Food Safety Workshop at

Spokane’s Family Farm

October 16, 2009

Topics:

Milking Equipment Sanitation and Pre/Post Milking Sanitation

Milk quality starts in the pens. Spokane’s Family Farm has a herd of 30 cows.

All pens are raked and groomed twice daily. This is the first defense against pathogens

A cow lying down, is a cow making milk. The harrowing schedule is as important as the milking schedule. You do not want to disturb the laying down cows.

Workshop guests included:

Charlie Peterson from Spokane County Conservation District discussing Nutrient Management Plans.

Jessica Clark from WSDA discussing their role in public health goals and roles.

Spokane’s Family Farm values their relationships with inspectors- they run everything by the inspector prior to purchasing anything- if they do not have answers, they are a big help in helping you both figure out the answers.

Milking Room

The Claw-

Mike recommends silicone rather than rubber. Silicon is much better for cleaning. These silicone liners are good for 8,000 milkings.

All rubber tubes and hoses need to be changed out every 6 months.

Clear air-tubes are important; if milk is in the tube, the liner is bad. Without clear air-tubes you might not know there’s a problem.

Pre-milking procedures start at the wash vat.

Mike mixes a solution of organic powder chlorine to sanitize all equipment.

Using too much chlorine is a problem- follow dilution directions. Mike recommends powder forms of most chemicals.

The milking system is flushed with the chlorine solution. All hoses and lines need to drain completely to assure no standing water remains in the system.

No water hoses are allowed in the milking barn once the cows come in, and are not allowed until after all the cows have left. Hoses will contaminate the area, and cause splashing if used for rinsing.

Cows are fed hay prior to milking, to be followed with grain during milking.

Mike calls the girls in to the milking barn.

The cows wait their turn.

A dessert after their hay dinner.

Mike wears hand gloves…

And arm gloves for milking.

A Dip Cup is located at each station- it is used to give each teat an iodine wash.

You never touch a teat before is on it.

A clean dry rag is used to remove iodine pre-dip prior to attaching the milking machines.

Clean and dirty rag buckets- Each teat is dried with a towel. A different towel is used for each cow-

If milk "let down" does not happen immediately when the claw is applied there is a problem.

All udders are clipped and free of hair.

Milking Line.

End of first shift.

Second shift coming in.

Clean up has three stages:

           1) Luke warm water rinse

           2) Hot water detergent (PH of 14 or greater)

           3) Luke warm acid rinse (PH of 4 or less)

A sanitizing Acid neutralizer with a Ph of 4 or lower.

Ph is tested with a test strip on water return, not right when you add it. This assures the Ph is held throughout the flushing.

Mike spends at least 2 hours/day cleaning and setting up for milking. Every other day is bottling day- which adds another 30 minutes.

Milk Vat...proper and immediate refrigeration is essential (bacteria in milk doubles every 30 minutes at temps OVER 40')

Jessica and Mike in the pasteurization room. Mike climbs into this 500 gallon vat every day with a light to make sure it is CIP (Clean In Place).

Jessica checks and calibrates Mike’s gauges and thermometer every 3 months.

Spokane’s family farm averages 9 gallons of milk per cow per day.

Mike estimates a start up cost when adding a bottling facility to a small dairy of about $250,000.00

The state needs to approve all labels. There are regulations that must be met, and your state inspector can save you money by making sure your labels have all the correct information before printing them.