Jennifer Beretta is our newly elected All West/Select Sires District 15 Director. Her great grandfather started Beretta Dairy in Northern California’s coastal town of Santa Rosa sixty years ago, followed by her father joining him in partnership, milking a herd of Holsteins at the time. In 2006, the family made the decision to utilize their property’s 400 acres of pasture and become an organic operation. They have been certified organic since 2007 and currently ship their milk to Clover Sonoma.
Today, the dairy has a variety of cattle, including Holsteins, Jerseys and crossbreds and milks 300 cows with approximately 700 animals total on the property. Jennifer works alongside her dad, brother, and grandfather who still lives on the dairy today. In 2018, Beretta Dairy was named “Dairy of the Year” and has also received the Leopold Conservation Award from Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Although Beretta Dairy has been using Select Sires genetics for over forty years, Jennifer says they still use it today because the quality and selection of bulls is the best in the industry. “When we look back at the granddams of good cows in our herd today, my dad can still remember that bull he picked to make the result,” Jennifer shared. Today, Jennifer pays close attention to Feet and Legs (FLC) to allow for longevity in their pasture environment, Fat and Protein percentages, over 1,000 pounds of Milk production, and the ability to produce A2A2 milk. Most recently, Beretta Dairy has started incorporating polled genetics in to their herd, also.
Jennifer’s father served on the All West/Select Sires board years ago, and now she looks forward to carrying on the family tradition. “I have always had a great interest in bulls, artificial insemination and genetics, and I look forward to meeting other dairy producers and learning about their operations and breeding programs.”
Jennifer stays busy, both on the farm and as an active member of the agriculture community, most recently becoming the President of Sonoma County Farm Bureau after having served on their board of directors for the past six years. She also served as a 4-H dairy leader and continues to show cattle herself. When she steps away from the farm, she enjoys stepping on to the field to play slow pitch softball.
Welcome to the team, Beretta Family!
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