Dairy

ISDA’s Dairy Bureau provides oversight on the dairy industries within Idaho. This oversight helps to ensure safe, wholesome milk and milk products for consumers.

ISDA’s Dairy Bureau is also responsible for the protection of surface and groundwater from dairy farm by-product, which is accomplished through routine inspections of environmental handling and containment facilities, land application sites, and review and approval of new or modified systems.

The programs encompass sanitary inspections of dairy farms, bulk milk haulers, processors, manufacturing and processing equipment, warehouses, stores and other businesses where milk and dairy products are manufactured, stored, sold, or offered for sale.

In addition to state enforcement requirements, ISDA works in conjunction with several federal agencies through cooperative agreements or memoranda of agreement to protect the environment and ensure safe food products. Laws and rules require dairy farms to develop nutrient management plans (NMPs) on all licensed dairy farms. NMPs also aid in determining appropriate applications of nutrients to cropland. A certification process has been implemented to assist in the development of these plans.

ISDA is also responsible with enforcement of the Agriculture Odor Management Act, Title 25, Chapter 38, Idaho Code, as it relates to Idaho dairy farms. Dairy farms that emit odors in excess of those odors normally associated with agriculture in Idaho would be cited by ISDA thereby requiring the facility to develop an Odor Management Plan to reduce odors.