Sustainable business

Through internal efforts and coordination with industry groups, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. remains committed to bringing high-quality, nutritious milk and dairy products to consumers’ tables in a sustainable manner.

An important part of building sustainable practices is having a firm grasp of current environmental impact. Last December, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy released its comprehensive study of the carbon footprint of milk, which puts the greenhouse gas emissions of all dairy products at about 2 percent of total U.S. emissions.

The study, which had researchers follow the lifecycle of a gallon of milk — from the beginning when crops are grown to feed cows to the end when a gallon of milk is purchased by the consumer — was developed, in part, to understand the current impact and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

At DFA, sustainable practices remain an integral part of the Cooperative’s initiatives. To ensure these practices remain at the forefront for DFA, David Darr, vice president of sustainability and public affairs, is charged with leading the effort. Darr also sits on the Innovation Center’s sustainability committee, which looks for ways to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

“The carbon emission study was beneficial for understanding our current impact, but we also have to think about practices that will benefit the Cooperative long term,” Darr says. “We’ve come a long way since we first began thinking about how we could make utility and waste changes in our plants and develop more accurate routes for our drivers. Today, we’re making positive changes that impact not only this organization, but also our members, our customers and the consumer as well.”

DFA leaders have taken an active role to ensure that members and business units continue to embrace changes to promote cost reductions and environmental efficiency. While sustainability became a more formal focus in 2008, the Cooperative and its members have long made improvements, including adopting manure management practices, identifying ways to reduce the amount of methane emissions and implementing new fuel efficiency measures with milk haulers.

Within the last few years, DFA’s plants have sought ways to continue to become more environmentally friendly. Management teams have started programs with employees to reduce costs, increase efficiency and eliminate needless waste.

In Springfield, Mo., the plant’s management team developed comprehensive plans that utilize ultra-sonic leak detectors and thermographic analysis to detect air, water and steam leaks throughout the facility, upgraded to energy-efficient lighting and energy-efficient boiler controls, installed new condensate pumps, added new air storage tanks to level out the compressed air load in the plant and more. The plant’s roof was also replaced with an energy-efficient white roofing material.

“By being good stewards of all resources, we are able to conduct business in a manner that helps us reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining a foothold in today’s changing business environment,” says Dana Lowe, plant manager. “Embracing sustainability is simply the right way of approaching business, the environment and the future.”

The manufacturing plant is also participating in the Ozarks GreenScore program in partnership with Drury University’s SIFE program, which quantitatively assess local businesses’ application of green technologies and policies. Participating businesses can receive certification as Bronze, Silver and Gold. The highest certification is Green.

The plant already received Bronze level certification and is scheduled for an assessment for Silver certification soon, Lowe says.

“By achieving Bronze status, we have demonstrated to our employees and community our commitment to sustainability, and the university has gained insight into our future needs and is working with us to find solutions to continue improving our sustainability efforts,” she says.

Lowe says a sustainability team is being developed after several employees expressed interest in participating in sustainability initiatives. Previously, efforts were driven by the management team.

“We are excited that employees want to be involved, and we are always eager to solicit suggestions from them. Our hope is to have the team in place by early 2012,” Lowe says.

On the farm, more than 5,000 members have completed DFA’s Gold Standard Dairy Program on-farm review. The program, first introduced in 2007, assures consumers, retailers and processors that DFA’s member farms are meeting high standards and producing quality milk.

More than 40 producers have also undergone an energy audit through DFA’s Dairy Energy Services (DES) in 2011, which provides members recommendations on how to reduce energy usage on their operation. Recently, DES partnered with EnSave, a leading agricultural energy efficiency company, to extend energy cost savings to members in New York for efficiency upgrades on several pieces of farm-type equipment — lights, boilers, circulation and ventilation fans and more. Members in New York who are New York State Electric & Gas or Rochester Gas & Electric customers qualify for the rebates, which expire on December 31.

“This program is a great opportunity for our members in New York to get a jump-start on their savings,” says Jackie Klippenstein, president of DES. “And it’s just another measure of sustainable farming.”

DFA’s Dairy Grazing Services (DGS), a pasture-based consulting service, continues to provide DFA members interested in utilizing grazing techniques the tools to maximize their dairy’s natural resources. According to Klippenstein, DGS clients improve their pasture’s sustainability, increase profits and reduce input costs after transforming their traditional dairy into a full-time or seasonal grazing operation.

On-farm sustainability practices are now being recognized nationally. The Innovation Center, in affiliation with the Dairy Research Institute, unveiled its new U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards in September.

The awards, which are divided into three categories — dairy farm, processing/manufacturing and energy conversation/generation — were developed to recognize those within the industry that deliver outstanding economic, environmental and/or social benefits to help advance sustainability of the dairy industry. Nominations are being accepted through December 1, and winners will be announced in February.

Darr believes recognizing producers with sustainably managed operations will serve as a model for others in the industry.

“Our members are committed to being good stewards of the environment,” he says. “And as others take notice, DFA will be there, evaluating and developing new sustainable business practices.”