Chico Begins Organic Dairy Production

"A bold new day has dawned at the California State University, Chico dairy, ushering in an approach that educators and students hope will bring consistently higher prices for their milk and a prosperous future for students.

After 40 years of following the mainstream, the university's dairy in the spring completed a shift from conventional milk production to organic, making it the first educational facility in the West with that distinction.

Animal science professor Cindy Daley is in charge of the university dairy. She cited two major reasons for the change: first, to meet the growing demand for organic food and, second, to bring new and exciting work opportunities to Chico State students.

She said prices for organic milk are steadier and have typically been higher than the conventional market. In fact, for much of the summer, Chico State's organic milk returned more than double the price it would have received for conventional product."

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