June 2, 2017
CapitalPress.com
11
Regulations rile California dairyman
For the Capital Press
SANTA ROSA, Calif.
— A third-generation dairy
farmer, Doug Beretta, says the
best part of his day is knowing
he is taking good care of his
cows and helping to feed the
world; the downside is com-
plying with regulations.
“Waking up each day,
walking to work outside, be-
ing your own boss and work-
ing with the cattle is the best,”
he said. “When you see that
2-year-old heifer have her
first calf and start to milk her,
it really brings a good feeling
knowing you raised and cared
for her. It is a big accomplish-
ment.”
Beretta started working on
the dairy at the age of 8 and
started relief milking when
he was 14. Today he owns
and operates Beretta Family
Organic Dairy with his wife,
Sharon, two of their children
and four employees.
The 350-cow operation
has been certified organic for
10 years.
Beretta Dairy sells the
milk as a raw product to Wal-
laby Organic Yogurt in Amer-
ican Canyon.
“We have Holsteins, Jer-
seys and crossbreds,” he said.
“The crossbreds are most-
ly Jersey-Holstein crosses,
with some other breeds such
as Montbeliarde and Swed-
ish Red. The cows are about
two-thirds Jersey and Jersey
crossbred and about one-third
Holstein.
Beretta’s average work day
is long — 10 to 12 hours. He
also sits on many boards and
committees that are ag-relat-
ed. There are days that he puts
in 10 hours, goes to a board
meeting at night and gets in
bed around midnight and gets
up at 5:30 a.m.
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He said the dairy industry
is a job but it is also a way of
life.
According to Beretta, the
list of challenges facing Cal-
ifornia’s dairy industry is
long.
“I think regulations — wa-
ter quality, air quality and an-
imal welfare — are the top of
the list,” he said. “People are
sitting in their offices making
rules that affect all of agri-
culture who have never run a
business, been on a farm, or
understand the passion farm-
ers have for their animals and
land.”
Animal health is a particu-
lar concern for him.
“Without healthy animals
and healthy farmland we
Courtesy of Doug Beretta
Doug Beretta, a third-generation dairyman from Santa Rosa,
Calif., loves his work but maintains that regulations make it hard
to stay in the industry.
would not have a business,”
he said. “People have to un-
derstand that farm animals
are cared for better than some
humans, but they are not our
pets that we bring in the house
every night. How many peo-
ple know that have a doctor
on call, a nutritionist that tells
them what to eat and four to
five people watching over
them? Our veterinarian is on
call 24 hours a day, our nutri-
tionist visits the farm monthly
and is a picture or email away
if there are any problems.”
Beretta theorizes that the
challenges are some of the
reasons fewer people are go-
ing into dairy than in the past.
“California has lost over
600 dairies in the last five
years, maybe even more than
that,” he said.
“I think the decline is due
to many things. Low milk
price, cost of doing business
— labor cost, environmental
cost and added regulations,”
he said. “Other crops can be
planted to make a better living
without working 24/7.”
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By JULIA HOLLISTER