Leveraging the potential for more milk from fewer cows is the idea, stated dairy producer Simon Vander. To this end, his Holstein operation implemented genetic testing in 2012 and has pivoted to incorporate more dairy-beef crosses. Legacy Ranch owner Jared Fernandes has also changed his thinking — and his 4,500-head herd — to improve efficiency and his long-haul chances of success; he and his brothers made the change from Holstein to Jerseys to lower the dairy’s water use. They also use solar panels to produce power for the water they pump.
All of these changes, large and small, help reduce methane emissions and boost the bottom line — but California officials know the upfront costs of both the technologies and practices may prove daunting, and change can be difficult. Voluntary incentive programs are the state’s unusual approach to the dilemma, and they appear to be working: California’s 2030 goal of reducing dairy methane emissions by 40% look to be realizable. The state’s dairy farms have already achieved a carbon dioxide emissions drop of about 5 million metric tons, which puts them two-thirds of the way there. But Darrin Monteiro, sustainability senior vice president of California Dairies Inc., cautioned that someone will have to pay the piper. Infrastructure, technological solutions, and changes in herd management do not come cheap, and long-term industry improvements will need to be funded by the state, buyers, or consumers, he said.
Frank Mitloehner of the University of California-Davis pointed out that if the state’s “carrot” approach continues to show positive results, the dairy industry worldwide could come to consider voluntary measures rather than current “cane” practices. “People are carefully watching,” he noted. Some of Mitloehner’s work on the subject can be found here.
