One way DSWR is unique is that this research is being conducted on commercial farms. One of those farms is Osterhoudt Farms in Genoa, New York, a cropping operation that offers custom services to local dairies by providing forages and utilizing dairy manure. Farm representative Andy Miller is working alongside Cornell University researchers to bring… Read more »
March 12, 2025
DSWR is tapping into the talents of the best and brightest researchers in the U.S. They’re doing work through eight institutions in major dairy-producing regions, from Vermont to California. One of these all-important project partners is April Leytem, a research soil chemist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Kimberly, Idaho. Tell us a… Read more »
March 1, 2025
By Dr. Mara Cloutier, Soil Health Institute The Soil Health Institute (SHI) collaborated with Dairy Management Inc. on the design and development of the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project and is playing a central role in the data-driven project. Dr. Mara Cloutier of SHI shares her perspective on what sets DSWR apart from… Read more »
February 14, 2025
Eight research institutions across the country are participating in the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project. Adam von Haden, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provided an update on what’s happening there. Research focus: Our work on DSWR consists of three experiments at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station in south-central Wisconsin. While the… Read more »
January 25, 2025
Farmers received insights about the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project from its leaders and researchers at the Dairy Strong conference Jan. 16 in Green Bay, Wis. Victor Green, director of soil health and crop sustainability for Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), provided an overview of the ongoing eight-year project and moderated a panel discussion… Read more »
January 22, 2025
The DSWR team has been visiting project sites and working with researchers to produce a series of video shorts showcasing project results and components. The first few videos are now loaded on DSWR’s YouTube channel — follow the project on YouTube to see new videos as they are produced. https://www.youtube.com/@DairySoilWater
December 28, 2024
Representatives from three Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration research sites across the country provided farmers, processors, supply chain companies and industry thought leaders insights into the project and a sneak peek at preliminary results at the 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Minneapolis. Reza Afshar, vice president of soil, feed and water research at Dairy Management… Read more »
December 6, 2024
The American Society for Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society for America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) held their 2024 International Annual Meeting in San Antonio, bringing together soil and crop professionals from around the world to discuss revelations in research and innovation. Several DSWR project team members shared insights and preliminary results… Read more »
November 22, 2024
Researchers and project leaders from across the U.S. gathered in San Antonio, TX on Nov. 14 to exchange latest insights from their Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration studies. From site updates to publication discussions, DSWR project teams spent the day collaborating and learning from each other. Team members delivered updates about the work at their… Read more »
November 21, 2024
Dr. Reza Afshar, vice president of soil, feed and water research at Dairy Management Inc. joined a Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) special webinar series celebrating FFAR’s 10-year anniversary. In this insightful session, titled “The Power of Collaborative Agricultural Research,” Dr. Afshar presented a comprehensive overview of DSWR and emphasized the numerous advantages that arise from fostering… Read more »
October 21, 2024
From humble beginnings, Erick Amaya’s passion for learning carried him through his undergraduate career to a position with Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP)— first as an intern, then as a research technician. While a part of the team, Amaya gained key skills in research and communication, and made lifelong memories and friends. Read the… Read more »
February 20, 2025
In this episode of DairyVoice, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with Tim Kurt, Senior Vice President, Environmental Research Strategy & Group Lead with Dairy Management Inc. on sustainability. They discuss numerous projects and programs, including DSWR. Listen here: https://dairybusiness.com/tim-kurt-of-dairy-management-inc-talks-sustainability
December 16, 2024
Professor Joshua Faulkner and Graduate Student Molly Ratliff discuss work being done by UVM’s Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources (@uvmrubenstein ) and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ (@uvmcals) Extension programs (@UVMExtension) on sustainable dairy practices here in Vermont – and beyond. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMAIdXpkNd0
November 20, 2024
University of Vermont Press Joshua Faulkner squats in a corn field, scooping out the insides of a hole. He holds a handful of dark grey soil and squeezes it like a sponge. Beside him, a row of yellowed winter rye shakes in the wind. “It’s a little dry,” Faulkner says. “… But not bad. Everyone… Read more »
November 19, 2024
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 »
October 1, 2024
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 »
August 29, 2024
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 »
August 15, 2024
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 »
July 15, 2024
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/
July 2, 2024
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
July 2, 2024