Water Quality

Water: The Overlooked Nutrient in Dairy Farming

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:45:10 GMT

Water is the most important nutrient in dairy farming, yet it often goes unnoticed. Vern Osborne, a professor emeritus from the University of Guelph, highlights its significance in a recent episode of “The Dairy Podcast Show.” Throughout the podcast, Osborne delves into the critical yet often overlooked role that water plays in dairy herd health and performance. He shares insights and advice from nutrient supplementation through water to improving water quality and facility design.

The Mega Molecule: Water’s Vital Function
Osborne affectionately refers to water as the “mega molecule,” emphasizing its fundamental role in every cell function within a cow’s body.

“Cows are incredibly sensitive to water quality, detecting elements at parts-per-million levels,” he says.

Transition cows, in particular, demonstrate a sharp increase in water intake. Osborne and his team explored supplementing water with nutrients such as glucose, soybean dextrose and omega fatty acids. Their research revealed water can carry vital nutrients to maintain cows in a positive energy status, affecting health and productivity favorably, even amid stressors like calving.

Practical Implementation and Facility Design
Osborne’s expertise extends to designing dairy facilities that facilitate optimal water intake. He shares insights from his engineering background and hands-on experience in constructing and renovating dairy barns. His work has led to the creation of integrated research facilities that consider water’s role in animal health.

Osborne recommends the location of water provision is as critical as its quality. Installing individual water bowls supplementing group troughs encourages natural water intake, reducing the need for forced hydration. Suction drinkers or moving water features can further stimulate cows to drink more.

“Cows love moving water, and they are suction drinkers,” he says.

Water Quality: The Hidden Element Affecting Health
Water quality has gained attention, as it directly influences the cow’s intake and overall health. Filtration systems, while a growing trend in dairy operations, remain underutilized. Osborne stresses the value of conducting a full chemical analysis of water sources. This analysis helps farmers incorporate water’s mineral content into diet formulation, enhancing nutritional balance without over-reliance on expensive supplements.

It does seem that removing iron from water or improving overall water quality has become more common over the last couple of decades.

“I think some people are starting to think that the return on investments is there,” he says.

In discussing water filtration, he warns against over-relying on chemical filtration processes, which can complicate mineral interactions and pose health risks. Instead, mechanical filtration methods are often more reliable for maintaining water quality due to their consistency and predictability.

Future Challenges and Opportunities
As Osborne points out, water remains an undervalued yet essential part of dairy cattle nutrition and management. He highlights the need to rethink water management not just as a resource, but as a complex input into the nutritional system.

He urges producers to consider the potential for rainwater harvesting and filtration as a sustainable practice, anticipating future costs related to water usage. With ever-evolving geographical and environmental pressures, understanding and integrating water management into dairy operations will be increasingly critical to the industry’s success.

In a world where every drop counts, Osborn says now is the time to give water the respect and attention it deserves in dairy farming. To listen to the entire podcast, go to Dr. Vern Osborne: Water & Dairy Nutrition | Ep. 154

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A Great, Big Sustainable Conversation with America’s Dairy Farmers

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:59:02 GMT

The U.S. dairy industry is not just a cornerstone of rural America’s economy; it is a microcosm of sustainability efforts that blend environmental stewardship with economic viability. While many discussions on sustainability focus first on environmental impact, profitability and efficiency are equally critical for the long-term viability of dairy farms. At the 2025 Dairy Sustainability Alliance Spring Meeting in Rosemont, Ill., four prominent dairy farmers from various parts of the U.S. offered a window into their daily practices and the challenges they face.

On her Virginia dairy, Joanna Shipp treats her cows like athletes, improving output with proper care and nutrition.

(Joanna Shipp)

Voices from the Field
Joanna Shipp, a seventh-generation dairy farmer from Virginia, who owns and operates Bowmont Dairy emphasizes the importance of efficiency and cow genetics. With 225 cows on her 1,000-acre farm, Shipp has learned to maximize her resources.

“We had to focus on cow comfort and throughput to increase milk production,” she says. By investing in advancements in cow genetics, Shipp transformed her cows into high-performing athletes, optimizing milk yield and farm efficiency even without expanding livestock numbers.

“The dairy cow really is an elite athlete,” she says. “She shows more performance as we enhance her diet and care.”

Adam Graft faces the opposite of drought on his Georgia farm. The overabundance of water has led him to build remote locations to strategically store it.

(Adam Graft)

Adam Graft, owns and operates Leatherbrook Holsteins LLC., a large dairy in Georgia; he previously practiced veterinary medicine on large dairies in central California for several years. He discusses the environmental benefits derived from increasing milk production per cow.

“Higher producing cows are better environmentally,” he says. “We save resources by getting more milk from fewer cows.”

Graft highlights the necessity of removing stress factors, such as heat and humidity, from the cows’ environment to ensure optimal production.

In Wisconsin, Katy Schultz returned to her family’s 400-cow dairy farm, Tri-Fecta Farms Inc., after working in the dairy industry for seven years to own and operate the family operation with her brother and sister.

Katy Schultz and her siblings have made community involvement a foundation of the Wisconsin family dairy —whether through a farm market or local events.

(Katy Schultz)

“Growing healthy crops to feed to our healthy animals has been key on our farm " Schultz explains. Her family has significantly improved crop efficiency, reducing the amount of land needed to feed their cows from 50% to 36%. She believes that by focusing on overall health, from the soil to the animals to the environment, while managing resources wisely, has made their farm more profitable and sustainable.

Jim Werkhoven, operating Werkhoven Dairy near Seattle, Wash., underscores the role of energy innovation in sustainability. His farm collaborates within the Sno/Sky Ag Alliance to operate an anaerobic digester co-processing cow manure and pre-consumer food waste.

Jim Werkhoven works with Washington Native American Tribes on conservation efforts.

(Jim Werkhoven)

“Capturing methane is proving to be potentially more profitable than milk,” he says, highlighting this technology’s impact on environmental preservation and economic sustainability. This partnership with local Native American tribes and conservation groups underscores the importance of community collaboration in sustainable agriculture.

Community Engagement at Its Core
Schultz discusses the transformative shift in farming mentality with the next generation taking over. When Schultz and her siblings returned to their family farm, they made a conscious decision to alter the narrative from isolation to integration. Their primary goal was to become an active part of their community, breaking down barriers by opening their farm doors to neighbors, schools and local conservation efforts. This intentional community integration manifested through events such as farm tours, 5K races and open markets. By fostering direct communication with their customers, Schultz emphasizes transparency, promising never to lie to them and encouraging open dialogue, even on challenging topics.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it; it was a lot of work,” she says, “but when we opened our own farm market, we knew that this was going to be our ticket, to be able to have a reason to talk to people.”

At Schultz’s farm, a unique sense of identity is established by ensuring all events and projects remain local. Hosting a Wisconsin farm-to-table dinner, where all food is sourced within a 30-mile radius, is just one example of how the farm aims to connect local farmers with community members. Schultz underscores the importance of community involvement, suggesting if a farm were removed from the community without anyone noticing, it signifies a lack of sufficient engagement.

Shipp supports Schultz’s perspective, stressing the importance of farmers’ voices in community matters. Through her involvement in the national dairy check-off program, she highlights the significance of sharing local stories nationwide, strengthening the sense of community within the agricultural industry.

“It’s critical to be local, but we have to amplify those local stories across our whole country and around the world,” Shipp says.

Water Management: A Paramount Concern for Farmers
Water availability and quality present challenges across the country, significantly impacting farming operations. In the southeast, Graft faces an abundance of water, which requires strategic management to ensure efficient usage. By storing water and applying it as needed, he aims to enhance crop yields and minimize costs.

“We generate a lot of water, and one of our new things going forward is we’re trying to build a lot of remote locations and actually store that water for when the crop needs it,” he shares.

In contrast, Schultz, in Wisconsin, acknowledges that while water quality is not an immediate issue, ensuring clean water sources remains a priority. She actively participates in discussions on keeping lakes and rivers pristine, emphasizing the recreational value for residents.

“Really just being able to be at the table and have those conversations of keeping our water sources clean is just as important,” she says.

Werkhoven, from the Pacific Northwest, highlights the role of water quality in maintaining a sustainable ecosystem. His farm’s collaboration with a local tribe on a digester project exemplifies the successful relationships formed through mutual environmental goals. The partnership underscores the importance of interpersonal relationships, emphasizing collaboration over individual agendas.

“Water quality is really important, which means you have to apply fertilizer at agronomical rates at the right time,” he says.

Legacy and Stewardship: A Farmer’s Responsibility
For Shipp, whose farm dates back to 1839, farming transcends property ownership, embodying the responsibility of land stewardship. Her commitment to making informed decisions ensures the preservation of their land for future generations. This is something all farmers feel: a deep commitment to how to better care for their land, cattle and community, to have an opportunity for the next generation to take over and sustain it for the next generation.

In an era where transparency and community engagement are vital, these farmers demonstrate the importance of integration, environmental consciousness and legacy. Through active participation, open dialogue and innovative practices, they strive to build stronger communities and protect the land for future generations.

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Beyond Buzzwords: Embracing Sustainability in Dairy Farming

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:05:11 GMT

When discussing sustainability with dairy farmers, many express a certain weariness toward the term. Yet, as Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs” aptly puts it: “Scrape the dirt off a farmer, and you’ll find one of the greenest people on the planet.” Farmers have long been taking care of their land, cattle and family, well before “sustainability” became the buzzword it is today. Whether incentivized or not, the majority of farmers prioritize what’s best for their farm because they envision a legacy that will continue for generations.

A Candid Conversation on Sustainability
I recently had the privilege of leading the 2025 Dairy Sustainability Spring Meeting Farmer panel in Rosemont, Ill., engaging in an hour-long discussion with four fantastic dairy farmers.

Our candid conversation, though limited by time, could have easily expanded into hours as we unraveled the myriad ways sustainability is integral to farming. Topics such as water quality, community relationships and environmental stewardship were just the tip of the iceberg.

Dairy Farmers’ Relentless Commitment
The dedication of dairy farmers across the U.S. to their agricultural practices is truly remarkable. At the heart of their efforts is a desire to continue meeting consumer demands. Today’s consumers seek products produced sustainably, with an emphasis on animal welfare and environmental responsibility. Acknowledging this shift, dairy farmers are not only adopting sustainable practices but are also becoming more transparent about their efforts in striving for a balance between environmental impact, economic viability and social responsibility.

Achieving Industry Goals
This commitment paves the way toward the dairy industry’s ambitious sustainability goals. As part of this pledge, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy , founded by America’s dairy farmers, has set aggressive environmental sustainability goals to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, optimize water usage and improve water quality by 2050.

Despite responding about the reasoning behind their sustainability actions with, “It’s just what we do,” dairy farmers are actively engaging in these industrywide initiatives, showcasing their dedication to contributing to a sustainable future.

In adopting sustainable practices, dairy farmers are demonstrating their commitment to a brighter future for their farms, communities and the planet. I urge farmers to reflect on their sustainability contributions. And, like Mike Rowe says, scrape off the cow manure, you all bleed green in your capability to care for and love your land, cattle and employees, ensuring your farms continue to thrive for generations to come.

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