Happy Dairy Month from Threemile Canyon Farms
As dairy month comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to share some facts about our dairy operation and share some pictures of our amazing dairy team!
- We have a 3-tiered animal welfare program that is first and foremost in everything we do
- Validus, an internationally recognized outside and independent animal welfare auditor
- Monthly visits from our PNW animal advocate veterinarian
- Our Threemile Animal Welfare Committee is made up of a group of employees that meet monthly to advance/share knowledge about animal welfare
- Our 35,000 head dairy herd is made up of Jeseys and an F1 Jersey/Holstein breed known for milk that is rich in butterfat and valued by cheesemakers
- Our cows produce more than 2.2 million pounds of milk a day
- We ship out between 28-31 tankers full of milk in a 24-hour period
- Our milk goes to a local processing plant in Boardman where it is processed and turned into Tillamook cheese
- We keep detailed, computerized records on every animal to monitor health, feeding regimens and animal welfare
- We raise our next generation milking herd, giving us oversight and traceability of our herd through each animal’s life cycle
- We use the latest animal identification technology, including electronic identification (EID) scanners and handheld computers, the system ensures improved record accuracy on each individual animal
- Our on-staff nutritionist formulates Total Mixed Rations (TMR’s) that provide a balanced ration supporting all her nutritional needs
- Our dairy herd is fed a balanced ration of commodities raised on the farm — corn, alfalfa, and other feed crops — supplemented with culls, peelings, and other leftovers from processing our commercial potato and other crops.