"Every facility that produces dairy products in the State of New Mexico must hold a current Grade A Permit."  (Dairy Establishment Sanitation Act)  Please follow the steps below to obtain a Grade A Milk permit.

• Contact the NM Environment Department to obtain a discharge permit - this process may take a while so start early
• Contact the NMDA Dairy Inspector in your area
• For a dairy farm, submit a detailed plan drawn to scale of the building showing the following information to dairy division:
  • Location and size of rooms, doors, and windows
  • Location and type of lighting
  • Location of drain pipes, grade of floors to drains
  • Materials to be used for floors, walls, and ceilings
  • Ventilation system types and locations
  • Location and size of water heater, wash vat, and water well
  • Location of toilet facilities and waste disposal systems
  • Location and size of milk cooling equipment and details, including slope, of milk pipeline systems
  • Location of hand sink with hot and cold running water
  • Fill out a dairy application and mail to dairy office for processing
• For a dairy plant, submit a detailed plan drawn to scale of the building showing the information for dairy farms above plus the following:
  • Separate rooms for a) pasteurization, processing, cooling and bottling, and b) washing of return items
  • Location of sanitary storage of containers, equipment, caps, and parchment paper etc.
  • Location and type of bottling, packaging, and capping equipment
  • Location and type of pasteurization equipment
  • Location of three-compartment wash vat
  • Location of floor-sink drains
  • Processing room cannot be directly connected to a domestic dwelling
  • Must have a two door separation between parlor and processing room and restroom and processing room
  • Cleaning facilities for bulk transport tanks (if applicable)  

Other contacts you may find helpful in pursuing a Grade A Permit:

• New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Construction Industries Division  - Building Inspectors
• New Mexico Dairy Producers Association  - State producers association
• New Mexico State University Ag Extension Dairy Specialists  - Dairy Specialists
• Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (2003 revision) - Regulations governing Grade A Dairies and includes drawings and guidelines
• New Mexico Office of the State Engineer - Water Rights
• Dairy Farmers of America - Dairy Coop
• Select Milk Producers - Dairy Coop
• Zia Milk Producers - Dairy Coop
• Lonestar - Dairy Coop
• Horizon - Organic Milk Buyer
• New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission
• Milk Safety References - FDA Documents
• Retail Raw Milk Rule
• FDA Food Facility Registration - Milk plants must register with FDA once a Grade A permit is issued