Aurora Organic Dairy has expanded its High Plains Dairy Complex with a new dairy that has the capacity for 3,200 more cows. It is the latest expansion for the growing company which has a dairy herd of 22,000.
Aurora Organic, which produces organic milk and butter, has expanded nearly every year since its start in 2007, said spokeswoman Sonja Tuitele. The new expansion will be known as the High Meadows Dairy.
“We continue to see consumer demand in organic dairy products grow,” Tuitele said. “We wanted to grow our operation and our production and processing capabilities.”
Despite expansions in Northern Colorado, the dairy industry has faced challenges such as high feed prices. Aurora Organic has taken steps to address that problem.
As part of its expansion this summer, Aurora Organic added 4,000 acres of farmland and pasture. That acreage includes farmland where Aurora Organic grows organic corn and alfalfa used in cow feed, helping the company lower its costs.
The increased acreage also gives dairy cows greater access to pasture. Organic regulations require that at least 30 percent of an organic dairy cow’s food comes from pasture during grazing season.