaluation hurt me?

No. The evaluation checklist and records involved with the evaluation will remain on the dairy and are the property of the dairy producer.

Will participating in the CDQAP keep me from being inspected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

No. USEPA already knows where all dairies in California are located and are committed to inspect each facility by 2005. The CDQAP evaluation is your best management tool to prepare for EPA (regulatory) inspections.

Why should I certify in environmental stewardship?

Certification reassures my neighbors, any passersby, and me that my facilities meet federal, state, and local environmental regulations.

What happens if, during the on-site evaluation, deficiencies are identified?

No legal actions will be taken. You and your evaluator will work together to determine what alterations need to be made and arrange a date for re-evaluation. You can always choose to discontinue the certification process. Again, the program is strictly voluntary.

How does certification help the California dairy industry?

Participation in this program may reduce or eliminate the need for additional government regulations. It will give trade associations and the California Milk Advisory Board a positive story to tell and provide evidence that California dairy producers are working to protect the environment. Voluntary participation should result in compliance with regulations. This should prevent situations that result in fines. Additionally, some processors may choose to use this program as a marketing tool.

How much is this program worth to me?

The information obtained in the educational process is invaluable. Preliminary estimates indicate this is worth in excess of $8,000 per producer.

Are there other financial benefits?

Already mentioned above is prevention of fines and potential use by your processor as a marketing tool. In addition, classroom training and on-site evaluation may identify improvements that could reduce dairy management costs, increase revenue, minimize disease, and increase production.

For further information on classes, you may contact your UCCE Dairy Advisor or trade association representative.

Noteworthy

On the subject of USEPA, a final draft of the manual for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) is currently being reviewed. This 100-page document now includes many of the suggestions submitted by industry and others on the ideas and wording of the original document started last year.