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DSWR Researchers Publish Article in Soil Science Society of America Journal

A team of DSWR researchers recently published an article, Effect of dairy manure-based fertilizers on nitrous oxide emissions in a semi-arid climate, in Soil Science Society of America Journal. Researchers include Abigail E. Baxter, April B. Leytem, Dan Liptzin, Andrew Bierer, and Reza K. Afshar; the full publication is available at https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20751 Abstract Manure treatment…    Read more »

Research Down Under: Soil Cores in Addison County (Across the Fence)

Join Across the Fence as they visit University of Vermont Associate Professor Joshua Faulkner, Interim Director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Learn about the ongoing research into soil cores to manage agricultural runoff from Vermont farmland with a focus on sampling in the DSWR project. Across the Fence is the longest-running locally-produced program in…    Read more »

Making strides in novel manure research with US Dairy’s Net Zero Initiative

Noblehurst Farms is a seventh-generation multi-family dairy farm co-owned by Rob Noble ‘79. Team members from Cornell CALS Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) are working with Noble to improve the sustainability of forage cultivation as part of the nationwide Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project. Read the full article: https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2024/08/making-strides-novel-manure-research-us-dairys-net-zero-initiative Photo caption: Rob Noble,…    Read more »

Innovative manure solutions for sustainable dairy farming

As global attention intensifies on the need for climate action, the agricultural sector is increasingly in the spotlight, particularly concerning methane emissions — a potent greenhouse gas with significant impact on global warming. The world’s most preeminent leaders and scientists are converging on immediate and effective actions to mitigate one of the most challenging aspects…    Read more »

Dairy industry goals: GHG neutrality and water management

The BMO Sustainability Leaders Podcast talked with Dr. Reza Afshar, vice president of soil, feed and water research at Dairy Management Inc., and Bridgett Hilshey, sustainable agriculture project manager for DMI, to discuss DMI’s research work, particularly the Dairy Soil & Water Regenerations project, that enable progress toward the dairy industry’s 2050 environmental goals.  https://sustainabilityleaders.bmo.com/en/news-insights/sustainability-leaders/dairy-industry-goals-ghg-neutrality-and-water-management/ 

Collaboration in dairy resource management research 

A nationwide research effort continues in determining soil health and manure management within dairy operations, and what that means from both economic and environmental perspectives. Victor Green of Dairy Management Inc., April Leytem of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Mara Cloutier of the Soil Health Institute talked to USDA Radio News. Listen to Broadcast: https://www.usda.gov/media/radio/weekly-features/2024-07-02/collaboration-dairy-resource-management-research 

Multistate study measures effectiveness of conservation practices

A six-year multi-state study is measuring the differences between soil management practices. Dennis Busch with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville tells Brownfield they are evaluating how a suite of conservation practices in a soil health management system influence soil health, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and farm productivity. “We measure the total volume of runoff and…    Read more »

Field testing new soil treatments for sustainable forage production

Postdoctoral Research Associate Jasdeep Singh of the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) is researching the impacts of soil health practices on corn silage yield, soil health indicators, and greenhouse gas emissions. In Central New York, Singh and the NMSP team are looking at two field treatments at Osterhoudt Farms. Read on to learn more…    Read more »

Man in field speaking

University of Vermont studies farm practices to counter climate change

The University of Vermont Extension’s “Across the Fence” program features the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration research happening on farms in Vermont. Water quality is a unique focus of the work in the state. WATCH VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys3nVtFcrEI

Zamorano student interns “learn by doing” with Cornell’s NMSP

Erick Amaya and Carlos Irias, students from Zamorano University in Honduras, came to Cornell University for internships with the Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP). As undergraduate seniors they already had strong backgrounds in agriculture before arriving in Ithaca, New York. Their internships at Cornell allowed them to gain more hands-on experience with applied research and…    Read more »

Researchers in farm field

Innovative technologies advance soil research

The Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project is breaking new ground by pursuing measurement-based assessments of dairy’s GHG footprint for feed production and also testing the limits of technology and pushing the science forward. READ ARTICLE https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crso.20319

Osterhoudt Farms partners with CALS through US Dairy Net Zero Initiative

Established as a dairy farm in 1957, the Osterhoudt family of Genoa, New York, now operates a crop and custom harvest operation. The farm owners, Mark Osterhoudt and his family, and their certified crop adviser and on-farm agronomist Andy Miller, partnered with Cornell CALS’ Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) to conduct on-farm research as part…    Read more »

Two men meeting at Nobelhurst Farm

Cornell alum partners with university through U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative

Noblehurst Farms, a multi-family dairy co-owned by Rob Noble, an alum of Cornell University, is helping shift the dairy industry toward greenhouse gas neutrality through an on-farm research partnership with the university. READ ARTICLE https://dairybusiness.com/alum-partners-with-cals-through-us-dairys-net-zero-initiative/ Photo: courtesy of Dairy Business

Researchers working in field

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. dairy through improved soil health

More and more dairy farmers are implementing climate-smart practices, but there is something largely missing — data. Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration, a six-year project involving research across the county, is changing that. READ ARTICLE https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crso.20294 Photo caption: Team conducting training on the SATURO instrument used for measuring water infiltration and permeability, one of the…    Read more »

Cornell research supports U.S. Dairy’s Net Zero Initiative

Cornell CALS’ Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) is collaborating with research institutions and dairy farms across the U.S. to help the dairy industry move toward greenhouse gas reductions while improving soil health and climate resiliency of forage production. Find out how the project started and why it matters to farmers and policymakers: https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2023/04/cornell-research-supports-us-dairys-net-zero-initiative. Photo caption:…    Read more »

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National-scale project examines dairy farming’s greenhouse gas footprint

The Dairy Stream podcast talked with Mara Cloutier of the Soil Health Institute, and Lee Kinnard, a dairy farmer in Casco, Wis., about how soil health practices are practical on all sizes of dairies. PODCAST https://dairystream.podbean.com/e/national-scale-project-examines-dairy-s-greenhouse-gas-footprint/