Talk:Dairy Milker

The Holistic View of the Dairy

When we talk about the dairy milker, we must remember that the system described herein is a basic individual unit called the "bucket milker." There is also a milking system called a "pipeline milker" which transports milk directly to the refrigerated bulk tank using a combination of vacuum and pumps. Milk from bucket milkers must be poured through a filter into the bulk tank whereas milk from a pipeline milker is contained within a closed system which helps prevent contamination. Bucket milkers are good for very small dairies, but tend to be problematic in larger dairies.

It is important to remember that expressing the milk is only the first step toward dairy production. We must then have a place for milk storage (bulk tank), and the capability to process the milk for human consumption (pasteurizer, cheese vat, bottler, etc.). All of this equipment must be taken into consideration when we develop our dairy system. Not only does the dairy need to have equipment meeting Pasteurized Milk Ordinance standards, it also needs to have a building that meets these standards. Compressed Earth Blocks are probably not appropriate for this type of building since creameries are required to have water-impervious walls that can be washed down.