Total Integration

Joseph Farms is a study in total integration, balancing thousands of business and environmental elements to maintain cost effective farming operations and highly productive cheese processing while protecting the environment. Company guiding principles and standards were set in the 1940's and have evolved during the past 60 years. The Gallo Family grew up enjoying the grassland environment, and they are still compelled to save the environment for future generations.

Joseph Farms is both a state of the art dairy and crop farm. We understand that the biggest threat to agriculture and the environment is urban encroachment and the sea of humanity that is surging into our region. We continuously monitor our operating plan to ensure a high level of compatibility with our surrounding environment while meeting our business profit objectives. As a vertically integrated operation, we grow much of our own feed. We understand that wildlife compatibility cropping methods are of great benefit to water birds. Cereal grains grown to feed the cattle provide a welcome feeding habitat for geese and cranes in the winter as well as valuable cover for ground-nesting birds such as mallard ducks, pheasants, and short-eared owls. The corn that is harvested later in the summer hosts the early arriving sand hill cranes. Our irrigated pasture and alfalfa are home to ibis, heron, egrets, and many other water birds.

Nutrients and wastewater are returned to our land with a sophisticated waste control program and irrigation system that ensures no groundwater seepage and zero reliance on naturally occurring evaporation.

Joseph Farms will continue improving our methane digester system that generates power for operations from our own waste. The digester is a 7 acre anaerobic covered lagoon which generates bio-gas.  The gas is scrubbed and then piped to two power generators.  One generator is a 300 KWH and the other is a 400 KWH.  The power generated by these two large generators is used to provide electricity for Joseph Farms Cheese Plant.  Heat captured from the generators and exhaust is used to heat water for the cheese plant usage, off-setting the some of the need for propane to heat boilers.  As much as 80% of the power required to operate the cheese plant is supplied by the system.

We have the responsibility to our community and to our environment to lead the field of agricultural habitat conservation. Joseph Farms will set the example for others, and we aspire to show that it is realistic to remain profitable at the same time.