Operation of a Dairy Farm by the United States Naval Academy

GAO produced a report on the operation of a dairy farm by the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. The dairy was established in 1911 to provide the midshipmen with a source of pure milk following an outbreak of typhoid fever attributed to the unprocessed milk purchased for the midshipmen's mess. Our examination was directed, primarily, toward an evaluation of the Naval Academy's need to operate a dairy to fulfill its mission. In connection therewith, we considered (a) the purpose for which the dairy had been established and the need for its continued existence, (b) the relative costs to the Government for milk and milk products produced by the Academy dairy with those available from commercial sources, and (c) the operation of the Academy dairy in relation to the Government's policies with respect to retention of high-value properties and competition with private enterprise.