Dairy Farming Sustainability
People. Planet. Community.
Since 1944 The U.S. Dairy Industry Produces a Gallon of Milk Using
%
Less Land
%
Less Water
%
Less Manure
%
of total U.S. gas emissions
Water is Recycled Up To Six Times on a Dairy Farm
In the refrigeration systems that cool the temperature of fresh milk after being collected
To clean cows’ udders after milking
To flush out calf barns
To flush the lanes where cows stand while eating
In the manure lagoon which is used to fertilize crops
In methane digesters that use gas to produce energy
Dairy Farmers Take Care to Preserve the Land
Soil erosion is greatly reduced through efforts to maintain soil health. This in turn helps retain and conserve water. Also, growing crops for cow feed on farmland not only cuts back on emissions from transporting feed in from an outside source, the acres of plants use carbon dioxide in the air, releasing oxygen in return.
Fun Fact
Satellite images have shown that during corn growing season, the Midwest shows more photosynthetic activity than anywhere on earth.
Benefits from Open House
Wildlife
Farms provide a resting place for birds during migratory season; a source of starch for bees, when flowers are not in bloom, from harvested corn piles; a home for burrowing owls in surrounding ditch banks.
Community
Connecting with the community by sharing the true farm to table story through tours and conversations.