World Ag Expo & Progressive Dairy Seminar February 25, 2014

You’ll have to forgive me, the weather has been really unusually warm here in Southern California and I’ve had the gardening bug! But at long last I have made myself stay inside, I’ve set down to the computer, put  fingers to keyboard, and I’m catching up, at least a bit, on this blog. Which I LOVE to do… but I LOVE gardening better!!

We’ve been to the World Ag Expo (locally know as “The Farm Show”) in Tulare and the Progressive Dairy seminar was everything we hoped for and more! It was standing room only and following the presentation people had a lot of really good questions and we thoroughly enjoyed our time both at the Farm Show and in Tulare Dairy Country! I’ve included a URL to the video (see bottom of  this post) that was presented at the seminar, please take a moment to watch it as it’s very informative about our Waste to Fuel project. Bruce, his brother Brad and Steve McCorkle do an excellent job of telling “our story” and I can’t help it, I’m just very proud of my husband and this project!

Bruce & I with our “Circle of Energy”.

Bruce, Steve & Brad answering questions from the audience.

Walt Cooley of Progressive Dairy Magazine introducing Bruce, Steve & Brad.

Bruce & Brad in the Progressive Dairy Seminar Room

Stay tuned for another blog entry within the next couple days of a long-awaited video of one of the commercials that was filmed here on our farm! It’s the one of the Time Machine where the farmer goes back in time to fix something he didn’t get done and it’s fun but not at all what we expected. It’s much shorter than I thought it would be, and it also doesn’t use any of the footage that they took out in the fields or from outside the warehouse (or what they call a barn) and it really doesn’t show that much of our property.  But those are our trees in the background of our backyard that you can barely see through the “rain”. And speaking of “rain”…. it sure would be nice to get some…  mother nature has been very stingy this year and we here in California are in a serious drought.

And now I just have to put in a plug for technology, I love it! I  dictated this blog entry as I drove home from an unexpected trip to Temecula the other day and it saved me oodles of time!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.

And They Came Riding In On Three Big Buses February 10, 2014

Three Buses, LOTS of People, Plenty of California Sunshine =  A Very Nice Day to Tour a Dairy

Just over a week ago we hosted a group from Dairy Management Inc.* who were here in So. California for a meeting in the Palm Springs area . Approximately 130 people traveled from their meeting to see our dairy and participate in four different discussion sessions of shared information: Water & Natural Nutrient Recycling, Comfortable, Healthy & Well Fed Cows, Efficiencies and to listen to Steve McCorkle, CEO of Ag Waste Solutions discuss our joint venture of turning cow manure into diesel fuel; and as a side line bonus they also were able to enjoy some warm Californian sunshine.

The Buses Arrive

As the buses pulled into the dairy Bruce, Brad and I each boarded a bus to give a quick tour of the farm. As I boarded my bus to give a “cooks tour” of our farm the butterflies were fluttering in my stomach… but everyone was warm and welcoming and once I figured out how to use the pesky microphone I think it all went well. We quickly (they were on a tight time frame) did a loop past our cows, then around the northwest section of our farm taking in the sights of an Italian Rye crop planted under our westernmost pivot line… then onto our retention ponds, past our pumping station and back towards the dairy to disembark at the “big barn” where the “manure to fuel” project with Ag Waste Solutions is housed.

Everyone broke into four different groups at this point and most put on protective “booties” over their shoes (blue booties in picture below). Then off to their respective stations for 20 minutes of discussion before then walking to the next station until all four had been visited.

Brad Scott Discusses Keeping Cows Comfortable and Well Fed

Bruce Scott Discusses Water & Nutrient Recycling

Ryan Anglin of Anglin Farms in Arkansas Discusses Energy Efficiencies

Steve McCorkle CEO of Ag Waste Solutions Demonstrates How His Water Recovery Module Works

Lunch was under a tent which came with carpeting(!) and then everyone enjoyed Scott Brothers Dairy soft serve yogurt. Yummy!!! On a nice warm (mid 80’s) day it was appreciated by all believe me.

A Beautiful Sunny California Day for a Picnic Under a Big Tent

Brad Scott thanking the DMI group for visiting our dairy.

Ryan Anglin thanking Scott Brothers Dairy for their hospitality.

Bruce Scott, Ryan Anglin, Brad Scott & Stan Scott

Brian Hanna of the Scott Brothers Dairy Creamery Serving Soft Serve Yogurt to our Guests

I wish there had been more time to get to know these folks… some were from the frozen regions of Minnesota and Wisconsin, others from New York, New Jersey, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and several of the mid-western states. All had fascinating stories to tell of their homes, their farms, their lives. We here at Scott Brothers Dairy thank the DMI group for their interest in our farm and feel blessed that we were able to share our family owned farm with so many wonderful people.

*Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s nearly 49,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the Dairy Research Institute. DMI works with state and regional promotion organizations to implement these programs across the country.

Look Who’s On The Cover! February 9, 2014

Bruce, Stan & Brad Scott

More to come later this week… but let me just say this tonight… I’m so proud of our family! And don’t the guys look good gracing the cover of this magazine! 

Another Day Another Tour January 29, 2014

Good Morning! It looks to be a beautiful day here in So. California. Today we, Scott Brothers Dairy Farms, welcome Dairy Management Inc. to our farm for a tour of our facilities.  It promises to be a fun, albeit busy, day! Pictures and more info to follow soon.

100 Years Old! October 1, 2013

We celebrate this Fall what my husbands ancestors started… 100 YEARS AGO!

Our farm, “Scott Brothers Dairy Farms”, has been family owned and operated throughout its four generations and has been in continual operation in Southern California since 1913. 100 years… may I say… WOW!

Back in1913 Ira Scott moved from Iowa to California and began Scott Brothers Dairy along with his sons Leonard and Millard.  The dairy grew to become two locations under Leonard and Millard’s stewardship and they eventually brought along their sons and co-owners Stan, son of Leonard, and Don, Millard’s son.

 

Leonard & Millard Scott Mid 30’s

Stan Scott (center) with his sons Bruce (& his wife Nanette), Brad (and his wife Sally) and his daughter Debbie.

 

From the very start, our dairy was founded and built on quality, convenience, and price, and has always enjoyed a reputation for friendliness and great customer service. For four generations the Scotts have been operating our dairy, originally located on Philadelphia Street in Pomona California, with a second dairy, manufacturing plant and retail location on East End Avenue, established in 1961.

The original dairy location was eventually sold and an emphasis was put on the second location, located in the agricultural zone of Chino. The second dairy, manufacturing plant and retail location became State of California Dairy Plant #06-935 in 1963. In the late 70’s, the actual dairy farm portion of the business was moved to the San Jacinto California area, about an hour’s drive southeast of the Chino plant. Bruce and Brad Scott currently manage the farm alongside their father Stan, continuing the Scott family tradition for the fourth generation. The milk from the dairy farm is provided exclusively to the Scott Brothers Dairy manufacturing plant in Chino.

Being married to one of the fourth generation brothers I can attest that this life is never “easy”, but mostly a steady flow of forward movement. Exciting on some days, ebbing with frustrations on others, but always, or most always anyways, living the life of a farmer with a smile on your face and an ever-optimistic outlook on life.

I am blessed to be a part of the multi-generational family business and am so very proud of the product we provide to America. Congratulations to my family… for their hard work, dedication and love of farming. Happy 100th! 

100th Year Celebratory Milk Bottle