Live on The Weather Channel, New Mexico Dairy Farmer Sustainability Shout-Out
Earlier this week, fifth-generation dairy farmer, Tara Vander Dussen, also known as the New Mexico Milkmaid from eastern New Mexico, lit up the live television as she was a guest on The Weather Channel. Vander Dussen shared the dairy industry’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
“We recycle a gallon of water up to five times on our farm, so it's used multiple times throughout our barn cleaning our pens, and then ultimately, we store all of that water that we use and all of our rainwater in what we call our lagoon, and we use that water to ultimately water our crops and feed our cows,” Vander Dussen shared during her TV segment.
Vander Dussen holds a degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona and after that, she moved back to New Mexico, got married and began working as an environmental scientist. Vander Dussen and her husband, Daniel, along with their two young daughters, live and work on their family-owned dairy, which is home to nearly 2,000 cows.
When she was asked what her dairy is doing to help achieve zero waste, Vander Dussen explained they are currently installing solar panels, so that their barns will be generated by solar power, which will help aid in their carbon footprint reduction. The New Mexico Milkmaid also shared that on their dairy they are working on improving their manure management.
“We actually recently calculated our carbon footprint,” she shared on live television. “So, it gave us a really good baseline of where we're at.”
Vander Dussen also pointed out that the entire U.S. dairy supply contributes only 2% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and has set a goal to be carbon neutral or better by 2050.
“We are currently on track to reach that goal,” she says.
Sustainable Projects
Vander Dussen says that soil is a powerhouse and that they are working on improving soil health on her New Mexico dairy farm.
“All the cow manure on our dairy is sectioned, composted, and then we use that compost not just on our farms, but on other farmer's fields in our area as well to improve soil health,” she said. “Cow manure is a great source for organic matter and soil health. Which the more organic matter living in your soil, the more carbon sequestered.”
“Sometimes sustainability projects can be a little intimidating. It can be a lot of infrastructure and a lot of costs,” Vander Dussen shared on television.
She went on to share that when they reduce their water usage, they also reduce their energy costs, so being sustainable is also a really good practice.
“They go hand in hand,” she says.
Vander Dussen recommends producers look out for grant opportunities.
“There's just a ton going on in this sustainability space,” Vander Dussen says.
For example, Vander Dussen was able to apply for a grant to help offset some of the cost of their solar panels.
She also recommends talking with your county, state, and Universities about what options are available.
“There is so much research going on and so much development,” she says.
To watch the full Weather Channel segment that features Vander Dussen, go to: https://fb.watch/eeGQ3xIgeN/
