Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], April 01, 1954, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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Picking up tank milk at one stop on Montana's first bulk milk route. Op
erated by Kessler Dairy of Bozeman, route includes eight producers so
far. covering about 40 miles in Gallatin County, 100 in Jefferson County.
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CLOSES TO CONSUMER
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That Means Better Quality Milk
With Less Labor, Lower Costs
By BILL STELLMON, Roving Reporter
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T HREE hundred gallons of Grade A milk
move from producer to distributor on
some Montana farms these days with noth
ing lifted but a few yards of hose. Cans are
gone from the milk houses. In their place
are trim, stainless steel, refrigerated bulk
storage tanks.
Along the Gallatin valley, in the Billings
area, around Missoula, Great Falls and
Butte, farm milk tanks are moving into the
state. It's likely that close to 50 are either
installed or on order in those milksheds now
—still not many compared to the 2,000-plus
on Washington state farms or the estimated
3,500 in California. But little more than a
year ago, Montana had none; last August,
only six.
And most of those were in one area—the
Gallatin, where the state's first bulk route
was started by Kessler Dairy of Bozeman
about six months ago.
Relatively New
Farm bulk tanks are relatively new, not
only to Montana but to the nation. They
had their start on large California dairies
about 10 years ago. West Coast states still
lead in their use, having roughly 70 per cent
of the estimated 6,550 tanks on farms in Au
gust. But tank use has spread to 36 states,
including Montana, though half these states
have less than 50 tanks. None, so far, are
listed for Wyoming.
These figures illustrate one fact about
national use of bulk tanks; Interest in them
is highly variable. Dairymen in some states
—Washington, for example—have been en
thusiastic about bulk handling; those in
others have not shown a buying interest. So
y
4
COVERS MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
bulk tanks in the milk house may never be
come as common as home freezers in the
kitchen—but neither the tank-owning
dairyman nor his freezer-owning wife wants
to go back to canning.
That is the unanimous comment of
Gallatin-area producers who have experi
ence with tanks. And convenience isn't the
only reason why.
Dozens of Advantages
They list dozens of advantages for farm
tanks: No spillage losses on farm or in tran
sit; savings of butter fat which sticks to can
lids; savings of time while milking and while
washing up; savings of handling costs and
of labor . . .
Most important, they've found their
tanks cool the milk quickly and keep it top
.quality while it's on the farm. Not all
claim better quality milk, but they agree
bulk handling makes them more quality
conscious. You're bound to be more careful,
they say, when you could lose a whole tank
of milk rather than a can—though that has
happened rarely among tank-owners in the
nation.
Also, these Gallatin producers like being
paid for all milk in the tank. Measurement
is made right on the farm where the owner
can watch, and check, if he wishes. Butter
fat samples are taken at the same time and
dairymen have found these tests, while not
necessarily any better, are far more uni
form.
Finally, they like the premium paid for
their bulk tank milk. It amounts to 15 cents
a hundred and represents savings in truck
ing and handling (Please turn to page 50)
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Roule driver Harold Miller allaches sanilary milk hose to farm lank on
Gallatin area bulk route. At each slop. Miller measures milk, agitates, takes
butterfat sample, flushes tank and gels under way in around 10 minutes.
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With bulk tanks, responsibility for sanitation rests
with farmer alone. Gallatin dairymen say tanks ar®
easy to clean, since all surfaces are smooth stain
less steel and agitator, etc., are removable. Her®
Joe Bos, Gallatin County, lakes the brush to hi®
400-gallon lank right after milk is picked up.
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On-farm measurement ot milk, payment for all
that's in the tank make for good producer-dis
tributor relations in bulk handling areas. Here, a®
tank is being emptied, Henry Alberda (left) of Gal
latin County checks reading on calibrated measur
ing rod in his lank. Looking on are Harold Miller.
Kessler route driver (center), and Andrew Leep.
who works for Alberda. "I said last fall it would
be a long time before I got a tank." Alberda say®.
"So I put in this 400-gallon tank in January."