News

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.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently announced $10.2 million in grant funding, awarded through the Conservation Partners Program, to help farmers implement voluntary conservation and regenerative agriculture practices across 14 states. These climate-smart practices are aimed to build soil health, sequester carbon, and improve water quality in an economically viable way.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville is participating in a six-year multistate study to evaluate the impact of various field management practices on soil health, water quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and farm productivity. On-site researcher, Dennis Busch, explains the preliminary results the research team has seen thus far on water infiltration rates, nutrient loading, surface water quality, and runoff events between commonly used field practices and soil health management systems.

On May 28th, Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced that Bovaer® (3-NOP) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This signifies that the methane-reducing feed ingredient is deemed both safe and effective for application in lactating dairy cattle. Bovaer® has the potential to reduce enteric methane emissions about 30% per lactating dairy cow per day. The product launch is expected in the third quarter of 2024 and will enable farmers to generate carbon credits by using Bovaer®, which they can then sell in a carbon marketplace. This provides a scalable financial incentive, rewarding farmers for their sustainability efforts and creating a new revenue stream.