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Commonly Asked Questions About Our Dairy Farm

Krista Stauffer

When I meet people for the first time or they find my blog, there is always tons of questions. I have compiled a list of the most common questions that I receive.

What is the name of your farm? Stauffer Dairy

Where is your farm located? Washington State

When was your farm established? 2009

What generation is your farm? Our farm is a first generation conventional dairy farm.

What generation are you? I am a first generation dairy farmer. My husband is a fourth generation dairy farmer.

Do you sell your milk directly to the public? No.

Who is your cooperative? Northwest Dairy Association (the views/opinions of my blog are my own)

How many cows do you milk? On average we milk 150 cows.

What type of milking parlor do you have? Just recently we had a homemade milking parlor installed. We can now milk sixteen cows at a time, eight on each side. Read more about our parlor, here.

Do you use rBST? No, we do not. Read this article on how Washington state is rBST free.

Are there hormones in milk? The answer is yes. Hormones are naturally occurring in all dairy cattle. Read more from CommonGround about hormones in milk and labels that can be found on dairy products here.

Does hormones in milk cause issues in children & early puberty? No. Read this article for further explanation.

Are there antibiotics in milk from conventional dairy farms? Recently the FDA confirmed that milk is safe after they preformed  a study of our nation’s milk supply. “The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine study collected milk samples from nearly 2,000 dairy farms across the country. Samples were tested for residues of 31 different drugs, including all of the antibiotics most often used on U.S. dairy farms.” Read more here. Also, be sure to read my post on how we ensure that milk from cows that are treated with antibiotics do not enter the food supply. Keep in mind that antibiotic use is NOT common. Antibiotics are only used as a last resort for sick animals. Keeping animals healthy is our number one goal, healthy animals do not require treatment.

What breed of cattle do you have? We have Holstein, jersey and Holstein/jersey cross.

What type of barn do you have? We have a free-stall barn. Our cows can come and go as they please choosing where they rest.

Do your cows have names? No. The are all identified by a number. Regardless if they have a name or not, they are loved.

Do you take the calves away from their mothers? Yes. Read this post for more on that subject.

What do you do with dairy bull calves? We are currently raising them. Typically they are raised within our community as beef steers.  Read this post for more on our dairy bull calves. We do not have any veal farms in our area nor have any of our bull calves been purchased by a veal farm. If you want to learn more about veal farms, click here.

Do you pierce your cows ears? Yes. Please read this post for more information.

Are the horns removed from your cattle? Yes. We prefer a method called horn disbudding. This process falls in line with the National Dairy FARM Program. Please read this post for more details.

Does your farm have inspections? Yes we do. We are randomly inspected by our cooperative, state inspector, federal inspector and by National Dairy FARM Program.

Is there something that I missed that you think should be on this list? Contact me and let me know.

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Krista Stauffer

Owner at Stauffer Dairy
Krista didn't grow up on a farm but fell in love with a dairy farmer and now works alongside her husband on their family dairy farm, raising five children. Despite her non-farm upbringing, she embraces farm life, enjoys gardening, and remodeling their farmhouse. She also runs a successful women's boutique, manages social media for local businesses, and serves on the board of a non-profit creamery, showcasing her dedication to entrepreneurship and community service.
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