 |
>> Dairy Lovers
>> Schools
>> Health Professionals
>> Media
> In the News
> Resources
> Seasonal News
> Press Releases
> Fact Sheets
> Programs
> About SUDIA
> Recipes
> Health Tips
> Useful Links
> June Dairy Month
> Spokespeople
> SUDIA Spokespeople
> Guide to the Dairy Industry
> Images and Graphics
> Audio and Video
>> Farmers & Industry
>> About Us
|
|
Dairy Farmers Have Good Reason To Protect The Environment
Dairy farmers across America are focused on producing nutritious milk for consumption and preserving the environment for generations to come. Doing both comes as naturally as waking before dawn to milk their cows.
Unlike most business owners, dairy farmers have a short commute to their job site, usually a couple of hundred yards. They live and work on their farms and take pride in preserving the land for future generations. For dairy farmers, caring for the environment is as much second-nature as it is a priority.
“For most of us, our farms have been in our families for generations,” said Will Gilmer, an Alabama dairy farmer. “They are as much a place for us to live as they are the source of our livelihood. If we want our children to have a safe place to live and be able to earn a living, we’ve got to take good care of our farms today. We care for our farms and the environment because we want to and because we need to.”
Dairy farmers use a wide range of environmentally-sound practices including manure management, water recycling systems, conservation tillage and grass waterways, and routine water testing to ensure the safety of the environment, their cows and the milk they produce. Their stewardship practices are guided by ongoing research by experts at state and federal departments of natural resources, universities and dairy cooperatives.
MANURE -- A NATURAL FERTILIZER
Manure is a valuable byproduct of dairy cows. Dairy farmers know that cow manure naturally replenishes the soil so crops grow better. Manure also replaces the need for commercial fertilizer. Manure is applied to fields according to a detailed manure management plan which takes into account analysis of the manure, soil type, nutrient deficiencies and crop needs. Manure enhances the nutrient profile of the soil, improves its organic matter and increases its water-holding capacity by 20 percent.
“The quality of the land is ultimately a reflection of a well-run dairy farm. With proper management of livestock manure, we not only sustain the land, we enhance it,” said Gilmer. “One day someone will say we really cared about this land. That’s the ultimate compliment to a dairy farmer.”
New methane digester technology converts manure into methane-rich bio-gas, a renewable fuel that can be used to generate electricity. Farms using this technology may generate more than enough electricity to run their farm operations, and they can supply the excess energy back to the local utility company.
WATER -- A PRECIOUS RESOURCE
Milk is 80 percent water so it’s no wonder water is considered the most important resource on a dairy farm. Having clean, fresh drinking water for cows is essential for wholesome, high-quality milk. In addition to a dairy farmer’s personal commitment to keeping the water sources around their farms clean, they must also abide by strict state and federal clean water regulations.
“Dairy farmers and their families drink from the same water source that they use to operate their farms,” said Gilmer. “We’d never do anything that would jeopardize the health of our children or our livelihood so managing our water resource is one of many areas that will not be compromised.”
Dairy farmers use water responsibly and judiciously. Water can be recycled two to three times on a dairy farm. For example, water used to clean the milking parlors is often reused to clean feed alleys and then to irrigate fields.
AIR – KEEPING IT CLEAN AND FRESH
Dairy farms produce odor as a natural result of the manure produced by dairy cows. Dairy farmers do their best to control odor through technology and good farm management practices. In addition, the dairy industry is actively working with university researchers and industry manufacturers to identify ways to control farm odor.
“As dairy farmers, we are just as concerned about air quality as our community is. We want to be good neighbors,” said Gilmer. “We live here and we breathe the air all day long so we have many good reasons to want to keep it clean and fresh.”
Dairy farmers protect air quality by following proper manure storage practices and by maintaining clean facilities. By law, manure must be stored in on-farm storage facilities until conditions are appropriate for land application. University researchers and industry manufacturers continually work with dairy farmers to identify new ways to control odor such as reducing the ammonia-nitrogen emissions by removing excess protein in the cow’s diet, improving manure handling and storage, and application of manure on cropland.
SAFEGUARDING NATURAL RESOURCES FOR NEIGHBORS AND THE FUTURE
Dairy farmers share a great deal with their neighbors and those who consume dairy products. They also share a concern for the future. That’s why they aren’t just farmers, but also stewards of the land. Water is used resourcefully and monitored to assure purity. Manure is applied as a natural fertilizer to replenish the soil. These good management practices safeguard the environment for all, now and in the future.
#
About the Southeast Dairy Association
On behalf of dairy farm families, the non-profit Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Inc. (SUDIA) works with schools, health professionals, retailers, dairy processors and the public to promote dairy foods.
Download more info
<< previous page
|
|
|
