We have just been paid an annual visit by San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. Members of the Board take a walk around the farm to conduct their routine inspection. Some of the things they check for on a dairy ranch are to make sure all of the berms are in place so rain water does not mix with the manure water.
You're probably wondering where we keep the manure water. It is pumped into one of four manure ponds that we have here on the farm. All dairy farms are required to have these in place. Water Quality also checks to make sure all the manure pumps, which are pumps that pump the liquid manure to the ponds, are in good working condition. Pipes are checked for cracks and leaks as well.
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This photo is one of the liquid manure ponds when it's almost empty.
Another item that is inspected is that all dairy cattle are kept in a covered area for the entire winter / rainy season. The cattle are allowed back to their open corrals and on pasture on April 15th of each year, unless it's an especially wet winter then this date is extended. This is just one of many regulations all California dairies must follow. The reason for this regulation is to be able to easily contain all liquid and solid manure mass so it can then be pumped or scraped into the designated manure ponds.
What happens to all the liquid and solid manure in the ponds? Well, that's an entire separate production that happens every summer. Stay Tuned!
Oh, and we passed inspection without a problem.
Last night while the rest of my family was eating the home-made pizza we made, I met some of my Novato mom pals for dinner at
Pasta Moto. A fairly new restaurant here in Novato, reasonably priced and delicious.
You walk in to a very nice atmosphere, order at the counter and take a seat at a table to wait for your food. Karen and I ordered the Chicken Panini which consisted of chicken, avocado, mozzarella cheese and pesto ~ really good ~ served with a side salad, Kris ordered the Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Vegetables and Mandy had already eaten dinner so she ordered dessert ~ Tiramisu. Every dish was delish!
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They offer a variety of wines by the glass or you can sample several wines from a Tasting Dispenser located in the center of the dining room floor.
It was a fun night!
.jpg)
This photo is one of the liquid manure ponds when it's almost empty.
Another item that is inspected is that all dairy cattle are kept in a covered area for the entire winter / rainy season. The cattle are allowed back to their open corrals and on pasture on April 15th of each year, unless it's an especially wet winter then this date is extended. This is just one of many regulations all California dairies must follow. The reason for this regulation is to be able to easily contain all liquid and solid manure mass so it can then be pumped or scraped into the designated manure ponds.
What happens to all the liquid and solid manure in the ponds? Well, that's an entire separate production that happens every summer. Stay Tuned!
Oh, and we passed inspection without a problem.
Last night while the rest of my family was eating the home-made pizza we made, I met some of my Novato mom pals for dinner at Pasta Moto. A fairly new restaurant here in Novato, reasonably priced and delicious.
You walk in to a very nice atmosphere, order at the counter and take a seat at a table to wait for your food. Karen and I ordered the Chicken Panini which consisted of chicken, avocado, mozzarella cheese and pesto ~ really good ~ served with a side salad, Kris ordered the Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Vegetables and Mandy had already eaten dinner so she ordered dessert ~ Tiramisu. Every dish was delish!
<
They offer a variety of wines by the glass or you can sample several wines from a Tasting Dispenser located in the center of the dining room floor.
It was a fun night!
Thanks for posting the pictures! It was fun to get together.
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