June 3, 2016
CapitalPress.com
7
Azores transplants take root in California
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
The path Marlene Sil-
veira and her family took to
fulfill their dream of own-
ing a dairy in California was
a long one.
“I was born into the
dairy business,” she said.
“My family still has dair-
ies in the Azores Islands
(off the coast of Portu-
gal), where I was born. As
far back as I can go, my
family has always milked
cows.”
In 1999, she married Vic-
tor, whose parents also came
from the Azores and had
started a California dairy in
1987.
At first, Marlene and
Victor leased a dairy farm.
Then in 2001, another
dream came true — the cou-
ple bought a dairy between
Sacramento and Redding,
Calif.
“In 2006 we reached a
new chapter for Silveira
Farms and became an or-
ganic dairy,” she said. “We
wanted to get the cows on
pasture and off of concrete.
We went back to the way
our family dairies in the
Azores.”
The dairy milks around
600 cows. Most are Hol-
steins but there are a few
Jerseys and cross-breeds.
A couple of years
ago they also decided
to plant trees and now
have almond and walnut
orchards.
The Silveiras sell their
milk to Organic West, a
milk broker that sells it to
processors.
“I always say that you are
born into the dairy business
or you marry into it,” she
said. “It is truly a 7/24-hour
job and most people do not
want this lifestyle. But most
dairymen will tell you that
this is the most rewarding
job and we would not trade
it for the world. I personally
cannot imagine not milking
cows.”
Although it is an ideal
life for her family, she ac-
knowledges there are bumps
in the road.
“There are many chal-
lenges for a dairy farmer in
California,” she said. “The
milk price the California
dairy farmer receives is
about 10 percent lower than
the rest of the nation. The
reason is that California is
not in the federal order.”
She hopes that will
change next year, when
farmers will vote on a fed-
eral order.
“The operating costs —
land, labor, electricity, feed
costs and fuel in California
are also high,” she said.
“These are some of the rea-
sons many dairies are going
out of business or moving
out of state.”
She also thought about
moving.
“There was a time we
also considered moving out
of California for these rea-
sons, but we love Califor-
nia,” he said. “This is where
family lives and where
we want to raise our two
kids.”
Silveira is a member of
the California Milk Adviso-
ry Board.
Courtesy of Marlene Silveira
The Silveira family — Marlene, Victor and children Lillyanna and Joseph — brought many of their dairy
practices from the Azores to their dairy farm. Buck, the dog, helps out, too.
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