Why Dairy ?

1. Why Dairy ? Mike Meissen Iowa Area Development Group “Dairy Site Selection”

2. Dairy Site Selection Location- Site should be located on a hard surface road or close to a hard surface road. You must be aware of the prevailing wind direction as this will effect ventilation and odor problems. The site must comply with all DNR regulations for setback distance from any public use area.

3. Dairy Site Selection Water Quality / Availability The high consumption rate of dairy cattle and the importance of high quality water make this site characteristic a must. Drinking and cleaning water consumption for dairy cows will top 50 gal/day/cow.

4. Dairy Site Selection Topography Dairy sites should have a fairly flat topography for the building site itself. A 3% to 5% downgrade to the rear of the site is desirable for a natural fall from the parlor and the free stall barns to the waste management lagoons.

5. Dairy Site Selection Size This site characteristic will vary with the type of parlor, amount of cows to be milked, the individual and the current DNR regulations. There is generally a request for minimum of 80 acres.

6. Dairy Site Selection Feed/Waste Management You must be able to supply the number of cows located on site with corn silage and remove the waste to the land the silage came from. One and one half acres per cow.

7. Dairy Site Selection Dykstra Dairy

8. Dairy Site Selection Dykstra Dairy Parlor

9. Dairy Site Selection Atsma Dairy

10. Dairy Site Selection Hickory Hill Dairy

11. Dairy Site Selection Ysselstein Dairy

13. Dairy Site Selection Bud Mouw – Tulare, California Has sited and built 7 large dairies across California and the Midwest. Top 4 reasons to locate. 1. Competitive Milk Market 2. People who want you 3. Social structure (eat, motel etc.) 4. Services (equipment, vets etc.)

17. Thank You!