1. The cited $180,000 is not the cost of salary for one person on state payroll.
2. There are different elements to the program, and they include:
a. Monthly sampling of the milk (this is in addition to the routine daily sampling and testing that the dairy performs itself)
b. Quarterly inspections of the farm itself (equipment, animal health, sanitation,etc)
c. Quarterly inspection and testing of the milk plant on the farm (this is specialty equipment necessary for Grade A status which includes the chiller and pasteurizer, etc)
d. Maintaining federally required certifications and training
e. Quarterly inspections of the blow molding plant in Palmer (where the milk jugs are made)
f. Performing specific laboratory tests on the milk samples
3. The State of Alaska adopted the PMO (pasteurized milk ordinance) and other standards, and adhering to the administrative code is not only required federally for Grade A dairies, but is required by the state itself. In other words, if there exists one (or a 100) Grade A dairy, then the state is bound to perform the required inspections and testing.
4. The person who performs the dairy sanitation inspections, also provides the inspections for the FSMA, which includes locally produced crops. This person also speaks at seminars, teaches the community about the programs within FSMA, and has other duties related to Alaska agriculture.
5. Prior to the adoption of the PMO and subsequent creation of the program, the state veterinarian performed the required tests (at the farms at Pt. MacKenzie, for example) but it is unclear who was tasked with inspection and testing of the milk plant (Matanuska Maid) during that time. (Matanuska Maid has since fallen into history, and no large facility exists within the state. The Havemeisters' invested in a dairy plant, on their farm, to process the milk into Grade A)
6. There exists no mechanism (currently) to hire any external professionals to perform the needed tests and inspections.
Please note: The frequency of the actions taken by the state is as accurate as I can determine. They may be more, or less, frequent than cited above. Specific lab test information is unknown, but is sure to rule out various pathogens, bacteria, and so forth.
Of suggested solutions, none are available to the Havemeisters on their own. This is true for any other dairy hoping to attain the Grade A stamp, which allows for legal commercial sale.
Even the future of the bottling plant may be at risk, if they lose the Havemeister contract of 5,000 milk jugs a week. Not to mention the inspections done there, that allow other Alaska companies to bottle products locally.
However, the OSV (Office of the State Veterinarian) could, in theory, offer a way out of this dilemma:
As it stands, the only permitted lab is the state's own. There exist others locally. In addition, there are certified labs in other states capable of testing. It is entirely likely that the inspections themselves, can be done by anyone certified/trained to do them, it is a matter of adjusting regulation and having the time to get it done. The OSV has the full authority to make changes, and there appears to be support within the legislature to do so at this time.
The future of the dairy remains in doubt, until the budget is finalized and on the Governor's desk for signature, or red pen. That said, the dairy has come up with alternatives, and so have others on the Governor's team.
Note: I too, railed against paying a single person 180 grand a year for dairy inspections, in a previous post. Like most, I did not realize that the choice to call it a "position" was ADECs decision, and even that decision is questionable, because they do intend to reduce staff by eliminating a position. So yes, ADEC is playing semantics, and budgetary shenanigans continue to plague Ag.
Even the future of the bottling plant may be at risk, if they lose the Havemeister contract of 5,000 milk jugs a week. Not to mention the inspections done there, that allow other Alaska companies to bottle products locally.
However, the OSV (Office of the State Veterinarian) could, in theory, offer a way out of this dilemma:
As it stands, the only permitted lab is the state's own. There exist others locally. In addition, there are certified labs in other states capable of testing. It is entirely likely that the inspections themselves, can be done by anyone certified/trained to do them, it is a matter of adjusting regulation and having the time to get it done. The OSV has the full authority to make changes, and there appears to be support within the legislature to do so at this time.
The future of the dairy remains in doubt, until the budget is finalized and on the Governor's desk for signature, or red pen. That said, the dairy has come up with alternatives, and so have others on the Governor's team.
Note: I too, railed against paying a single person 180 grand a year for dairy inspections, in a previous post. Like most, I did not realize that the choice to call it a "position" was ADECs decision, and even that decision is questionable, because they do intend to reduce staff by eliminating a position. So yes, ADEC is playing semantics, and budgetary shenanigans continue to plague Ag.
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