Well I promised a recap on our rally out at the Cal Poly Dairy and I am here with the news.

Well I promised a recap on our rally out at the Cal Poly Dairy and I am here with the news. To begin, I imagine many of you are not aware of the struggles the Cal Poly Dairy is currently facing. It is the basic plight of virtually every dairy farmer in the state; Cal Poly's costs are too high compared to its revenue. The school's administration proposed a plan to downsize the dairy to a more manageable number of cows - a number that would not exceed the processing capacity of the Cal Poly Creamery, and therefore lower costs. This, however, was devastating news to many students and staff members as the "downsize" was to remove 120 cows from a 150 cow operation. This dairy is a vital part of the education of many Cal Poly students, not only dairy science majors (like myself). So, in hopes of finding alternative solutions we gathered at the dairy to peacefully voice our opinion.

So, good news! The administration must have been affected by our efforts because they decided to postpone the "downsize" until alternative solutions could be proposed. It is now the primary interest of Cal Poly administration to maintain the dairy. And, of course, I will be back with updates when they occur. There will be an industry-wide meeting to discuss these solutions on November 11^th. Hopefully you will be inspired to take interest in the agricultural operations at your local schools as many of them are suffering from similar conditions.

Holiday Wishes from your District 3 Dairy Princess,

Hope Hanselman