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CapitalPress.com
Friday, January 28, 2022
Dairy
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Why freezing milk is
important in the dairy sheep
industry – and how to do it
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
One of the biggest
challenges in running a
sheep dairy is the indus-
try is highly seasonal, with
annual cycles of breed-
ing, lambing and lactation.
Fresh milk production nor-
mally hits its peak after
lambing and slows down
through the fall and winter.
The industry is fine-tun-
ing management tech-
niques for out-of-season
breeding and developing
genetic lines that produce
more milk in the off season.
But it may be years before
these innovations help pro-
ducers overcome seasonal
slumps, experts say.
In the meantime, pro-
cessors that need a sta-
ble supply of milk year-
round for making yogurt
and cheese are turning to
another solution: freezing
sheep milk for later pro-
cessing. The process is not
as simple as it sounds.
“There’s no doubt fresh
milk is easier to use, but
there’s just not enough
fresh milk year-round in
the quantities we need,”
said
Liam
Callahan,
co-founder, cheesemaker
and CEO of Bellwether
Farms in Sonoma, Calif., a
major processor.
In a panel discus-
sion during the Dairy
Sheep Association of
North America’s sympo-
sium, farmers and proces-
sors with freezing experi-
ence shared advice on best
practices.
Tom Clark, co-founder
of Old Chatham Sheep
Company in New York,
one of the nation’s larg-
est and oldest processors,
said it’s crucial to freeze
sheep milk at a low tem-
perature; he recommends
minus 20 degrees Fahren-
heit, or at minimum, minus
10 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The milk can be com-
promised if it gets too
warm,” said Clark.
Clark said he has used
a device to monitor tem-
perature. He has also used
Rennet tests, performed on
thawing milk, as recom-
mended by the University
of Wisconsin.
Some farmers, he said,
use poly bags for storing
and freezing milk. Others
fill plastic buckets.
Clark said he learned
through years of experi-
ence that it’s important to
use a blend of frozen and
fresh milk, rather than only
frozen milk, to create prod-
ucts. For cheese, he recom-
mends a minimum of 35%
fresh milk, and for yogurt,
he suggests a 50-50 blend
of fresh and frozen milk.
Terry Felda, owner of
Tin Willows Sheep Dairy
and Ranch in Eastern
Oregon, a 450-acre farm
milking about 65 Assaf-
cross ewes, said she has
learned the importance of
sanitizing buckets with
a bleach-water solution
before filling and freezing
them.
Felda said she also tries
not to overload any of
her four freezers with too
much product.
Cheesemaker
Brad
Gregory, of Black Sheep
Creamery in Chehalis,
Wash., stores milk in a
large, walk-in freezer to
have a reliable milk supply
year-round.
When making cheese,
Gregory said he sees about
5% to 10% less yield
using frozen milk versus
fresh. He uses both fro-
zen and fresh milk for hard
cheeses but avoids using
frozen milk to make soft,
fresh cheeses for textural
reasons.
Woody Babcock, who
runs Woodrow Farms with
his wife Cora Wahl in Lan-
glois, Ore., said he, like
Clark of Old Chatham,
has found that minus 20
degrees seems to be the
sweet spot for freezing.
Dairy exports see double-digit growth
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
After a lackluster October,
U.S. dairy exports rebounded
in November, climbing 19%
in volume and 32% in value
year over year.
Nonfat dry milk/skim
milk powder and cheese led
the way with growth rates of
25% and 40%, respectively,
according to the U.S. Dairy
Export Council.
Exports of NDM/SMP
totaled 76,422 metric tons,
easily a record amount for
November. Topping the
demand was Southeast Asia,
with shipments 37% ahead
of November 2020. That
increase was driven by sig-
nificant increases to Viet-
nam — up 292% year over
year — and the Philippines,
up 76%.
“Backlogged
product
finally making it to buy-
Capital Press File
Dairy exports were up in November.
ers likely contributed to
regional volumes in Novem-
ber, but the percentage gains
to Southeast Asia also bene-
fited from a weak November
2020,” said Paul Rogers, a
correspondent with USDEC.
The U.S. also saw signif-
icant increases in most other
major markets, with pow-
der exports up 37% in South
America, 9% in Mexico,
196% in Central America
and 27% in China.
Global demand remains
strong but the U.S. price
advantage over the European
Union and New Zealand has
narrowed significantly since
September, he said.
On the cheese side,
exports surged in the second
half of 2021 to surpass the
annual record set in 2014
“Strong demand for the
United States’ major partners
and weak production from
primary competitors have
been crucial to accelerated
sales,” said Wiiliam Loux,
senior director of global trade
analysis for USDEC.
In November, U.S. cheese
exports totaled 33,500 met-
ric tons. Exports to Mex-
ico increased 65% year over
year, and the rest of Latin
America wasn’t far behind
with a 46% increase. Cheese
exports were up 48% to
South Korea and 10.7% to
Australia.
“Indeed, the U.S. has seen
growth in multiple cheese
types as economies rebounds
in 2021, tourism returned
and consumers went back to
restaurants,” Loux said.
Chobani scholarships aimed at underserved students
Capital Press
Chobani is expanding its
Scholars Program, adding
a pledge of $1 million and
a focus on supporting his-
torically underserved stu-
dents who want to pursue
careers related to agricul-
ture, agri-business or food
science.
The program has helped
dozens of university students
pursue their ambitions in the
dairy industry. That mission
now includes creating a more
equitable future in agriculture.
Through its partnerships
with University of Idaho
and Cornell University, the
Chobani Scholars Program
will offer eight scholarships
of $20,000 a year over five
years to historically under-
served students interested
in studying agriculture,
dairy, food science or food
entrepreneurship.
Chobani will also pro-
vide $20,000 of annual fund-
ing to each of the univer-
sities during the same time
to support diversity, equity
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press File
The Chobani Innovation and Community Center in Twin
Falls, Idaho. The company is expanding its scholarship
program at the University of Idaho and Cornell University.
and inclusion training and
education.
Chobani Scholars will
have an opportunity to intern
with the company during their
college careers. In prior years
the program was limited to
students from a dairy back-
ground who were pursuing
careers in dairy.
“Today’s announcement
builds on our mission to help
ensure opportunities for stu-
dents from underserved com-
munities with an interest in
working on a farm or in agri-
business, in food science,
and those who want to start
a food business,” said Peter
McGuinness, Chobani presi-
dent and COO.
“We’re proud to be sup-
porting dozens of current stu-
dents in our home states of
Idaho and New York, and
we’re thrilled to be expand-
ing the Chobani Scholars
program.”
The Chobani Scholars pro-
gram was established at the
two universities in 2018. The
grants have helped more than
two dozen students attending
the University of Idaho Col-
lege of Agricultural and Life
Sciences and Cornell Univer-
sity’s College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences.
With the announcement,
Chobani’s scholarship fund-
ing pledge will total more
than $1.4 million by 2027.
“The Chobani Scholars
Program provides an incredi-
ble opportunity to Idaho stu-
dents who otherwise may not
be able to attend college,” said
Michael Parrella, dean of the
College of Agricultural and
Life Sciences at the Univer-
sity of Idaho.
“We are grateful for our
strong partnership with Cho-
bani and their passion for cre-
ating a pathway for Idahoans
from underrepresented com-
munities who wish to pur-
sue a career in agriculture,”
he said.
Dairy West announces leadership changes
Capital Press
Chace Fullmer, owner of
Fullmer Farms in Sigurd, Utah,
is taking the reins as chairman
of Dairy West, a regional dairy
promotion organization repre-
senting dairy farmers, proces-
sors and supply-chain partners
in Utah and Idaho.
He replaces Steve Ballard
of Ballard Farms in Gooding,
Idaho, who served as chairman
for four years.
Newly appointed board
member John Brubaker,
owner of Knotts Run Dairy in
Buhl, Idaho, was elected vice
chairman. Heglar Creek Farms
owner Josh Webb of Declo,
Idaho, was elected treasurer.
Leak Family Farm owner Matt
Leak of Cornish, Utah, will
COMPOST
serve as secretary.
Other new directors are Pete
Wiersma, Idaho Dairy Associ-
ation president and owner of
Fairview Dairy in Buhl, and
Debra Reeves, co-owner of
White Harvest Farms in Buhl.
Other new leaders, listed
below, were announced.
Idaho Dairy Products
Commission
• Mike Siegersma, Nampa,
chairman.
• Brian Esplin, Shelley, vice
chairman.
• Melinda Wolf, Dairy West
training and development
manager, secretary.
• John Brubaker, Buhl.
• Pete Wiersma, Buhl.
• Steve Ballard, Gooding.
Utah Dairy Council
• Jeff Hardy, Brigham City,
chairman.
• David Roberts, Beaver,
vice chairman.
• Malarik Harrison, Myton,
secretary.
United Dairy Industry
Association
• John Brubaker, Buhl,
Idaho, secretary.
• Brian Esplin, Shelley,
Idaho.
• Jeff Hardy, Brigham City,
Utah.
• Tom Kasper, Melba, Idaho.
In addition to the new offi-
cers, Don Gaalswyk of Buhl,
Idaho, and Kim Korn of Ter-
reton, Idaho, will serve on the
National Dairy Promotion and
Research Board.
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