Dairy farming in Canada makes up a large portion of the country’s economy. There are over 12,746 dairy farms nationwide with milk products contributing around 7.8 billion dollars of gross domestic products.
With such a substantial marketplace, it stands to reason why initiatives must be taken to conserve energy. Crop surveying techniques have been proven to aid farmers in reporting the conditions of their plants, so they don’t have to hire a team of personnel to walk the fields and take notes.
Such a process is time-consuming and not cost-efficient. The ability for farmers to remotely monitor cows and issues related to their well-being can save the farmers time and money. The monetary savings can free up money to be spent on new methods of energy conservation in dairy farming.
Energy Conservation in Dairy Farming
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a growing concern in Canada. Dairy farmers there are concentrating their efforts on employing a national strategy for making the most out of their resources.
The DFC (Dairy Farmers Canada) is the organization that represents over 12,000 of Canada’s dairy farmers. The DFC’s aim is to promote and protect the Canadian dairy industry by encouraging stable working conditions not only for present times but for the future as well.
It accomplishes its goals in helping the Canadian farmers by securing national policies that cultivate the growth of the national dairy market. It also helps by making the general public aware of the many health benefits consumers can experience by choosing milk-based products. Dairy farmers are responsible for the DFC’s funding and their advertising.
One of the initiatives taken by the DFC is minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Perpetual improvements are a necessity for increasing environmental caution and the farmer’s profits. Because of this, the DFC in partnership with the Canadian government is investing in 13 research projects.
These projects are geared at measuring greenhouse emissions and finding ways to provide better nutrition and health care to the farm cows meanwhile monitoring equipment producing renewable energy. The DFC also hopes to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy production.
A life cycle assessment was recently ordered by the DFC. This life cycle assessment is recognized by the Canadian government as a complete measurement of the socio-economic and environmental impact of dairy products from the time it is initially produced to the time it is disposed of or recycled.
This assessment will explore ways to enhance production practices that will hopefully lower the carbon footprint left by dairy production.
The DFC also hopes to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy production. A life cycle assessment was recently ordered by the DFC.
This life cycle assessment is recognized by the Canadian government as a complete measurement of the socio-economic and environmental impact of dairy products from the time it is initially produced to the time it is disposed of or recycled.
This assessment will explore ways to enhance production practices that will hopefully lower the carbon footprint left by dairy production.
Producing Biogas for Daily Usage
Another goal of the DFC is to increase the sustainable usage of natural resources. Cows must be properly cared for or milk production will suffer.
Farm animals obviously must receive adequate nutrition and veterinary care when necessary. Soil and air quality play vital roles in the health of the cows.
Dairy farmers put great importance on the health and edible needs of their cattle. Scientific studies have bolstered farmers’ awareness for providing their animals with proper care.
By incorporating improved methods of animal care, the farmers are seeing an increase in efficiency in dairy production. This promotes developments in new innovations that substantially reduce the overuse of water and fertilizers.
Canadian farmers now house half the cows they did 40 years ago without seeing a reduction in milk production. Because fewer cows correlate with a decrease in manure and methane gas, Canadian farmers can feel good about their environmental impact.
Canadian dairy farms typically combine cropland and livestock. Quality soil is a necessity for most farmers who grow their own feed for their cows. If anything is going wrong, farmers can immediately be notified of the problem and act quickly to resolve the issue. Troubles with the underdevelopment of vegetation or insect infestations can typically be easily resolved if the problems are caught early on.
The DFC is focused on the use of renewable energy. It is striving to encourage policies of converting waste into energy by utilizing a series of technologically advanced methods.
These methods include the use of windmills, solar panels, and the production of biodiesel fuel. Biodigesters are another pertinent tool in turning waste material into usable energy.
This is accomplished by decomposing organic waste without oxygen. Manure is broken down into methane-rich biogas and this biogas is converted into renewable energy. This incredible renewable energy is astonishingly powerful and a huge help to dairy farmers for their energy conservation strategy.
