How milk and dairy products are made is an important topic for consumers today. More and more, they are taking their questions directly to the stores and restaurants. They want to know: Are your ingredients locally produced? Do you recycle? How are the animals treated? Do the farmers use sustainable practices to grow their crops?

Every farm is different, so farmers and farm managers need to be free to use the practices that make the most sense for their operation. But it’s important to find ways to measure and demonstrate the continuous improvement being made on farms every day as new technologies and practices are developed and shared.

Both environmental and financial outcomes must be taken into consideration, and the outcomes must be measured using the best science available.

That’s why the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has been working with scientists, dairy farmers and others to develop Farm Smart. Powered by comprehensive dairy research, Farm Smart will help farmers to measure, explore, innovate and communicate their farms’ ongoing stewardship in four areas – energy, feed, nutrients and herd management.

The best way to ensure these tools have value is to test them in real-world supply chains, and we’re doing just that. For instance, in 2013 the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy teamed up with McDonald’s and Prairie Farms Dairy to test the Smart Tools from farm to fleet to processing plant.

Beyond testing usability and utility of the tools, this pilot fostered a deep sense of partnership within the supply chain.

Through on-farm visits from McDonald’s staff, farmers had a first-hand opportunity to learn about their customers’ emerging sustainable supply expectations, and McDonald’s sustainability and supply leads had the opportunity to visit a dairy farm to experience where their milk comes from by talking directly with farmers.

In 2015, the Farm Smart tool will continue to be tested and enhanced to be sure it is meeting your needs. PD

Resources

• Watch this video case study to learn about the pilot test of the Farm Smart tool.
  
• Visit the website to learn more about the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

Test your answer:

What is the goal of the Farm Smart tool?

ANSWER: It is intended to help dairy farmers measure, improve and communicate their environmental footprint while improving their economic bottom line.

Co-op spotlight

Kevin Olson
Member Relations
Prairie Farms

Why is measuring and communicating sustainability important to your co-op?

OLSON: The success of Prairie Farms is linked to the success of our membership. Our members understand that their future depends on adopting sustainable practices and implementing those practices as a component of successful farm management.

The Farm Smart tool is the first comprehensive program available that assimilates real-life, on-farm elements into a usable package. This aids the farm owner in capturing new efficiencies while allowing the milk marketer to state the case that supplying farms are operating in a sustainable manner.

How did your members react to testing this new tool?

OLSON: Dairy farmers are always looking for ways to be more efficient. Being able to measure those efficiencies and employ them on farms on a day-to-day basis can make a difference to their bottom lines and help sustain the farm into the next generation.

How can this new tool help farmers?

OLSON: It helps make decisions based on hard evidence rather than tradition or trial and error. The dairy farms that worked with us on this pilot project were able to gather some very valuable information from the Farm Smart tool that will allow them to continue to improve and innovate.

What are the benefits of industry collaboration through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy?

OLSON: Working together in what we have come to call the “pre-competitive space” promotes progress that would be difficult for an individual company or farm working on its own.

We all have something to gain through the adoption of proven efficiencies. Through the entire supply chain, from the dairy producer to the retailer, all elements can benefit from an emphasis on identifying and capturing efficiencies.

This collaboration not only benefits all parties involved in bringing dairy products to the consumer, it also assures the industry that it is acting in a responsible manner for the benefit of the consumer.

Your Dairy Checkoff in Action – The following update is provided by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which was established under the leadership of dairy producers to align the collective resources of the industry against common priorities. The Innovation Center is staffed by Dairy Management Inc™.