Volbeda Dairy: A Passion for Quality

Looking over his pastures located just west of Salem, Rod Volbeda clearly enjoys his dual role as dairyman and cheese maker. His combined Volbeda Dairy and Willamette Valley Cheese Company is one of but a few farmstead cheese operations in Oregon, where cows are milked, and product is made on site.

"I like doing both," he says of his combined yet demanding professions. "The visual effect of our cows grazing in the fields and knowing where the milk comes from makes me feel good." But underlying these combined roles is his true passion, in creating a continuum of quality from cow to curd.

His wife Melissa is also part of the family farm and plant, and supports the business aspects of the operation.

A second generation dairyman, Volbeda places high standards on all phases of his dairy – from nursery to milking parlor. From the start, calves receive individual attention and are housed in a separate barn with clean straw for bedding and ample space.

For his herd, divided among Jerseys and Holsteins, cow health and comfort is important. In his free-stall barns, where the animals can move about freely, each cow is given a bed of soft, clean sawdust that is raked and cleaned daily.

In addition to frequent health checkups, each cow also receives a "pedicure" from a professional hoof trimmer two to three times a year. That's more often than average. But with the Willamette Valley's wet climate, Volbeda wants to ensure hooves are maintained to avoid uncomfortable problems down the road.

Volbeda also makes sure the milking parlor is easy on the feet. He installed rubber mats for his cows to stand on during their twice-a-day milking to make them comfortable.

Nutrition plays a vital role in milk quality and Volbeda ensures his herd's diet is kept in balance with carefully selected feeds. Maintaining proper nutrition also helps keep the right protein and milk butterfat content for making the best quality cheese.

Weather permitting, Volbeda grazes his herd on 120 acres of certified organic pasture. The grass diet helps increase milk butterfat content, and the seasons influence the taste of both milk and cheese, as spring and early summer weather is favorable for increased pasturing.

By having close ties to his herd and to the land Volbeda notes, "I know exactly what goes into the milk." He extends this milk quality to his cheese making, where he can enhance the nuances of a gouda or havarti.

Volbeda's meticulous attention to his operations is but one example of dairy farmers' quest for quality that is important to farm families and to the customers who rely on them.