For decades, but accelerated in recent years, people in urban areas have sought
greener pastures in suburbs and rural communities. Longing for a home that
overlooked bucolic rolling hills and farmlands. Many of those transplants wanted
to slow down and enjoy life with views of cows, chickens and anything that
reminded them of what living in the “country” versus the “city” would resemble.
Yet, the very reason that brought them to the countryside is being threatened.
The US is losing its family farms at a steady rate; and when a farmer wants
to innovate and find alternative paths to making their businesses viable, many
of these folks are saying, ‘Not in my backyard.’ However, we can’t have it both
ways. If we want to have that bucolic view of farms, we must support our local
farmers.
The fading landscape of the American dairy farmer
In many parts of our country, the dairy farmer is a staple in the agricultural
landscape; yet many multi-generational dairies are closing their barn doors. The
fluctuation of the market price for milk can be unpredictable, labor is
difficult to source, and costs have risen substantially for essential items such
as fertilizer and feed; and finally, the next generation of farmers have seen
how hard their families have worked and struggled and are shying away from the
family business.
According to the
USDA’s 2011
census,
the United States was home to just over 51,000 dairy farms; in
2021,
there were less than 30,000 operating across the nation. This year, there will likely
be even fewer dairy farms — which supply much of our nation’s
milk that becomes fresh milk, cheese, yogurt and other beloved dairy foods —
dotting our states.
While many of the current generation of would-be dairy farmers saw the struggles
of their parents and grandparents and are moving on to new careers, there are
some that still that want to carry on the legacy. However, the next generation
wants to not only raise their herd and farm sustainably — they need their farms
to be financially sustainable for the generations to come. To accomplish this,
they must innovate; but they sometimes face roadblocks from their own
communities.
How do you achieve both?
During these last two decades, many multi-generational dairy farms have been at
the epicenter of the climate change debate. The manure and burping of cows
release methane; but increasingly, there are solutions — including dietary
changes
for cows, as well as a manure-management plan that can turn that manure into a
force for good — such as renewable energy production via anaerobic digestion.
Vanguard Renewables has been working with
multi-generational dairy farmers for nearly 10 years to help solve those
systemic issues, while providing a steady and predictable income stream from
hosting its on-farm Farm Powered® anaerobic digesters. Vanguard works to
help its farm partners reduce their on-farm emissions by immediately capturing
the manure generated and sending that to a sealed tank where it mixes with
inedible food and beverage waste from the manufacturing sector, which would
normally be dumped in the local landfill, to create a powerful tool to reduce
our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels — renewable natural gas.
In addition to Vanguard’s farm partners receiving a lease payment for the land
where their facilities are located, the Farm Powered process provides them with
byproducts — including a low-carbon, nutrient-dense digestate for fertilizing
and irrigating their croplands; as well as possible bedding for the herd — and
the cost savings for the farms can be substantial.
One of Vanguard’s farm partners, Danielle
Goodrich-Gingras
— herdswoman and co-owner of the Goodrich Family Dairy Farm in Vermont —
believes the savings from not purchasing traditional fertilizer and bedding to
be around $200,000 a year; and that was before the war in Eastern Europe. Since
the invasion of
Ukraine,
the cost for chemical fertilizers has grown exponentially as the ingredients to
make fertilizer come from both Russia and Ukraine, as well as other Baltic
nations. With supply chain issues facing every aspect of business, farming is no
different. And those issues are raising the price of fertilizer to untenable
rates.
Dairy farmers are leading the way to a more sustainable future
Dairy
cooperatives
such as Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Cabot Creamery
Co-operative are helping their farms to become more sustainable — both
financially and environmentally.
DFA has been a leading partner in climate change solutions for over 20 years.
The cooperative has set substantial sustainability goals by
2030, including a 30
percent reduction in absolute emissions. Additionally, it was the first US dairy
cooperative to establish science-based targets to lower greenhouse gas emissions
and early adopters of anaerobic digestion as a means to help its member farms
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. DFA is also a founding member of Vanguard’s
Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA) that was launched in
2020
with Starbucks and Unilever.
Cabot is another first mover in the
regenerative-agriculture
and climate-solutions movement. It was the first dairy cooperative to become a
certified B Corporation; and it’s
dedicated to creating a closed-loop solution from farm to plant and back to the
farm to create renewable energy. Cabot even takes it one step further by sending
processed waste from its butter manufacturing plant in West Springfield,
Massachusetts to Barstow’s Longview Dairy Farm — where it is used to
create renewable energy at a Vanguard facility located on the farm, which it
then purchases to power the plant. Cabot is also a proud member of the FPSA.
Closing thoughts
The US’s dairy farmers are a backbone of an industry that has defined our
nation. They want to do well and do good, and are strident in their dedication
to their land and our planet.
Dairy farmers often take the brunt of the ire of
environmentalists; but being
good stewards of their land and providing healthy, high-quality products is what
they strive to accomplish. As consumers, we have lots of choices; but there is
no denying that dairy foods are essential to our culinary experience.
Dairy farmers wake well before dawn and hit the hay well after the sun sets,
365 days a year. They are not the enemy of the good; they are the ones who truly
understand the risks and complications that a changing climate causes. From
warmer winters to hotter summers, they face a variety of challenges and continue
to rise to the occasion.
So, today, let us raise a glass of cold milk — whether skim, 2 percent, or whole
— and say cheers and thank you for helping to fight the good fight and for
feeding our families. Vanguard doesn’t work with every dairy farmer; but it is
steadfast in its mission to advocate and provide sustainable and regenerative
solutions that dairy farmers need and want to keep our world safe and healthy.
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David Darr is Chief Sustainability Officer at Vanguard Renewables. He has over 20 years of experience working with dairy farmers around the country to implement sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
Most recently, Darr served as the SVP and Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer for the Dairy Farmers of America. He holds both a BS and MS in Agriculture Economics from Ohio State University, and an MBA from Rockhurst University.
Published Feb 17, 2023 10am EST / 7am PST / 3pm GMT / 4pm CET