Karen Taylor, a sixth-generation farmer, manages the health and production of the Bivalve Dairy herd, including feeding and milking.
a Roomba-type vacuum cleaner). The conversion includes a new method of creating manure compost that can be applied to the farm’s pastures and used as bedding for the animals. “Our goal is to have zero waste with all that we do,” he said. The couple focused on developing sustainable, organic operations from the start. A year after assuming the dairy, the Taylors completed the steps necessary to transition Bivalve Dairy into a certified organic farm. The process included switching to organic methods of growing feed and caring for the cattle as well as the land. Early on, Bivalve Dairy met the standards to sell milk to Clover Sonoma, an organic dairy company that was the first in the nation to be certified for its animal health and safety practices. Healthy pastures The Taylors employ pasture management and grazing strategies to benefit the land and the herd, while making the most of the 700 acres where the cows spend much of the year grazing. The region’s rolling hills and moderate climate, along
The Taylors care for about 500 Holstein cattle on their Marin
County ranch. Daughter Eva, right, checks on one of the calves.
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