The facilities and equipment needed to meet the legal requirements to operate a dairy or creamery in New York can be a considerable investment. The NYS Department of Ag & Markets Division of Milk Control and Dairy Sciences (518-457-1772) is in charge of regulating the NYS dairy industry. Therefore when trying to decide whether to start such an enterprise, a good first step is to read over their following resources:
- Frequently asked questions for the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Sciences
- NYS Ag & Markets – Circular 958
This 96 page circular covers most of the facility and equipment requirements for New York dairies and creameries. - NYS Ag & Markets Milking Equipment Installer Guideline
This 28 page publication was revised in 2015. It gives instructions for submitting an application to install/modify milk handling equipment on dairies and creameries. It covers the regulations for designing, fabricating and installing milking and milk handling equipment and gives recommendations for designing milkhouses. It also includes a helpful appendix on sizing goat/sheep milking systems. - Map and phone numbers of NYSDAM milk inspectors
After familiarizing yourself with the NYS regulations, use the above map to arrange a visit with a dairy product specialist (milk inspector) assigned to your region to discuss the structures and systems they envision you’ll need to operate a dairy and/or creamery on your site. Face to face meetings help clarify the requirements discussed in the legal documents and what they actually mean in terms of actual structures and equipment.