Dairy Story

Beretta Dairy

Santa Rosa, California

For 70 years, the rhythm of cows being milked has been a part of daily life at Beretta Dairy, nestled in the heart of the Northern California community of Santa Rosa. A true family business, today the dairy is cared for by family members from the third, fourth, and fifth generations of the Berettas, who produce quality, wholesome products for Californians and other consumers. Jennifer Beretta is one of the key family members involved in the operation. She works alongside her dad, brother, and nephew, as they carry on a tradition rooted in hard work and love for the land and livestock. This year, they are celebrating Beretta Dairy’s 20th year as an organic dairy.

The Operation

  • Organic dairy farm
  • Located in Santa Rosa, California
  • Home to Holsteins, Jerseys, and Brown Swiss Cattle
  • Five generations of the Beretta family have worked on the farm

Jen’s Dairy Roots

Jen got started in dairy farming as soon as her feet could reach the tractor pedals, proudly driving for her dad and grandpa as they fed the heifers. With dairy farming on both sides of her family, Jen grew up surrounded by cows and learned early what it takes to care for them.

“I have dairy on both sides of my family, so I would feed calves with my mom’s mother and learned to love the cows even more than what I was taught by my dad and grandpa,” Jen said.

Today, Jen manages the cows at Beretta Dairy, including feeding, breeding, and herding (sometimes in the middle of the night when they occasionally get out of the intended pasture—much to Jen’s dismay).

A Day at Beretta Dairy

While Jen’s days at the dairy start early, the milkers at Beretta Dairy are up even earlier, before the sun, to start milking cows at 2 am. Jen’s day starts around 6:30 am and includes chores such as feeding calves, breeding cows, moving heifers, and checking on calves. In the spring and summer, the cows go out to pasture and graze for about 200 days of the year, making irrigation a key job on the dairy during those months.

Mixed in with the chores, Jen also gives tours of the dairy. She is proud of the family’s open-door approach and enjoys welcoming guests onto the farm. Showcasing life on a North Coast California dairy on her social media channels is another way Jen brings consumers onto the farm.

“The dairy industry is essential to California agriculture and the economy. We provide taxes, jobs, and wholesome products,” Jen says. “I am proud to call myself a dairy farmer.”

In addition to educating consumers, the Beretta family also values providing for the community in which they live. Their participation in local agriculture days is one way. The Berettas also take pride in shipping milk to a local creamery that serves schools in the area and gives back to the community through donating to educational events and tours.

Jen can also often be found participating in industry meetings as a voice for California’s North Coast dairy producers, the dairy industry, and California agriculture. “As it continues to become more challenging to farm in California, it is vital to be an advocate for all dairy and beef. It’s also important to tell our story,” Jen says.

Green Grass and Rough Spots

Green grass is unique to Beretta Dairy and benefits the farm. Living on the North Coast with a suitable climate for farming, the family can grow good grass, which is something not all California dairies can do. Those rolling hills turn into the green pastures their cattle graze on throughout the year.

One of the challenges facing dairy farmers in California that Jen likes to point out is the overtime rule for agricultural employees. This rule limits workers to 8-hour days. “On a dairy, 8-hour workdays are impossible because we can’t just shut our cows off and we can’t afford to reduce the size of our operation,” Jen says. One milk shift at the dairy lasts five hours, and there are two shifts a day.

California’s methane reduction goals have also required dairies to adapt, and Jen says California dairy families have worked hard to reduce emissions through practical, on-farm projects. Through a grant, the Beretta family had the opportunity to install a solid separator and automatic scrapers to remove solid manure from the manure pond. The dairy can then reuse those solids as compost, which is returned to the cows’ bedding in the barns.