America's North Shore Journal

An Iraqi woman shows off the butter that was made on her family's farm near Mahmudiyah, June 23. Photo by Sgt. Mary Phillips, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

Soldiers with the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and a family of Iraqi dairy farmers are spearheading a program to increase milk and cheese production in this community, the first dairy initiative the North Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers have started with the Iraqis.

Capt. Sara Woods, Civil Affairs Team 31, said the intent is to revitalize the area’s dairy industry.

Using microgrants, the pilot farm will be used to build a well and buy cheese-making equipment. The farmers’ part of the program begins with them logging their dairy production.

“This will help them generate better milk and dairy products, which is going to improve the entire dairy process throughout the area,” said Woods.

While Soldiers searched for a suitable pilot farm, the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Jack Mellott, noticed this farm while on patrol.

“Our mission was to stop and to talk with everyone who had cows,” said Spc. Justin Gay, who was part of Mellott’s patrol. “We hit the nail on the head when we stopped at that farm because they had the most cows, and the best operation going on.”

This particular farm is a perfect candidate for the new program, said Woods, because of the large number of milking cows on the farm.

As well as having a large number of cows, the family farm also has a large workforce: 70 family members ranging from infants to elderly.

While the program is kicking off on this one farm, the results will eventually be used to assist farms throughout the area.

“We want to start small and figure out how well the programs work,” said Woods. “We need to figure out how to do the microgrants, and how to work with the farmers to see what they need to increase their dairy, without just telling them what to do.”

MNF-I
By Sgt. Mary Phillips
30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team

I’m going to milk this story.