Environmental Safeguards
There’s an old saying about farmers being the first environmentalists. Caring for the land, water and air remains a daily commitment by dairy farmers. Most dairy farmers make their home at the farm, giving them even more incentive to be a good neighbor and protect natural resources. Before farmers milk their first cow, they must follow strict government regulations to show their facilities meet environmental standards. Dairy farmers strive to exceed these rules and utilize methods to reuse resources. For example, many farmers collect rain water that can be used on crops, while animal waste is converted into commercial soil products and used by Florida nurseries. There is even emerging technology on how dairies can produce electricity. And the food that farmers feed their cows has its own “green” story behind it. Much of the feed is a byproduct of another industry. For example, Florida leads the nation in orange juice production, and all of that citrus pulp makes for tasty and nutritious feed for the cows, instead of ending up in a landfill.
Fresh Air For Everyone
Clean air is important to everyone, including farm families. Farmers protect air quality by keeping barns clean and using special manure storage facilities that help control odors.
Research and development has inspired new practices and innovative technologies to improve manure and odor management. For example, dairy nutritionists can formulate diets for cows that reduce the odor of manure. Other technologies such as air-filtration systems in barns, odor-reducing additives for manure-storage facilities and even methane digesters, which use manure to produce electricity, are being incorporated in many dairy operations.
Recycling Has Lasting Effects
Recycling comes naturally to dairy farmers. Cow manure is used as an organic fertilizer for cropland and for compost, which is used by local nurseries and by neighbors for their gardens. This greatly reduces the use of commercial fertilizers, which are often made from fossil fuels.
The water used on farms is recycled several times a day to wash barn alleys and irrigate the fields. And applying recycled manure to the crops helps increase the water-holding capacity of the soil, which reduces the need for irrigation in the first place.
Plentiful Clean Water
Because dairy cows need to drink plenty of clean water to stay healthy and produce quality milk, farmers take water protection and conservation practices seriously.
The proper recycling of cow manure plays a central role in protecting nearby lakes, rivers and streams. Farmers store manure and spread it on their crop fields according to a Nutrient Management Plan that takes into account the types of soil found on the farm, the terrain of the fields and the amount of nutrients needed by the crops. Other water-protection measures include building fences along streams and planting trees along rivers.
Being Good Neighbors
Farm families are stakeholders in their communities, volunteering in service clubs, churches and youth programs. They serve on local governments and school boards. They host school groups and community open houses on their farms and preserve open green space, often allowing neighbors recreational access to their land. Many farmers are the second- or third-generation to operate their dairies and feel a strong sense of responsibility to preserve their farms and communities for future generations.
