News and Information Related to Sustainability in Dairy
A collection of articles relevant to dairies and their environmental impact.
When Every Drop Counts: Dairy Farming’s Innovative Approach to Water Conservation
Dairy producers are seeking and pursuing innovative water conservation practices to overcome the challenges faced by climate change and regulations. Given that no dairy farm is identical to the next, various sustainable water management practices are implemented across farms such as center-pivot irrigation, plate-cooler systems, efficient cow-cooling, and more.
Partnering to reduce GHG emissions on Idaho dairy farms
To reach their ambitious sustainability goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their dairy supply by 25% by 2030, Glanbia Nutritionals has partnered with Newtrient on a $4.7M NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant. Focused on reducing methane emissions through manure and feed management on Idaho dairy farms, the project is set to reduce 37,500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The U.S. dairy industry wants to tackle climate change–but not at the expense of feeding the world
Trade has never been more important than it is now to ensure those in need receive proper nutrition as inexpensively and expediently as possible. Criticism that food trade contributes to climate change is in short, overblown. Data indicates that food transport is a small contributor to global emissions and focusing on so-called “food miles” obscures a multitude of factors that can impact a product’s carbon footprint, such as land use, production practices, and storage. New barriers to trade set up to achieve indiscriminate reductions will hurt global nutrition.
Collaboration and momentum main themes of Sustainable Agriculture Summit
The recently held Dairy Sustainability Alliance and Sustainable Agriculture Summit conferences gathered farmers and industry stakeholders together to share insights toward U.S. dairy sustainability goals. Amongst numerous enlightening topics, the conferences highlighted the necessity for collaboration and momentum in the areas of research and innovation, reporting and sourcing protocols, advancing nutrient management practices, and adequate access to funding for practice implementation.
Tillamook Receives 4M Regional Conservation Partnership Program Grant from USDA; Jocelyn Bridson Shares
Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) recently received a $4 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to fund the Oregon Dairy Climate and Water Quality Partnership project. TCCA will use this funding to assist their farmer-owners in implementing projects that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve water quality while working with partners such as Tillamook Estuaries Partnership and New Seasons Market to expand its carbon insetting partnership.
USDA Dairy Partnerships Tackle Methane Emissions
Michigan Milk Producers Association’s (MMPA) chairman Doug Chapman shares insight on their recently awarded Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant. In collaboration with Newtrient’s technical assistance, the $6.2 million grant focuses on methane reductions through the implementation of feed additives and manure management on an estimated 20 farms, including those in Ohio and Indiana.
Methane mitigation advances
Over $5 million of sustainability research is being funded by the Greener Cattle Initiative, a global public-private sector effort to mitigate enteric methane emissions. Funded projects led by Rod Mackie and Josh McCann of the University of Illinois, Francisco Peñagaricano of the University of Wisconsin-Animal and Dairy Sciences Department, and Alex Hristov of the Pennsylvania State University focus on the affect of mitigating enteric methane emissions on a cow’s health, performance, and biology.
Project targets methane emissions on Idaho dairies
One of the three Newtrient-led Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grants focuses on methane reductions through manure management and feed additive implementation on dairy farms in Idaho. In partnership with McDonald’s, Schrieber Foods, Glanbia Nutritionals, and Athian, this project is leveraging $3.1M in RCPP funding and $1.6M in partner contributions to reduce an estimated 37,500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Farming and climate the focus of UVM study
As part of the Dairy Soil and Water Regeneration (DSWR) project, the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension is conducting research at Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport, Vermont on the effect of conservation field practices in regards to greenhouse gas emissions and water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin. The effects of conservation practices such as no-till, manure injection, and cover cropping will be compared to “control” practices such as conventional tillage, manure broadcast, and no cover crops at the field level and watershed scale.
Genetics are a key to boosting sustainability
Many elements comprise a sustainable dairy farm, including the genetics of the herd. Dairy Management Inc.’s (DMI) latest work with Zoetis and the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model, in connecting herd health with farm sustainability, provides farmers with resources to enhance their environmental goals. The RuFaS model will also be implemented into Version 3 of the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship (FARM ES) tool, modeling the environmental impact of dairy farms.