Where a farmer could add 1,000 cows to herd overnight

IN AMERICA’S large-scale dairying industry, unexpected extra milk supplies are among the unpredictables for processors.

A farmer could add 1,000 cows to his herd, and we wouldn’t know until our milk truck arrives at his farm, according to John Lanigan, the Glanbia Foods vice-president in charge of cheese operations.

He relies on two customer service staff working in the field to liaise with the suppliers of more than one million gallons of milk per day to Glanbia cheese plants at Gooding and Twin Falls.