Serious About Sustainable Dairy Farming

Serious About Sustainable Dairy Farming

When DFA farmer-owners recycle water or use solar or turn waste into energy, it’s not just one farmer — it’s thousands. Across the country, DFA dairy farmers have been working for generations to help the planet — so you can feel good about the sustainably sourced dairy products you enjoy.

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Our Sustainable Dairy Song

DFA dairy farmers are always finding ways to conserve energy to produce sustainably sourced dairy.

Our Sustainable Dairy Song Play Video

Our sustainability pillars

We're serious about sustainability because it impacts all of us, and our guiding pillars remind us of that every day.

Our planet

Our planet

We are committed to accelerating innovation that supports the work already being done to reduce dairy's carbon footprint, conserve water resources, promote water quality, and protect biodiversity.

Our people

Our people

We put our people first. We want all of our employees and farmers to thrive, which is why we promote a safe and welcoming place to work and support a positive workplace culture.

Our communities

Our communities

We enrich our communities with the nutritional goodness of dairy, by providing a direct connection to where our food comes from and through ongoing support to our communities.

What we're doing

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Recycling and reusing

DFA dairy farmers lower their carbon footprint by repurposing … pretty much everything, from water to (yep!) manure.

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Creating clean energy

DFA dairy farmers harness and use renewable energy on their farms. Some farmers install solar panels and wind turbines, and they often share power too — partnering with their local towns and power grids.

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Doing more with less

By using more efficient resources and methods — such as LED lights and energy-efficient cooling — DFA farmers use less (and waste less!).

metric tons of byproducts upcycled yearly
1.8M

metric tons of byproducts upcycled yearly

of our farms have formal water recycling practices
47%

of our farms have formal water recycling practices

reduction in emissions when manure is separated into solid and liquid portions for use on the farm
35%

reduction in emissions when manure is separated into solid and liquid portions for use on the farm

How we're doing it

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    Water recycling

    We’re finding ways to reuse water again, and again, and again. On dairy farms, water is recycled four times on average. DFA farmers reuse water to chill fresh milk, keep their cows cool, clean the barns, and water crops.

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    Fighting food waste

    Some people call cows the ultimate recyclers. When developing feed for their herds, DFA dairy farmers include things that are indigestible to humans but delicious to a dairy cow — almond hulls, citrus pulp, and other grasses and grains. They also prevent food waste by using produce or products unfit to sell to humans (but loved by cows).

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    Manure recycling

    DFA farmers turn cow manure into a natural fertilizer for their crops and can even dry the manure to be used as animal bedding. This recycling process results in a 35% reduction of on-farm emissions!

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    Solar panels

    DFA family farmers harness the power of the sun, helping lead to the creation of the dairy you love! Solar panels have a carbon footprint 20 times smaller than that of coal. DFA dairy farmers invest in solar panels that power their farms — with some even powering homes and businesses in their local community.

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    Wind power

    We’re not just blowing smoke about sustainability. DFA farmers are investing in wind turbines that generate power from the wind, and they’re using that energy to power their farms.

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    LED light bulbs

    You may use LED light bulbs in your home to save energy. Now, imagine you lived on a dairy farm spanning multiple buildings across many acres. Opting for energy-efficient LED light bulbs to conserve energy on the farm is a bright idea for DFA farmers.

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    Anaerobic digesters

    This is like composting on steroids. DFA dairy farmers collect cow manure and food waste from local businesses, put it into an anaerobic digester (a machine that converts it into clean energy), and use it to power the farm and even neighboring towns. DFA farmers use digesters to reduce 670,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year.

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    Energy-efficient cooling

    Dairy farming is pretty cool — and DFA dairy farmers are proving it by finding creative ways to keep temperatures (and costs) down. These methods include: energy-efficient fans set on timers; smart curtains which open automatically to allow a breeze or shade as needed; and misting systems that spray recycled water to cool the air.

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Partnering for the planet

Through our sustainability projects and initiatives, we partner with industry organizations and customers that care about protecting the planet as much as we do.

U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment, SAI Platform, Newtrient, MyFarms, National Milk Producers Federation, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, and Global Dairy Platform are all DFA partners in sustainability.

Our Stewardship Commitment

Our Stewardship Commitment

Being serious about sustainability means being a good steward of the land we use. DFA farmers support the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment, producing dairy in a responsible way for our communities and our planet.

View Stewardship Commitment
Looking to support sustainable dairy farming? Find and buy DFA farmer-owned brands.

Explore Our Brands & Products

Looking to support sustainable dairy farming? Find and buy DFA farmer-owned brands.

See Our Farmer-Owned Brands

Discover more about sustainability

Learn how our Cooperative, our farmer-owners, and the dairy industry are making a difference for the planet.

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    Social Responsibility Report

    From sustainable practices on the farm to making our dairy manufacturing facilities more efficient, get all the details about what DFA and our farmer-owners are doing to help our planet, our people, and our communities.

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    Gold Standard Dairy Program

    Promoting sustainability on our dairy farms is part of our responsible farming efforts. Our Gold Standard Dairy Program helps ensure we produce dairy responsibly, sustainably, and ethically.

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    Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

    We’re members of the Innovation Center’s Dairy Sustainability Alliance. Learn more about how the industry as a whole is working to ensure the sustainability of our farms and our food.

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