Enhancing Economic Vitality Of Dairy Farms

Enhancing Economic Vitality Of Dairy Farms. Greg Martin as Line On Agriculture presents the Harvest Clean Energy Report.

Representatives of the U.S. dairy industry have announced an agreement to work jointly with a national energy research laboratory to advance the science and best management practices of renewable energy, environmental stewardship and life cycle analysis of dairy systems and processes. NW Ag’s Lacy Gray has more.

GRAY: The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy™, the Dairy Research Institute™ and Idaho’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies are working to develop a national research program focused on enhancing the economic viability of dairy farms and rural communities. Kevin Ponticelli, chair of the Dairy Research Institute and senior executive vice president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the dairy checkoff on behalf of the nation’s farmers said quote, “This partnership directly aligns with the dairy industry’s science-based effort to measure and improve the sustainability of the U.S. dairy industry, across every segment of the supply chain.”

The agreement outlines the following key partnership objectives:
• Collect baseline data on nutrient and manure management practices to assist in the identification of best practices for dairy farms ?
Identify opportunities for dairy farms of all sizes to increase renewable energy production through anaerobic digesters, gasification and composting ?
Research best management practices for farm-based renewable energy production on small, medium and large farms ?
Analyze the U.S. utility grid infrastructure, electric rates and renewable energy incentives applicable to dairy farm operations
• Identify opportunities to increase funding of national research on sustainable dairy practices, manure management, substrates, renewable energy technologies and smart grid applications ?
• Facilitate technology-based economic development

Thanks Lacy. One industry official said the outcomes of this cross-industry partnership could greatly benefit dairy farms across the country.

For additional information on clean energy, visit harvestcleanenergy.org. That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.???www.harvestcleanenergy.org