On a hot July day, cattle farmers Jesus Hurtado and Dirk Rietsma welcome a delegation of international visitors to Suntado, their soon-to-open dairy processing plant in Idaho’s Magic Valley. The visitors include the Chinese official who serves as official emissary to the western state. For the life-long dairymen, her presence is a key step to realizing their $150 million dream of shipping their milk around the world.
Most of Idaho’s 500 family-owned dairy farms sell locally—or as far as the milk can go before it is processed or spoils. Hurtado and Rietsma are taking a different tack: They invested in 18 aseptic production lines that extend the shelf-life of milk from about two weeks to 12 months. The change means the two farmers, who collectively produce about 100 million gallons of milk a year, can now seek out new markets across the globe.
