On Farm Milk Quality Workshops Pay Dividend$

Producing the highest quality milk and dairy products ensures consumer confidence as well as enhances farm profitability through higher milk production and premium bonuses. Somatic cells or white blood cells are routinely measured in milk (individual cows and bulk tank) as a measure of quality (lower SCC = higher quality). Recent EU requirements of not exceeding 400,000 cells/ ml as an individual producer if milk ends up as part of any EU export product led both producers and industry partners to express concerns as swell as an interest in educational venues and workshops to address key areas in dairy management, somatic cell and mastitis control, dairy product quality, farm and industry profitability, even for producers far below the EU limits (average SCC in Iowa is 233,000 cells/ml). The objective was to create a series of jointly sponsored and conducted milk quality on-farm interactive workshops to address key milk quality areas and enhance farm profitability