“Time to get the cows!” was a daily battle cry in the summers of my childhood. Every afternoon, one of us was sent to the pasture where the milk cows were grazing to herd them to the barn for the second milking of the day.
It wasn’t a difficult task―once you encouraged the first few cows to get up and start walking in the right direction, the others would follow willingly. Off they’d go―a herd of black-and-white, gentle giants calmly ambling along the worn path. The slow pace was deliberate because, as we were often warned, a cow’s milk will turn to buttermilk if she runs. It wasn’t true, of course, but the underlying message was clear―don’t rush the cows. Perhaps that same edict inspired the common expression “until the cows come home”.
Shown below are some of the Holstein dairy cows we herded, back in the day, on our family farm in Nova Scotia.
These memories came rushing back to me during a recent visit to Rock House Farm & Creamery in Newborn, Georgia. The small-scale, family-operated dairy farm has a mission “to produce the best creamline milk and fresh dairy products”. Unlike the dairy farm where I grew up, Rock House Farm doesn’t sell their milk to a cooperative dairy for processing. Instead they manage the entire process themselves―from “cow to consumer”―producing milks, cheeses and ice creams under the Rock House Creamery label.
Our excellent tour guide, Thank you, Jeff, told us one of Rock House Creamery’s most popular products is their award-winning chocolate milk. I have to agree―it’s delicious!
Our tour began in the comfortable education room with windows overlooking the Creamery’s processing room. We were able to watch mechanical carriers and carousels automatically take plastic bottles through the filling, capping and sealing processes.
From there, our small group was guided to the milking area. Although there was only one cow in the holding area at the time, this is where the entire herd gathers at milking times. Rock House Farm has about 60-70 milk cows. That’s considered a small herd according to the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the US Department of Agriculture Production (USDA). In their 2016 report, Changing Structure, Financial Risks, and Government Policy for the U.S. Dairy Industry, they state “Milk production continues to shift to larger farms. In 1987, after decades of consolidation, half of all dairy cows were on farms with 80 or fewer cows. By 2012, that midpoint herd size was 900 cows.”
I was astonished to learn this open-walled structure is the only shelter needed for the milking cows because they spend all their time in the pastures. That is a significant difference between this farm and the one where I grew up. In Georgia, the cows can stay outdoors all year round. In Nova Scotia, they can stay outdoors for only part of the year―early summer to late fall―and must be sheltered indoors over the long, cold winter. It is also a key differentiator between Rock House Creamery and other large dairy farms in the USA. “Large operations tend to confine their milk cows in large barns or in drylot feedyards, while small operations may graze their cows on pasture.” reports the ERS USDA. No wonder the folks at Rock House Creamery promote the fact “Rock House cows are raised on pasture where they are happiest.”
The milking parlor, an enclosed area with specialized milking equipment specifically designed for milking cows, was next on our tour.
There are a few different models of milking parlors―this one is a basic herringbone layout. It is one of the “conventional Parlors that most people think of with a large pit in the middle where the milkers and milking equipment are and with the cows entering on either side of the pit” explains the JBZ Dairy website. In this layout “cows [are] presented at an angle to the pit and prep and attachment are performed on the side of the cow instead of through the back legs.” The setup is surprisingly similar to one we used on our farm over 45 years ago.
From the milking parlor, the milk is piped via stainless steel pipes to this 1000-gallon bulk milk tank where it is cooled down to 40˚F.
The cows are milked twice a day―every morning and evening. After 2 or 3 milkings, “the milk is then transferred to a vat and pasteurized at a low-temperature at 145˚F for 40 minutes. This allows for the harmful bacteria to be removed from the milk so it is safe to consume” explains an informational sign at the Creamery. “Milk samples are taken for testing to ensure the milk is safe to drink. After pasteurization, the milk is bottled. It never touches human hands. Within 48 hours of bottling, Rock House Creamery Milk is on the shelves. … Milk left over from bottling is then transferred to a vat to start the cheese making process.”
Here’s a glimpse of Rock House Creamery milk products on display at their sister operation, Farmview Market, a retail grocery and farm-to-table café located in Madison, Georgia.
The next segment of our tour led us past a small herd of heifers. Heifers, by the way, are young female cows that have not yet borne calves. Interestingly, “Rock House Creamery cows are a three-way cross Holstein, Jersey and Swedish Red.” This breed was specifically selected for their “high-butterfat milk, which gives it a super creamy consistency and a rich, buttery flavor”.
We also caught a glimpse of the hutches where the calves are housed.
We stopped to see the calves up close and personal later in the tour.
These cuties are about two weeks old.
“A typical diet for a dairy cow” according to USDA’s DAIReXNET “could include about 30 to 35 pounds of baled hay … and 25 pounds of grain mix … [such as] … corn, soybean meal, minerals, and vitamins”. In addition, the American Dairy Association website reports “on average, a dairy cow may consume up to 50 gallons of water per day.”
At Rock House Creamery, the cows are fed primarily hay and corn silage harvested from the farm’s fields.
The corn silage is stored in the large pit shown below. Our tour guide explained the silage is regularly tested for nutritional value and supplemented with grains and other ingredients such as cotton seed hulls and salt.
Our farm tour also included a visit to the Garden at Broughton where we saw row upon row of lush, green vegetables and fruit. While some of the garden’s bounty is sold at Farmview Market, the majority is shared with the farm’s employees in weekly produce baskets.
We also had the opportunity to see a few other farm animals including goats, turkeys and hogs. The hogs are part of Rock House Farm’s heritage hog operation. The operation “entails breeding registered Berkshire hogs and then raising and finishing the offspring from that registered stock. The hogs are raised in an open environment that combines woods and pasture. They obtain some of their diet from grazing but are also fed a blended ration from a local feed mill to ensure that they stay healthy and happy.” Rock House pork products are sold through their specialty butcher shop at Farmview Market.
Our visit to Rock House Farm & Creamery was an intriguing mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar. It was a poignant reminder of the critical contributions farmers make as they tend the land and care for their animals. It also triggered a flood of memories about my beloved Dad and those golden days on our family farm―an uncanny coincidence so close to Father’s Day!
More Info
Rock House Farm & Creamery, located in Newborn, Georgia, offers visitors “an opportunity to meet the cows and learn about how their milks and cheeses are made and see first-hand their commitment to carrying on the traditions of sustainable dairy farming to create healthy and inspired products for you to enjoy”. Check out the Rock House Farm & Creamery website for details on the tours and the Farmview Market website for information about their fine products. Thanks again to Jeff for an informative, entertaining and highly enjoyable farm tour.
These farm tours are another great example of agritourism. See my previous blog post, A Weekend of Farm Tours, to learn more about the growing trend towards engaging, entertaining and educating visitors on farms and in other agricultural settings.
The following websites and articles were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. Changing Structure, Financial Risks, and Government Policy for the U.S. Dairy Industry, 2016 Report by the
Economic Research Service (ERS) of the US Department of Agriculture Production (USDA) found on the ERS USDA website.
. JBZ Dairy Advantage website which shares information about milking systems.
. DAIReXNET website which is a national Cooperative Extension online resource for the dairy industry provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the US Department of Agriculture.
. American Dairy Association NorthEast website.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Consider visiting a farm to learn how farmers tend the land and care for their animals.
2. Understanding where food comes from can help us make better food choices.
3. Consider purchasing food locally to support farmers and growers in your community.
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