Who regulates dairy farms, especially the large farms?
Three government agencies regulate dairy farms in Ohio: • The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Dairy Division, regulates Ohio dairy farms selling Grade A milk (milk produced for fluid consumption or manufacture of dairy products) or manufacture grade milk (milk used for manufacture of dairy products). The ODA inspects Grade A farms at least once every six months and manufacture grade farms at least once every 12 months. The ODA checks for cleanliness, fly and rodent control, well water quality, and general sanitary conditions. • The ODA, Livestock Permitting Division, provides oversight for dairy farms with > 700 mature dairy cows or > 1,000 heifers. Some 135 livestock and poultry farms in Ohio are large enough to require ODA permits, of which about five are dairy farms. • The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) is responsible for issuing permits relative to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). With the release of new rules by Federal EPA in Decembe
