DAIRY NEWS – Sustainability and carbon footprint are the center of many discussions today, especially as food companies work to meet their sustainability targets. The dairy industry has a progressive and positive story to tell and the potential for farmers to capture value for the work they are already doing.
The Carbon, Crops + Cows program, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) is a farmer-focused event designed to give them the tools and knowledge to measure and manage their farm’s sustainability metrics, while also understanding opportunities and potential challenges down the road.
The one-day event will repeat at two locations: Tuesday, March 25 at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee, Wis.; and Wednesday, March 26 at Compeer Financial in Sun Prairie, Wis. The program runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day, with lunch and program materials provided.
Attendees will take a deep dive into the tools and resources available to track carbon footprint, as well as the opportunities available to producers who know and understand their sustainability numbers. Key topics will include understanding carbon markets and carbon intensity scores and their impact on dairy operations. Participants will learn about the FARM-ES, Comet and Cool Farm Tool models along with the reports each model generates. In addition, attendees will learn how to tap into grants of up to $9,750 per farm, covering up to 2,500 acres.
“Sustainability is at the heart of successful dairy businesses and we are always looking for ways to be more efficient, productive and resourceful,” said Paul Lippert, Pittsville, Wis., dairy producer and PDP board vice president. “The Carbon, Crops + Cows program is a great way for producers to understand the options and process for measuring their sustainability and carbon scores, learn actionable steps to improve and know the opportunities ahead.”
Presenters will include Carson Dugger, lead agronomist at Eocene Environmental Group, and Courtney Titus, technical services manager at Eocene Environmental Group, to provide insights on the measurement tools, reporting and carbon market opportunities.
Each session will feature a panel discussion with dairy producers who have participated in the PDP Your Farm – Your Footprint™ initiative and can share insights on the information gathering and reporting process, and what they have learned from carbon tracking and data analysis on their own farms. The March 25 session will feature Paul Lippert, co-owner of Grass Ridge Farm, in Pittsville, Wis., and J.J. Pagel, co-owner of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy. Panelists at the March 26 session will be John Haag, owner and operator of Haag Dairy LLC, in Dane, Wis., and Brady Weiland, co-owner of Weiland Dairy LLC and High Gear Holsteins LLC, in Columbus, Wis.
Carbon, Crops + Cows will also highlight opportunities through the Your Farm – Your Footprint initiative, which empowers dairy farmers to know and understand their environmental footprint and offers solutions to shape the future of their farm. As the only farmer-led initiative, Your Farm – Your Footprint provides unbiased, data-protected approach and includes a comprehensive sustainability assessment, customized farm action plan, a peer-learning community and financial assistance.
To learn more and register for the program, visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Carbon, Crops + Cows is accredited for up to 3.75 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education credits.
Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following PDP on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”
