Wisconsin Ag Connection - DNR Says State's Dairy Industry is 'Greener' These Days

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DNR Says State's Dairy Industry is 'Greener' These Days
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/20/2012

Wisconsin dairy farmers have always had a good reputation for producing quality products. But now the Department of Natural Resources is confirming that they are also becoming even better environmental stewards.

State DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp says the dairy industry has been working hard in recent years to achieve what she calls 'green gains.'

"Dairying is a huge part of who we are what we do in Wisconsin," Stepp said. "We recognize the importance of our dairy farmers and the industry, and want to highlight some important gains that help better protect the environment and farmers' bottom line."

Stepp released a list of seven areas where the dairy industry has made some greener environmental strides. They include:

1. Wisconsin is the nation's leader in converting animal manure into green energy. In 2009, methane gas produced by anaerobic manure digesters generated 657.1 million Kilowatt hours in Wisconsin, up 600 percent from a decade earlier and enough to power more than 67,000 homes. Wisconsin Boasts Lead in cow power.

2. More dairies are entering DNR's environmental leadership program, called Green Tier, to help improve their environmental performance and their bottom line, with the lessons learned helping benefit the industry and regulators.

3. Counties reported a 12 percent increase statewide in the number of nutrient management plans developed to help farmers manage manure and commercial fertilizer in 2010, the most recent years for which statistics are available. Such plans guide when, where and how much manure and other nutrients farmers spread, maximizing manure as a crop fertilizer, reducing over-application that can result in runoff that can pollute lakes, streams and drinking water, according to the 2010 Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Annual Progress Report.

4. Nearly 170,000 acres of buffers, reduced tillage and other best management practices to reduce erosion from cropland were installed in 2010 in Wisconsin, and more than 500 manure storage facilities, sediment basins, and other best management practices to better manage manure on farms were installed in 2010, according to the 2010 Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Annual Progress Report.

5. More Wisconsin farmers are developing emergency plans for handling manure spills and reporting such occurrences immediately, environmental officials say, allowing for quicker response that can prevent or minimize runoff into lakes, streams or drinking water. Case in point: An Allenton farmer's emergency planning and quick action on April 4, 2012 in calling the DNR's Spill Emergency Hotline, close cooperation with the DNR, and fast clean up work prevented a 100-gallon manure spill from polluting Wisconsin waters.

6. Wisconsin led the nation in grass-based dairy farms, with one survey showing that nearly 30 percent of new dairy farmers using managed grazing, almost twice the rate for dairy farmers as a whole at that time. The benefits to farmers, their dairy cows, and the soil and water are detailed in 'Green pastures, green futures,' in the December 2008 Natural Resources magazine.

7. Wisconsin leads the nation in organic dairy farms, with the number of such farms growing 157 percent from 2002 to 2007. Wisconsin sales of organic milk accounted for 11.4 percent of the U.S. total, according to Organic Agriculture in Wisconsin: 2012 status report.

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