"Cows! We're remarkable cows. ... If you thought that all we could do is go moo, Then you ought to come see what we do." — children's song by Sandra Boynton
LOGAN — Cows were among the first settlers in Cache Valley. In 1855, Brigham Young dispatched a herd of more than 2,500 church cattle to the valley under the direction of Bryant Stringham and others.
This first herd didn't fare all that well. Earlier reports by government explorer Howard Stansbury had commented on the "rich green grass" and noted that "any amount of hay might be cut without in the least interfering with the range for cattle." But the winter of 1855-56 was extremely harsh, so the cattle were driven back to Salt Lake Valley in the spring.
But the Mormon pioneers did not give up. In 1856, Peter Maughan was sent back to Cache Valley, where he established its first permanent settlement. Maughan's Fort later became Wellsville. By 1859, five more towns were established: Providence, Mendon, Logan, Richmond and Smithfield.
It wasn't long before those settlers took advantage of the abundance of grass for grazing and established some early dairies, said Robert Parson, archivist at Utah State University. In Cache Valley, early dairy operations were established in Blacksmith Fork and in Providence and Logan canyons.
"These mountain operations were seasonal and often contracted with local farmers, who allowed the dairies to use their milk cows for a share of the proceeds," Parson noted.
Butter was the main commodity produced by the mountain dairies. Beginning in 1870, it was shipped out of the valley to Ogden and Salt Lake once a week on the Utah Northern Railroad.
Early records show that by 1910, dairy cows in Cache Valley numbered around 16,000.
That heritage and its continuing legacy was the focus of a recent Dairy Land Tour sponsored by the American West Heritage Center and funded by a grant from the Utah Humanities Council. It was led by Parson and AWHC's Elizabeth Johnson.
The first stop on the tour was the George B. Caine Dairy Center in Wellsville. This teaching and research facility represents an involvement in dairying that stretches back more than 80 years at the university.
Here they manage a herd of some 339 cows that are used to teach such things as nutrition, genetics, production practices, health, reproduction and fitting and showing. Research is also done in such areas as feed, genetics, diseases and milk production.
The basic premise of any dairy is that cows produce milk when they have calves, but during that lactation period, they tend to produce more milk than calves need. This is why cows were domesticated and used for milk so early in human history.
At the Caine Dairy, there are barns and pastures for cows in various stages of the calf-producing/milking cycle. There are hutches for calves that range from newborn to several weeks old, where they can be cared for and bottle-fed. There are pens and pastures for older calves, those being milked and cows in their dry/resting stage.
Most heifers are bred at about 14 months, and with a nine-month gestation period have their first calf at about two years, explained Dale Pratt, an employee/student at the center.
So, there's always a lot going on. "Cows are a 24-hour operation," said Pratt.
The milking, of course, is central to the operation. At the Caine Dairy approximately 150 cows are milked at any one time, said Pratt. And they are milked every 12 hours: beginning at 4 a.m. and again at 4 p.m.
The state-of-the-art facilities at the dairy allow for an efficient process. "We have a double-eight herringbone set-up, so we can milk 16 cows at a time. It takes six minutes to milk the average cow," he explained.
Computers identify the cows by ankle bracelet and measure how much milk each cow gives; at its peak, the average cow gives 130 pounds of milk a day, said Pratt.
"Cows don't mind being milked," he said. "The machines are actually less rough than a calf would be." The cows are treated before and after milking with iodine to reduce the chances of mastitis, which is one of the more common problems for dairy cows.
Computers also measure the content of milk: butter fat, protein, whey, lactose. "That's how most dairy farmers are paid these days," said Pratt. "They are paid for the solids in the milk." The milk produced here goes to research, and ice cream at the university. The surplus is sold to Gossner Foods, a local cheese plant.
One thing Pratt learned early in working with cows is that "every cow has a personality. Just like people. Some are shy, some are stubborn, some are gentle. But every cow is different."
They say the same thing at the Wangsgard Willow Dairy, a family-run operation in Young Ward.
Although it is smaller than the USU dairy, the procedures are similar. The Wangsgards have about 175 cows in all.
Milking begins at 3 a.m. and 3 p.m., doing six cows at a time, explained Zane Crockett, who handles the milking.
"The one thing that makes us different from many dairies is that we pasture our cows all the time," said Mike Wangsgard, who bought the dairy with his dad some 16 years ago. The cows are brought to the milking shed from the pasture. While they are being milked, the wire fences are moved so that the cows are returned to a different section. This way they always get fresh grass.
Grazing means less worry about growing, cutting and baling hay, but presents its own challenges. "The grass that's easiest to grow is a fescue," said Mike. "It's the most hardy. But the cows don't like it as much. They love the rye grasses that are harder to grow." In dry seasons like this one, getting anything to grow can be a challenge, he noted. But there is one good thing: The cows love dandelions.
A year ago, the Wangsgards decided to go organic, and now they market their milk through a national co-op called Organic Valley. "Because we were already pasturing our cows, that didn't make a big difference," he said. But they now no longer use any hormones, pesticides or antibiotics.
There's some debate about how much those things matter, he said. "But for us it was largely an economic decision. We get paid a premium for the milk."
Fluctuating milk prices are always the bane of a dairy farmer's existence. Currently, prices are pretty good and expected to rise somewhat because of global factors such as the drought in Australia and the fact that China is now drinking and importing more milk.
That's part of the roller-coaster ride that is dairying, but it is a lifestyle the Wangsgards love. Both Mike and his wife, Beth, grew up on a farm. They now have six kids who are doing the same.
The kids grow up with responsibility, and that's good for them, said Beth. They all have specific chores to do each day. "But they also have room to ride their bikes and their horses, and you don't have to worry as much about a lot of the problems out there."
The fact that they can set their own schedule is also nice, said Beth. "On the other hand, you never feel like the work is done. There's always something more to do."
Still, they are proud to be part of an important industry, both to the valley and the country. "We get a lot of preschool and school groups that come out here," said Beth. "It's interesting how many of them have no idea where milk comes from. Their mothers buy it in a bottle at the store, and that's all they know."
E-mail: carma@desnews.com