News

The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) recently announced it is accepting grant applications to support the installation and implementation of equipment and sustainable practices that result in long-term methane emission reductions for commercial dairy farms and livestock operations. The funding includes $17.4 million from CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and approximately $8 million from the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). Additionally, CDFA is opening a second round of applications for its Dairy Plus Program, which previously awarded 14 projects in 2023 and still has $58 million available for further grants.

Reza Afshar discusses Dairy Management Inc.’s (DMI) partnership with Southern Illinois University to generate solutions for soil phosphorus management based on manure application rate, method, and cover crop presence. Findings from such studies support farmers in making informed decisions to achieve their sustainability goals.

Lori Captain of DMI highlights dairy farmers’ crucial role in tackling climate change, noting their historical contribution to solutions. U.S. dairy farmers are adopting technologies like anaerobic digesters, cover and flare lagoons, and vermiculture to cut methane emissions from manure. However, for these practices to be sustainable, they must also be economically viable. To support this, DMI launched the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative, which accelerates environmental advancements through research, on-farm trials, and the development of new economic opportunities.

Anaerobic digestion, an innovative approach to managing both manure and food waste, harnesses renewable biogas generated through natural microbial breakdown in oxygen-deprived conditions. This biogas can be used for on-farm power generation or sold to the grid, while minimizing reliance on commercial fertilizers, reducing odors, improving water quality, and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Dairy Alliance recently received grant funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide conservation planning and technical assistance to 10 Georgia dairy producers. In partnership with Georgia Milk Producers and Newtrient, this project will bolster sustainability efforts and improve the resiliency of Georgia dairy farmers in the face of climate change.

Lent Hill Dairy Farm has implemented a new renewable energy facility on their farm that will use an anaerobic digester to create biogas from manure and food waste. This biogas will be converted to electricity and added to the grid to be used by Chobani and a dairy farm, mitigating emissions and providing an additional revenue stream to Lent Hill.

Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project leaders, Victor Green of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and Mara Cloutier of the Soil Health Institute (SHI), discuss the six-year study evaluating soil health and manure management and their effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, water quality improvement, and agronomic factors such as forage yield and quality.

Dairy Management Inc.’s (DMI) Bridgett Hilshey and Reza Afshar discuss the latest sustainability research work that is accelerating progress towards the U.S. dairy industry’s 2050 environmental stewardship goals of achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality, improving water quality, and optimizing water use while maximizing recycling.

As of 2020, U.S. milk had a farm-level carbon intensity of 1.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of milk. To achieve industry greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality goals by 2050, it is imperative for dairy farmers to understand their farm’s carbon intensity. Using farm data encompassing herd size and livestock types, milk production, feed rations, manure management, energy use, and transportation in GHG estimation tools can guide farmers in identifying practice or technology implementations that best align with their operation.

Katie Cook, Elanco’s vice president of livestock sustainability and farm animal marketing, highlights the benefits and initial steps for farmers in adopting Bovaer, a newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved feed ingredient designed to reduce methane emissions. By suppressing the methane-producing enzyme in the rumen, Bovaer decreases enteric methane emissions by approximately 30% per cow per year. This feed ingredient not only improves the environmental footprint of dairy farms but also introduces an additional revenue stream for farmers through carbon crediting.