Small-Scale Dairy Processing & Dairy Sustainability Project

Overview

During 2019, a team of UTIA Extension specialists and researchers began a collaboration to study and evaluate small-scale dairy processing equipment and to complete a dairy sustainability project.  The collaborative effort was started with seven original goals and deliverables:

  1. Conduct Various Farm Visits to review on-farm dairy processing equipment
  2. Develop List of Small-scale Dairy Processing Equipment
  3. Develop On-farm Dairy Processing Scenarios
  4. Develop Feasibility Assessment of On-farm Dairy Processing Scenarios
  5. Develop a Review of Current Dairy Systems in Tennessee
  6. Conduct Overall Market Assessment of On-Farm Dairy Processing Scenarios

Accomplishments, Deliverables and Resources

  • Summary of Three Small-scale Dairy Processing Equipment Scenarios
    • Mark Morgan and Rob Holland
    • February 2020
    • (developed for internal project use only.  Not published for distribution.  Contact authors for details)
  • Tennessee Consumers’ Views About Farmstead Milk
    • Caitlin S. Zaring, Elizabeth Eckelkamp – Department of Animal Science
    • Kimberly L. Jensen, Alicia L. Rihn and David W. Hughes – Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
    • Mark T. Morgan – Department of Food Science
  • To Be Completed:
    • Summary of the Current State of the Value-Added Dairy Industry in Tennessee (summary of farm visits and enterprise assessment forms) – Liz Eckelkamp
    • Feasibility Assessment of On-Farm Ice Cream – David Hughes
    • Feasibility Assessment of On-Farm Fluid Milk Processing and Bottling – David Hughes
    • Online Decision Tool for On-farm Fluid Milk Bottling (36x scenarios/options) from Thesis – Liz Eckelkamp

Additional Resources

Jersey heifers in field
UT Dairy Resources
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Dairy steers being fed
UT MANAGE Program
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Lucky Ladd Farm Barn
Center for Profitable Agriculture
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Team Leaders

Liz Eckelkamp Profile Page
Liz Eckelkamp
Associate Professor | Animal Science
Rob Holland Jr Profile Page
Rob Holland Jr
Extension Specialist III | Center for Profitable Agriculture
David Hughes Profile Page
David Hughes
Professor | Agricultural and Resource Economics
Kim Jensen Profile Page
Kim Jensen
Professor Emeritus | Agricultural and Resource Economics
Mark Morgan Profile Page
Mark Morgan
Professor | Food Science

This project is supported in part by the Small Scale Dairy Processing and Dairy Sustainability Project with funding from the UT Institute of Agriculture, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Center for Profitable Agriculture