FARM Program and NMPF Highlight Dairy Conservation Efforts for Earth Day

By Andi Anderson

On Earth Day, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) unveiled insights from their Conservation Practice Questionnaire, highlighting the commendable stewardship of dairy farmers across the United States.

The questionnaire, an optional component of the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) Program, showcases the conservation endeavors of U.S. dairy farmers, including their adoption of practices and technologies for effective water, energy, and resource management.

Launched in August 2022 following extensive stakeholder feedback and on-farm testing, over 450 questionnaires have been completed on dairy farms across 20 states. These responses, spanning farm sizes from 17 cows to over 15,000, provide valuable insights into the natural resource stewardship of participating dairy farmers.

As of March 2024, key findings from the questionnaire include:

• 79% of participating dairy farmers reuse or recycle water on their farms, with practices such as plate cooler water reuse, rainwater capture, and irrigation reuse.
• 90% of participating farms report implementing field conservation practices.
• 68% of participating farmers utilize recycled manure, sand, or byproducts as bedding for their cows.
• Over 97% of participating dairy farmers employ energy-saving technologies and practices.

Nicole Ayache, NMPF’s chief sustainability officer, emphasized the dairy industry's commitment to sustainability, stating, “The findings from our Conservation Practice Questionnaire underscore the U.S. dairy industry’s commitment to continuous improvement and finding new ways to be even more sustainable.”

Dairy farmers in implementing conservation practices, the FARM Program introduced a searchable database of technical and financial resources. This resource enables farmers and their advisors to identify suitable support for their conservation goals, including grants, cost-share programs, loan options, and incentives.

Focused initially on cover cropping, conservation tillage, energy efficiency, nutrient management, and pollinator habitat, the database consolidates information from various government, non-profit, and extension sources.

Photo Credit: National Milk Producers Federation