Two major dairies are proposed in eastern North Dakota; a 25,000-cow operation east of Hillsboro and a 12,500-cow farm near Abercrombie. Morris, Minnesota-based Riverview is the company behind these two dairy farms. Riverview is a dairy, beef and crop farm with locations in Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona and New Mexico. Riverview gave the Red River Farm Network a tour of its 10,500-cow dairy farm in Minnesota’s Wilkin County. More than 100 cows are milked at the same time on a huge rotary parlor. The milk is sold to five different cheese processors. Surprisingly, there were no odor issues on the day of our tour with the manure going to sealed storage lagoons on the farm. Cutting-edge technologies are constantly being evaluated, including a rainwater capture system that promotes self-sufficiency. Riverview is 75 percent employee-owned and has a multi-million dollar impact on the local community. Riverview encourages people to tour their facilities, including Campbell Dairy in Campbell, Minnesota and Waukon Dairy at Gary, Minnesota.
