On dairy farms throughout the United States, sustainable farming is a way of life. The way resources are managed on the farm plays a part in creating a balanced, efficient operation. This keeps the dairy farm sustainable environmentally and operationally, allowing dairy farmers to produce real milk for years to come. Sustainable practices protect the resources that make farming possible.

At Crist Dairy in Edmonton, Kentucky, how resources are used is a serious consideration. As dairy farmer Bill Crist explains, “Every little piece, whether it’s cows, calves, corn, water, the ground, everything, it all intertwines together in some way, shape, or form.”

Dairy farming is not just about growing crops or raising livestock. Farming encompasses complicated systems and cycles where every part and resource affects the others. For example, water is needed throughout the operation. Water is needed to clean equipment and barns, to water crops and livestock, to cool fresh milk, and more. These are all important parts of day-to-day work on the farm. With this need for water, water conservation is an important practice on today's dairy farms. Farmers like Crist can implement practices to reuse water, but factors like the soil’s health and the crop choices and yield or animal well-being can also impact overall water usage.

“You got to take care of every bit of it for it to be successful,” explains Crist. So how do dairy farmers take care of this complex system?

Let’s continue looking at how dairy farms can use water. Dairy farms can reduce water waste through a few different options. Water can be reused, like cleaning the barns with water and then using this enriched water on the crops in the field. These practices help farmers work toward more efficient water usage, which can reduce the environmental footprint of farming operations and help farmers adapt as they create a more sustainable operation. Water is recycled up to four times and is one of the ways dairy farmers can produce the same amount of milk with 30% less water than 10 years ago.

Using water to enrich the crops in the field, of course, impacts more than that round of harvest in this system. Soil is needed to feed the cows and to keep the farmland healthy for future use. Farmers can rotate through the crops used in that area to maintain biodiversity. Cover crops grown alongside chosen crops can also help to reduce erosion and the growth of weeds that can harm the soil. This helps the land remain fertile for future generations of crops and animals.

Sustainable farming involves integrating livestock and crops in a way that benefits both. The rotation of crops means that cows have diversified feed options that are grown nearby. And dairy cows can help the soil, too! In addition to the enriched water from the barns mentioned above, cow manure can also be used in the fields. This manure is a fertilizer for the crops being grown, helping maintain good soil health each season.

And these efforts do more than reduce waste. As Bill Crist’s father, Dr. Bill Crist, explains, “When I was a kid, if you got six gallons of milk per cow per day, that was good. And today, we’re talking 12 gallons per cow. We’ve come a long way in terms of helping the environment in terms of reducing the carbon footprint of our dairy industry. It’s amazing.” Milk production has increased over time as these practices and more have been implemented on dairy farms like Crist Dairy.

Crist Dairy highlights how sustainable dairy farming is continuously improving on-farm practices to reduce waste, improve cow productivity, and support the land’s health. The dairy industry has made significant advancements in milk production while reducing the environmental impact. By focusing on every aspect of the farm, from water usage to soil health, Crist Dairy shows that sustainable practices can be both profitable and beneficial to the planet. This approach helps ensure the long-term success of the farm and creates a sustainable future for agriculture. As advancements in practices grow, the future of dairy farming will be more efficient in its complex system of crops and land, animals, and more.