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Farm Spotlight
Each month, the Southeast Dairy Association will provide a sneak peak into the lives of dairy farming families in the Southeast. Check back often for updates!
Hillcrest Dairy Farm
Mark Rodgers, a third-generation dairy farmer, focuses on increasing cow comfort and protecting the environment on his 300-cow dairy farm in Dearing, Ga. The Rodgers family has been in the dairy business since 1935 and Mark and his brother Andy are carrying on the tradition today.
In 2009, Hillcrest Dairy built a new barn to increase cow comfort. The barn was funded in part by the Natural Resource Conservation Service grant and features sand bedding, rubber-covered cement floors and larger 52-inch fans. Since building the barn, milk production has increased by 3.5 gallons per cow per day!
All dairy farms have strict waste management plans. At Hillcrest Dairy, nutrients from cow manure are recycled and applied to cropland. This reduces the use of commercial fertilizers in the production of feed for cattle. In addition, barn alleys are flushed and cropland is irrigated using recycled water from the dairy. As a result of their sustainable farming practices, Hillcrest Dairy was awarded the Governor’s Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Award in 2001.
To learn more about Hillcrest Dairy, visit Hillcrest Farms Inc. on Facebook.
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