The Milk Producer - January 2012 - (Page 8)

DAIRYUPDATE No surprises T he future will hold no surprises for Ontario milk producers when it comes to ensuring lane- ways, yards and milkhouses, along with milk quality, meet standards. A project now underway will set specifications the industry will need to meet for the next two decades. Called Milkhouse of the Future, the project’s intent is to let you know when your facilities have to meet these specifications, says Dave Hitchon, Dairy Farmers of Ontario transportation manager. “Ultimately we want to improve quality, cut costs and give producers a road map so they can use it to plan their businesses accordingly.” The idea for the MHF plan originated with work DFO has been doing the last few years to reduce transportation costs for all producers, he explains. Much of that involved using larger trucks to pick up milk, and changing regulations for outlets and valves. However, that approach was somewhat piecemeal, Hitchon says. Once completed, the milkhouse project will instead provide a comprehensive plan spanning the next 20 years. The project began with transpor- tation, but has been expanded to include quality issues, he says. “It will integrate both key aspects of milk production.” It will also provide timeliness for various steps producers will have to take. For example, it could indicate all yards and lanes have to meet specifications spelled out in DFO policies by 8 | January 2012 | MilkPRODUCER Transportation and quality needs of the future mapped out for Ontario milk producers Milkhouse of the Future will let you improve quality, cut costs and plan ahead. 2014, or outlets and valves by 2015. “So, if you’re rebuilding your milk- house, for instance, you’ll know it has to meet certain specifications at a date in the future,” Hitchon says. “You could make changes now and be ahead of the curve.” DFO staff involved in the project have had initial meetings to look at various items the MHF plan should include. “We’re now looking at costs and paybacks. Every item has to be value-added. It has to save money, improve quality or both,” he says. Safety will be another key consid- eration, Hitchon adds. Yard and laneway layouts, for example, will have to ensure transporters do not have to back into a farm from a road. A draft for DFO board review is scheduled for early 2012. Hitchon also expects to present an initial plan to DFO’s Spring Policy Conference when grassroots producers can contribute their ideas. No target date has been set for the project’s completion yet, he says. “We want it to be well thought out so we’re not changing things a few years later.”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - January 2012

The Milk Producer - January 2012
Contents
Editor’s Notes
DFO Chair’s Message
Dairy Update
DFC Promotion
Farm Finance
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Markets
New’N’Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - January 2012