Optimising farm management
Examples listed in this key area range from current research through to dairy farming initiatives.
Medeiros & Son Dairy, Hanford, California, USA
| Source : Innovation Center For US Dairy |
Medeiros & Son Dairy has come a long way in its 17 years. The 2,400-cow dairy in Hanford, Calif., U.S.A., started out as a 64-cow farm when Brian Medeiros and his parents began milking cow for themselves in 1994. When the family originally moved to America from Portugal in 1987, Brian’s dad, Rui milked cows for another dairy in Southern California. However Rui had a dream to become an entrepreneur, where his family would have their own farm, with their own cows. Today, the farm produces 62 million pounds of milk a year, contributing to California’s distinction as the largest dairy state in the United States.
To remain economically and environmentally sustainable, Brian and his father focus on quality and efficiency.
“We are trying to make a difference on our farm by considering the information and technology available to us,” Brian says. “We are trying to make a difference so we can survive in the future, and continue to provide for all of our stakeholders. I don’t just work for myself or my family, but for all of the families that consume our milk as a staple in their diet.”
Brian and his family have implemented environmentally sustainable efforts since the beginning — water is recycled 5 to 6 times before it is used as a nutrient for their crops; and fibers from the manure are composted and then used for bedding.
Sustainability Performance Assessment (SPA) project
| Source : SAI Platform |
The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform has continued to examine metrics and indicators for assessing the sustainability of farming.
Beginning with principles and practices for sustainable agriculture, SAI Platform has subsequently developed an initial catalogue of indicators in the Sustainability Performance Assessment (SPA) project, with a report published in 2010 entitled 'Towards a Simple Set of Farm-level Sustainability Indicators'.
This is a work in progress, and in 2011 there was a second phase that will provide further information on the selection of the most practical indicators for measuring, monitoring and reporting sustainability performance, which will in turn contribute to better insight into available calculator tools. Within the SAI Platform Dairy Working Group, Members selected nine key indicators of sustainability at the farm level to focus on.
The Working Group aims to share Member companies’ experiences and knowledge around the use of metrics in these nine areas, in order to promote discussion and consideration by the dairy supply chain and stakeholders as to the appropriate metrics for dairy.
For additional information, follow the link below:
Pictures Links Contact all info
Clover's Best Farming Practices – South Africa
| Source : Clover SA (Pty) Ltd. (Clover) |
Clover started its own Best Farming Practices in 2006. It is based upon the International Dairy Federations Best Farming Practice guidelines and focuses on the following:
- Animal Health and herd management
- Animal Feed and water
- Animal Medication and agricultural chemicals
- Milk Hygiene and safety
- Environmental management
- Personnel and people visiting dairy farms
All of Clover’s milk producers partake in this practice and are audited every second year by our own staff. Our producers need to get 80% or more to pass an audit and currently 98.41% of our milk comes from producers who passed their audits. Producers who do not pass an audit are assisted and receive a follow-up audit within six months. This procedure is repeated until such a producer passes his/her audit.
Clover tasked one of its lady staff to run the CBFP system and its further development. Clover SA is assisting her in doing her MSc. degree in sustainable dairy farming at the University of Pretoria.
The CBFP system is currently being converted into a new "Clover Sustainable Dairy Farming (CSDF)" model, due to be up and running by January 2012.
Developing a Dairy Farm Stewardship Toolkit - USA
| Source : Innovation Center For US Dairy |
The Dairy Research Institute, an affiliate of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, is developing a Dairy Farm Stewardship Toolkit for dairy producers to evaluate their production techniques and identify potential improvements in management practices. These improvements could increase profitability or reduce costs on the farm. In June, the Dairy Research Institute received $1.1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to further support the development of the toolkit.
The toolkit will be national in scope. At least 12 dairy producers within 10 regions across the United States will participate in pilot tests. The 120 producer volunteers will represent a diverse set of farms, including small- and large-scale dairies, dairies with varying milk production methods, and both conventional and organic dairies.
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Efficient production of feed - Paul Bennett, Ashgrove (dairy) farm, Elizabeth Town, Tasmania, Australia
| Source : Dairy Australia |
Paul milks 1,200 cows on the family farm. He has made major changes in the last five years by constructing dams and installing a central pivot irrigation system to provide the moisture to grow pasture for the cows during the dry summer months. By doing so Paul has reduced demand for purchased feed that needs to be transported to his farm as well as creating an environment for contented cows. Refer to the following video:
Economic and sustainably viable long-term whole of farm approach - James and Rachel Downie, Clarendon, Tasmania, Australia
| Source : Dairy Australia |
The Downie's farm on five hundred hectares in southern Tasmania. They have recently invested in a new milking shed to improve the economics of milk production.
- As part of this process a three pond effluent system is being installed to allow filtering of the effluent and spreading back on the paddocks. In effect all of the effluent will remain on farm.
- Fences have been reconfigured to minimise walking distances for the cows during the twice day milking. This will help in both maintaining and improving herd health.
- To make their farm more economically sustainable the Downie's are installing four centre-pivot irrigators to use irrigated water as efficiently as possible.
- Tree lines that will act as shelter belts for the cows and add to the biodiversity of their farm will be planted on the perimeters of the reach of the centre-pivot irrigators.
Efficient use of resources and shelter belts - Trevor Thomas, Victoria, Australia
| Source : Dairy Australia |
Trevor Thomas, dairy farmer in Longwarry, Victoria
- in last five years reduced demand for water and used fertiliser more efficiently;
- grown summer crops for feed rather than rely on purchased (transported) feed; and
- planted seven rows of trees to act as shelter belts for cows.
Goal is to leave farm in a better condition than when I came with less carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
Farming more sustainably - Duncan MacDonald, Yolla, Tasmania, Australia
| Source : Dairy Australia |
Duncan has made a whole of farm commitment to reducing the carbon footprint and encourage biodiversity.
- He has planted vegetation to act as shelter belts for the cows, provide a refuge for wild life, combat erosion and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Duncan has also fenced off water ways to both exclude stock and to improve quality.
- He introduced measures to improve energy efficiency for example in the milking shed so as to reduce power bills, to improve effluent management and irrigation efficiency to make the best use of water.
Duncan believes that he has a social and legal responsibility to care for the environment. Refer to the following video:
Reducing erosion and more efficient cropping - Rob Terry, Dairy Plains, Tasmania, Australia
| Source : Dairy Australia |
On his farm Rob is moving to direct drilling for cropping and fodder production. Direct drilling will help combat possible erosion of soils and assist in mantaining soil quality for pasture production.
He has also introduced auto steer options for more efficient machinery use when cropping and producing fodder; this will in turn reduce use of chemicals and fuel.
Rob's goal is to reduce his farm's carbon footprint, thereby both saving money from reduced purchases of farm inputs such as chemicals and fuel and at the same time improving the environment. Refer to the following video:
Optimising farm management - Lynne and Michael Strong: Clover Hill Dairies, Jamberoo, NSW, Australia
| Source : Michael and Lynne Strong, dairy farmers - DairyingForTomorrow |
“Our commitment to stewardship starts from the ground-up. We focus on maintaining good soil fertility and structure and grass cover, which has helped avoid the problems of erosion, soil loss and pugging associated with other high intensity farms” (Lynne Strong)
Fact sheets and case studies – United Kingdom
| Source : DairyCo |
This project aimed to provide dairy farmers with six factsheets advising them of definitions and explanations of green house gases, information on sources of green house gases and how the emissions generated by dairy farming contribute towards global warming.
- These practical materials (available electronically or in hard copy) give examples of where dairy farmers can focus their attention on farms to reduce environmental impact, improve efficiency of production and reduce costs.
- These materials are widely used by the field based DairyCo Extension Team at farmer meetings and to help inform the wider industry.
Completion date: 2010
Herd Management and Farm Economics - India
| Source : Nestlé |
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Elimination of Antibiotic Residues from Milk - Morocco
| Source : Nestlé |
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Reducing GHG in on our Dairy Farms - Canada
| Source : Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) |
The dairy farm industry is currently looking at a host of strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the ideas below are still on the drawing board while others are being actively studied or tested in the real world. The strategies are in three areas: cows, manure and land.
Cows
- Improve milk production and feed efficiency
- Lower the forage-to-grain ratio in the ration
- Balance and synchronize energy and protein in the ration
- Improve the quality of forage
- Process grain to increase digestibility
- Improve grazing practices
Putting agricultural know-how to work for sustainable and competitive Chinese milk
| Source : Nestlé |
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Implementing best farming practices in Chile's dairy
| Source : Nestlé |
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Improving milk quality in East Java Province
| Source : Nestlé |
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Increasing incomes for rural dairy farmers in Malawi
| Source : Land O’Lakes |
Mrs. Charity Wilton is the owner of Beckwood Dairy in Bvumbwe, Thyolo in the southern region of Malawi. Beckwood Dairy breeds animals as well as hosting a milk bulking facility for more than 170 smallholder farmers. It has three cooling tanks leased from the Shire Highlands Milk Producer’s Association (SHMPA), each with the capacity of 2,250 liters and farmer members sell their milk to the facility.
Beckwood Dairy has developed the heifer loan scheme initiative, an innovative way of ensuring that smallholder farmers can own a cow at reasonable prices on appropriate terms. Lilongwe Dairies assists farmers with loans to purchase cows from Beckwood which they repay through loan deductions at the milk bulking level.
In order to safeguard the risk of non-payment and ensure the sustainability of the heifer loan scheme initiative, Beckwood Dairy works with the Central Region Milk Producers Association (CREMPA) to guarantee farmer loans through the respective MBGs and implement a mechanism where farmer loans are deducted at the source when the processor pays the MBG for the milk collections.
Background: The United States Government, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development, Land O’ Lakes leads the Malawi Dairy Development Alliance (MDDA), a Global Development Alliance (GDA), with a shared goal of increasing incomes of rural dairy farmers in Malawi.
Developing the dairy industry - Ukraine
| Source : Agropur |
Agropur are continuing their support for Société de coopération pour le développement international [a network of cooperatives for international development] by participating in a project in the Ukraine
- Agropur and La Coop fédérée are both committed to hundreds of hours of time and resources to the project, over the next five years (from 2009).
- Agropur’s main objective is to help Ukrainian dairy producers to be better organized, but this is also an opportunity to learn about and familiarize ourselves with the dairy industry in this specific region.
The expected results are:
- Increased competitiveness in the dairy sector, through the improvement of the marketing conditions for dairy products and
- Increased efficiency of milk production on the farm, the development of entrepreneurship in the dairy sector, and, finally,
- The implementation of a strategic vision for the dairy sector
Farming in South Africa
| Source : Clover SA (Pty) Ltd. (Clover) |
Examples of a separator that is used to separate the liquid from solid materials to manage the impact on nature more efficiently. Keep a register of manure dumping on land to ensure the rotation of the land.
Provide as much shade as possible. Where natural shade is not available, structures can be successfully employed as depicted.
Dungheap areas must have good drainage to facilitate the drying of dung.
Milk Roadmap pollution incidents – United Kingdom
| Source : Dairy UK |
Continued declining trend in pollution incidents on dairy farms
Activity and Progress:
- The EA’s Spotlight on Business Report 2008 revealed that pollution incidents to water, land and air from agriculture in England and Wales are decreasing, and are at their lowest ever levels. This performance demonstrates the proactive efforts made by dairy producers and advisors to drive environmental change at the farm level and illustrates the work of the Environment Agency and its partners in regulating the industry.
Measurement:
- EA Monitoring data: annual ‘Spotlight Report’.
Target Status:
- On target: Report due later in 2009
Dairy Farm Achievements – United Kingdom
| Source : National Farmers Union |
- Environmental Stewardship is attractive to dairy farmers, with some 51% of the area of agricultural area under the Entry Level or Organic Entry Level Scheme as of June 2009. The most popular options taken are for hedgerows, although the apparent greater uptake by dairy farms is likely to be related to the geographical distribution of hedges.
- There is good evidence of beneficial changes in farm practices on dairy farms. Almost 50% updated their slurry stores in the 10 years to 2007 (mainly to increase capacity or to divert clean water) and an increased awareness of the need to site manure heaps away from water.
- Almost all dairy farmers spread manure, making an assessment of the nutrient content, either through “own knowledge or assessment” (77%), or “professional advice” (39%).
- In 2008, more than 90% of dairy farmers reported having either delayed putting stock out or taken stock off fields early to reduce poaching, compared to 80% in 2007 and 70% in 2006.
- There has also been an increase in the number of dairy farms that have fenced watercourses. Two thirds reported having done so in the 2008 Farm Practices Survey compared to 49% in 2007 and 46% in 2006.
June 2009 Defra Farm Practices Survey
Producción Limpia (PML) - Colombia
| Source : FEDEGAN |
La PL introduce un concepto importante no solo para la implementación de acciones en la producción, sino también en la investigación y transferencia de tecnología, ya que parte del principio de prevención y no de mitigación o control.
Esta perspectiva obliga a repensar los procesos en su eficiencia, los materiales e insumos utilizados y el reciclaje, como condiciones orientadoras de la producción primaria, permitiendo minimizar impactos ambientales y riesgos en los procesos productivos y los productos.
Silvopastoral systems – Minas Gerais, Brazil
| Source : Embrapa |
The sustainable dairy initiative is combining dairy and forestry with the aim of improving soil and water conditions, animal welfare and economic results. This is already been promoted by EMBRAPA Dairy and adopted by dairy farmers in many states in Brazil, particularly in Minas Gerais, where the climate is tropical.
Las cooperativas lácteas de Argentina están comprometidas con una producción ambientalmente sostenible
| Source : Alejandro Galetto |
- La tecnología utilizada para la producción de pasturas, y también gran parte de los silajes, requiere de una proporción baja de insumos variables (fertilizantes, etc.) y en los últimos años, con la difusión de la siembra directa, se ha minimizado el laboreo de los suelos, mejorando al mismo tiempo sus propiedades físicas (penetración y retención de agua, principalmente).
- El pastoreo directo en gran parte de las fincas durante prácticamente todo el año garantiza además que las cuestiones de bienestar animal no entren en conflicto con el modelo productivo lechero que se practica en Argentina.
Wilco Hilhorst, Noord-Steen, the Netherlands
| Source : Beemster - Caring Dairy - Ben & Jerry’s |
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Developing the dairy industry - Paraguay
| Archived | Source : Société de coopération pour le développement international (SOCODEVI) |
Agropur has been involved with SOCODEVI for many years, in various projects, including one in Paraguay that wrapped up in 2008.
Since 2005, Agropur and SOCODEVI have conducted a few missions in Paraguay as part of a project aimed at promoting the development of the dairy industry in this country – specifically, eight dairy cooperatives.
Visitors from Paraguay also came to Canada for training in quality assurance. This project mainly targeted three areas:
- improving quality assurance systems from farm to plant;
- improving marketing and distribution strategies and;
- improving management of cooperatives.
Agropur is involved in the upgrading of milk quality, of the management of best practices in quality assurance at the plant, of marketing and distribution, and of the management of cooperatives. As part of this project, a few Board members and employees travelled to Paraguay. Also, members of Agropur’s Board of Directors welcomed here a delegation from that country in 2007. We can be proud of our involvement in this knowledge transfer project; making it possible for these cooperatives in Paraguay to be better equipped for the future.
For more detailed results of the project see here: http://www.socodevi.org/en/projets/_detail_projet.php?pk_projet=12&continent=1
Farm management practices – South Africa
| Archived | Source : Clover SA (Pty) Ltd. (Clover) |
In terms of the environment, Clover Industries Limited currently (2009) focuses on the following:
- Systems for the removal of dung, sewage and other refuse
- Protecting natural water sources
- Control over application of chemicals to pastures
Developing best practice – South Africa
| Archived | Source : Clover SA (Pty) Ltd. (Clover) |
As we learn more about Climate Change, it is the goal of Clover Industries Limited to incorporate the following focus areas into our Best Farming Practices.
However, Clover are in the early stages and need to learn much more in order to find a practical way of implementation.
We have a Joint Venture relationship with Danone and we also work with them in this regard.
- Climate change, as well as its impact on dairy production in South Africa
- Green house gas emissions and the limitation thereof
- Energy sources and utilization of energy
- Deforestation and Bio-diversity
- Water access and usage
- Pollution and contamination
