Farmers have a vested interest in protecting wetlands, eco-diversity and other natural resources. For centuries, they’ve used traditional methods such as crop rotation and mulching to preserve the fertility of the land. Today, dairy farmers have even more options at their disposal to help reduce their environmental footprint.

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Soil Friendly
Thanks to state-of-the-art manure handling equipment, storage facilities and application processes, it’s easy for farmers to get proper nutrients to the soil, while protecting against runoff and reducing air emissions. One way farmers handle manure is through modern mechanical separators, which separate the solids in manure from the liquid portion. The solids can be directly applied to cropland or composted and sold as organic fertilizer. The separated liquids can be recycled and used for flushing alleys in the barn and can irrigate the fields, too. Technology also has shown that there are many ways to fertilize a field beyond applying the manure directly to the crop. One alternative uses high-tech equipment to “inject” or mix the manure right into the soil, which minimizes odor while adding rich nutrients into the soil.

Another high priority for farmers is storing the solid and liquid manure until weather conditions are right for fertilizing the land. Many farmers use progressive lagoons to store and naturally treat the manure. In a lagoon, solids settle to the bottom and bacteria and microorganisms break down the manure resulting in a nutrient-rich wastewater with fewer odors. Cutting-edge research seeks to further enhance the benefits of lagoons on farms. One example is adding algae to lagoons. The oxygen produced by the algae allows odor-eating bacteria to live longer, resulting in an even greater reduction of odor.

Power-Up!
Alternative energy is all the buzz these days and dairy farmers are caught up in it, too. On some farms methane digesters are used to collect methane gas released from manure and convert it to energy. This “biogas” is a renewable fuel that can be used to generate electricity for both the dairy farm and the local community.

Farm to Parks
The nutrients in dairy wastewater are perfect for growing trees, such as poplars. Plant scientists and engineers have joined forces to help farmers put fast-growing trees to work. Trees act as a natural cleaning process for soil and water as they absorb the excess nutrients in manure and naturally break down harmful chemicals, while at the same time reducing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a bonus, trees provide noise and odor buffers, while making farms look like parks.

Nature Takes its Course
One of the latest trends in farming is “conservation buffers” -- large sections of grass and trees planted along streams, lakes and fields to help protect soil, air and water quality and improve fish and wildlife habitat. Buffers work by slowing water runoff, trapping sediment, and enhancing water infiltration in the buffer itself. This prevents potential pollutants from reaching surface or ground water sources.

Other modern-day erosion control methods are more subtle. Alfalfa is a soil-friendly crop used for cow feed that doesn’t need to be replanted each year. Because the plants remain in the ground year-round, annual plowing isn’t necessary, therefore, the topsoil is left protected.

To download the Environment PDF click here