October 24, 2024

Farmer leaders in stewardship, sustainability and workforce best practices, along with a top FARM Program evaluator, were recognized at the fourth annual FARM Excellence Awards presentation in late October. The recipients are:

• Animal Care & Antibiotic Stewardship — Carlson Dairy LLP, Pennock, Minn. 

• Environmental Stewardship – Double S Dairy, Markesan, Wis. 

• Workforce Development — Oakridge Dairy, Ellington, Conn. 

• Evaluator of the Year — Nicole Frank, Litchfield, Minn. 

“The FARM Excellence Awards celebrate the dedication, innovation and hard work that our program participants do to drive our dairy community forward,” said Emily Yeiser Stepp, FARM’s executive director. “Each recipient exemplifies the spirit of excellence and commitment to continuous improvement that is vital for our future.”

May 14, 2024

As dairy farms across the United States embrace sustainability, Brubaker Farms, a dairy and poultry farm, set on 1,800 acres in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, is a shining example. 

The farm has evolved its practices that go above and beyond in protecting water quality, like no-till farming and cover-cropping 100% of the acres farmed.

Josh Brubaker says he and his family realize that embracing sustainability today shapes the destiny of tomorrow. “This is a focal point for our business so that our community can benefit from our efforts for many generations. We want future generations, of our farm and our community, to have the same opportunities that we have,” he says.

Click on the arrow below to learn more.

March 12, 2024

Your Farm – Your Footprint is a farmer-led sustainability initiative that empowers dairy producers to understand and manage their environmental impact. Here’s how it works:

• Measuring Sustainability: Dairy farmers can measure their farm’s sustainability score, taking into account current practices. This score considers factors like carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.
• Customized Roadmap: Producers receive a customized roadmap with practical steps to improve their sustainability score. These recommendations help shape the future of their farms.
• Peer Support: Farmers can participate in peer groups to share ideas and best practices in a safe, confidential environment.
• Cost-Share Grants: The initiative offers cost-share grants to learn their farm’s environmental footprint and receive a comprehensive report on carbon and methane emissions.

Learn more here and by clicking the arrow below. 

November 20, 2023

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has recognized three farms and one evaluator who go above and beyond industry standards through their commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. The 2023 FARM Excellence Award recipients are:

Animal Care & Antibiotic Stewardship — Ingleside Dairy Farm, Inc., Lexington, Virginia (Dairy Farmers of America)

Workforce Development — Newmont Farm LLC, Fairlee, Vermont (Agri-Mark, Inc.)

Evaluator of the Year — Jim Kauffman (Associated Milk Producers Inc.)

The 2023 FARM Excellence Award for Environmental Stewardship was awarded to a Dairy Farmers of America farm that wished to remain unnamed. To learn more, click on the arrow below. 

August 2023

Pete Gelber, owner of Barrington Dairy and a member-owner of Dairy Farmers of America, discusses his Montezuma, Georgia, farm’s focus on producing high-quality, sustainable-made milk while caring well for their cows and community. Hear more of his story in a recent feature from the Dairy Alliance.

Click on arrow shown below for video.

June 2023

Water conservation is a critically important practice on today's dairy farms, especially in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Chesapeake Bay. Check out how Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association member J Team Dairy, a Virginia dairy farm, collaborates with like-minded groups to adopt sustainable practices to preserve water quality. 

Click below for video.

April 2023

It all starts here - with 25,000 dairy cows at Butterfield Dairy Farm in Buckeye, Arizona. The De Jong family bought land in Buckeye in 2003, finished their first dairy in 2008 and their second in 2018. Now, Thomas and his three sons - Tommy, Jake and Andrew - are taking their farming to the next level with a plant that's turning manure into renewable natural gas.

Click the arrow below to see full story from Fox 10 Phoenix. 

March 14, 2023

Washington dairy farmer Lynne Rainey Wheeler talks with Rebecca MacKay Allen, senior vice president of global innovation partnerships at Dairy Management Inc., and William Loux, vice president of global economic affairs for the U.S. Dairy Export Council, about how the two organizations' international partnerships team up to drive dairy sales. Hear what they have to say about exciting new overseas products and where the future of exports is going. Tune into podcast by clicking the arrow shown below. 

January 30, 2023

Texas dairy farmer and USDEC chair Larry Hancock knows first-hand the value of dairy exports. Years ago, his son and daughter wanted to come back to the farm, so the farm doubled in size to bring on more family. It made it even more obvious to Hancock that farms need to grow their market as they grow in size and cows become more productive. "If you want to grow our industry, we must grow exports and we have to look throughout the world," Hancock says. 

Learn more why exports are so valuable to farmers by clicking on the arrow below. 

January 6, 2023

Dairy farms can be part of the solution when it comes to sustainability. A recent article by Forbes describes the success Reinford Farms in Pennsylvania has had with its anaerobic digesters, converting cow manure AND FOOD WASTE into methane gas used to generate electricity for hundreds of homes. The food waste comes from a number of food manufacturing clients, from grocery stores to warehouses, thus keeping the food waste from going into landfills. Click here to listen to a three-and-a-half minute narration of the Forbes article. 

January 4, 2023

Dairy farmers take seriously their job as stewards of natural resources — not only does it make good business sense, but it's also the right thing to do. Rosalio Brambila explains how Sunnyside Dairy, a Northwest Dairy Association member in Sunnyside, Washington, recycles their water and how they reuse it.

December 14, 2022

Caleb and Alice Crothers of Long Green Farms have been selected as the recipient of the 2022 Maryland Leopold Conservation Award, given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. For the Crothers, taking good care of the animals and sustainability is a family affair, as shown in a video you can access by clicking the arrow below. 

November 8, 2022

Oregon dairy farmer Drew Johnson didn't grow up on a dairy farm, but early exposure to dairies (including working on one in high school) gave him an idea that is where he wanted to be. After serving in the U.S. Army and working as a milk inspector, he and his wife moved to his wife's family's dairy. 

September 30, 2022