New video brings fresh perspective on the purpose of DSWR research

Quantifiable data is an essential part of decision-making for dairy farmers who are implementing environmentally sustainable field practices.

But that data is limited.

To address this challenge, Dairy Management Inc. and the Soil Health Institute initiated the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project in collaboration with research partners at eight institutions to advance progress toward the dairy industry’s collective 2050 environmental stewardship goals, established through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

This eight-year project, being conducted in key dairy states across the country, is demonstrating the impact of soil health management systems and novel manure-based products on soil health, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions and forage yield and quality in dairy feed production.

A new video about this crucial work presents insights from project leaders, researchers and a dairy farmer.

“We’re always looking to improve what we’re doing,” said Rob Noble, a dairy farmer in western New York who is participating in the project through researchers at Cornell University.

Reza Afshar, vice president of soil, feed and water research at Dairy Management Inc., said DSWR reflects the reality that solutions to sustainability challenges are not one-size-fits-all.

“The project provides tools and science that farmers need to continue producing healthy and nutritious food while improving their environmental outcomes,” Afshar said.

Watch the video on the DSWR YouTube channel.