August 2013 Dairy Checkoff Update: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Supports Cow Power' Film
To help increase consumer awareness and understanding of dairy's commitment to environmental stewardship, the dairy producer-created Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® provided funding support to a film that focuses on how Vermont dairy producers transform cow manure into electricity to power their farms and hundreds of local homes and businesses.Cow Power was produced by Vermont native and Emerson College student Allison Gillette. In the film, Gillette shows how contemporary agricultural challenges can be solved by advancing technology, forward-thinking investors and sheer determination.
Like many U.S. dairy farms, the Vermont producers featured in the film struggle with high feed costs and land development pressures in attempting to sustain their farm into the next generation. They found a solution with the help of local and state governments, a local electric utility manager, and neighbors and local businesses willing to pay a small premium to purchase renewable power produced by their farms.
8.29.2013