Courtenay dairy farmers earned the top two spots for milk quality on Vancouver Island in 2010.
Viewfiel Farms Ltd., operated by the Taylor family, won first place in Vancouver Island Milk Quality Awards, which were presented during the Island Milk Producers Organization's recent annual general meeting in Nanaimo.
Viewfield's herd had an average Individual Bacteria Count (IBC) of 7,250 in 2010 and an average Somatic Cell Count (SCC) — which measures white blood cells in the milk — of 49.083 to finish first with an overall score of 56.33.
The Taylors also had the top milk quality on the Island for 2006, 2008 and 2009, according to their website.
The Krutziger family of Northey Lake Farm Ltd., which is also in Courtenay, earned second place in the awards with an overall score of 68.67 — an average IBC of 11,167 and an average SCC of 57.500.
Three farms in Duncan rounded out the Top Five, with Van Valley Farm Ltd. placing third, Riverwater Farms Ltd. earning fourth place honours, and Carmark Holsteins finishing fifth.