Low-carbon feed is a brand new term just beginning to surface in the dairy industry as a result of efforts to reduce dairy’s overall carbon footprint.
Research activities aimed at assisting dairy owners in providing consumers with nutritious dairy products they want in an environmentally friendly manner is leading dairy industry leaders like Rick Naczi to evaluate every aspect of a dairy, including the feed produced and consumed and its effect on dairy cows and the environment.
Naczi, executive vice president for strategic industry analysis and evaluation for Dairy Management Inc., leads the industry-wide sustainability initiative for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. He says the organization’s aim is to provide producers with recommendations they can use to reduce energy involved in both production and digestion of dairy feeds.
“We’re looking at the nitrogen in different types of crops and how different feeds work in the digestive process in regard to production of methane gas,” Naczi says. “There may be some farm processes that can be modified to reduce CO2 and some feeds may produce less methane during a cow’s digestive process.”
Naczi doesn’t expect to find alternative grains for dairy cows as much as alternative methods to produce traditional grains, such as use of dairy nutrients in lieu of commercial fertilizer and adoption of no-till practices that would reduce fuel consumption. Researchers are also looking at the possible use of additives like fish oil and yeast products to reduce the amount of methane gas dairy cows produce during the digestive process. Studies related to use of fish oil as a dairy feed additive have not yet been conducted in the U.S.; however, European sample studies indicate the oil could significantly reduce production of methane gas in dairy cattle.
“From the work we’ve done so far, we expect dairy owners can reduce their CO2 production by 17 percent by modifying crop production practices,” Naczi says. “A lot of things can be accomplished with current technology, such as applying fertilizer more precisely. We expect there are already numerous options for producers. It’s just a matter of adopting those processes.”
Gar Lin Dairy Farms, a 1,550-cow family operation in Eyota, Minnesota, has been taking some steps to reduce their carbon footprint and will be implementing more practices in upcoming months. Dana Allen, the farm’s manager who has a Ph.D. in dairy nutrition, says the dairy began the process of improving efficiencies by ensuring their animals were receiving a balanced diet and obtaining all the benefits of the feed.
“We’ve been utilizing feed additives, such as Rumensin,” she says. “We’re also working on ways to get more tons of feed per acre by interseeding highly digestible grasses with our alfalfa to increase the tonnage we obtain at harvest. That means we’re producing more feed with fewer acres and less trips across the field.”
Allen says the dairy is also investigating use of a solids separator that would allow them to be more precise in application of manure nutrients. They currently utilize some no-till practices in their fields too.
“Sustainability means a lot of things to different people,” Allen says. “In our current economic situation, economic sustainability is critical. It’s important that producers identify ways to operate more efficiently without compromising milk production. Those types of processes will benefit all of us.”
Recent surveys indicate that 22 percent of consumers are purchasing food items that are related to low-carbon production methods or have some kind of “green” aspect. Naczi says dairies have an opportunity to meet consumers’ evolving definition of wellness – which includes “good for me and the planet” – by taking steps to reduce carbon production.
“The good news for dairy is that the industry is getting greener all the time,” Naczi says. “The energy used to produce a gallon of milk has been reduced 63 percent since the ’40s, according to Cornell University research. Dairy farmers have a long history of being good stewards of their resources. Consumers will react favorably when we demonstrate that we know we’re doing a good job, but we’re working to do an even better job.”
In their search for low-carbon production methods, the Innovation Center is developing alliances with other agricultural groups in order to pool each entity’s knowledge. Initial research projects are showing promise, but definitive results will not be available for at least a year.
“We’re working to communicate to dairy producers what they can implement now to reduce CO2 production,” Naczi says. “We’re very conscious of the fact that there are difficult financial times for the dairy industry, so we believe we’re bringing good news with our recommendations because nearly all of them involve reducing costs on the farm.”
The Innovation Center says the dairy industry has a great opportunity to increase sales to a growing number of consumers who want to play a role in making a positive environmental impact through their purchases. It’s also likely that innovation in energy and resource efficiency will help dairy producers improve productivity and profitability. Development of renewable energy could also provide new revenue sources.
As research studies are finalized and results are compiled, the Innovation Center will communicate findings and recommendations to dairy producers. Additional information resources include local and state dairy organizations and extension and cooperative services.
“Nearly every state has active dairy organizations and extension services that have done a lot of work in this area,” Naczi says. “Producers may also find help at their state’s universities, especially those with well-established land grants.”
With the goals the Innovation Center has set for reducing the use of commercial fertilizer by 10 percent by 2020, Naczi expects the industry’s carbon footprint can achieve an annual 770,000 ton reduction of CO2, which will have a significant impact in the U.S. In combination with other methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that occur during crop production, the industry can achieve an overall 4 percent reduction in total emissions by 2020.
“Dairy farmers are always looking for ways to be more sustainable,” Naczi says. “We all need to maintain the good practices that have already been developed and continue to search for the latest innovations that will lead to higher efficiency." PD
Sorensen is a freelance writer in Yankton, South Dakota.
Loretta Sorensen for Progressive Dairyman
