By Melvin J. Hulme
Recently, I passed by that spot of our community where the Peake Dairy--or Claravale, as it is sometimes affectionately called--remains a refreshing memory of the dying past. There is a strong desire to save that piece of our past.
I was raised at the side of milking cows and know the taste of raw milk, the feel of warm and smooth flesh under my hand, and the thrill of a new calf still steaming in the cool morning air.
Today there are no cows in the dairy where I once worked. The barn doors were shut long ago, evidence of the evolution of our economics.
I am only a simple citizen of the city I have loved and lived in almost since the birthing of Monte Sereno, and I daily thank those who had the vision, courage and tenacity to overcome the opposition and objections and save this spot of the world for us.
It is because of my love for Monte Sereno that I write about the Peake Dairy. I have visited the farm when it was much bigger. I have walked through the corrals and, with nostalgia and reminiscing, I have talked with that good man, one who has stuck with his chores through the dark of the cold mornings and the constant cleaning of the empty milk bottles, with no holiday or vacation, for cows don't quit. I have felt this pressure of the encroaching homes, the mounting regulations of health and safety; I have known the losses a farmer faces to survive.
Some feel there must be a way to save this farm, where we can still see an operating dairy, one of only two raw-milk dairies in the state, I understand. The savior, it seems, will be Monte Sereno.
Why are there only two such raw-milk dairies left? Having worked with farms and money all my life, I think I know some of the answers.
* When Mr. Peake began his milking career, 20 cows would have produced a profit. Today it takes 500 to 1,000 cows to stay ahead of the cost.
* Health hazards and the public sentiment for the handling of raw milk have created well-justified rules and regulations, requiring inspections of the animals, the corrals, barns, holding tanks, the milk (especially raw or unpasteurized milk) and even the practices of the farmers.
* A small spot of ground such as this produces little or no feed, so the cost and transportation of hay, grain and supplements are another big expense.
* Laws and regulations of cities and districts regarding use and handling of water, pesticides, odors and dust have become onerous to suburban farmers.
* Record keeping for IRS, state and city tax authorities has increased the farmers' burden significantly in recent years. It is impossible for farmers to cope with all the paperwork required today without expensive bookkeeping and accounting.
* Milk does not keep. The public market is fickle, yet demanding, and expects a product suited to its own appetite in such volume and at such times as it may desire. The cows simply do not work that way. Sometimes, there will be unsold milk to spoil; sometimes, there will not be enough to satisfy the angry customers.
The dairy farmer has my sympathy, particularly one who has poured his life's work and money into a steadily losing venture.
It would be noble indeed to save a bit of history, to have a milk museum in Monte Sereno. But consider when a man has spent his entire life caring for cows feels it is time to quit for those reasons I have mentioned, our city should be cautious indeed! Who will take his place? What will be the cost of the land? How much labor expense and cost will there be? Remember, he did not pay himself a minimum wage or time-and-a-half for overtime and vacations.
When the calf is born and the flies come to the droppings, will there be disease or bacteria carried to the nearby neighbors, some who live in another city, or will Monte Sereno use insecticides and pesticides to try to control the problems? How much dust from the hay or the animals will it take to create headaches or sickness in the homes? There are many other important questions to be answered.
I shudder to think of the potential financial liability to our city. With its limited tax base, I do not think Monte Sereno can long exist if it buys the burden of unknown expense, subsidy and liability. We are not a community with the municipal wealth sufficient to afford a subsidized, never-ending expensive animal museum.
I implore councilmembers to proceed with caution, for I love the city in which I live and want it to exist for a long time.
Melvin J. Hulme is a Monte Sereno resident.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, October 23, 1996.
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