2022 March Board Book

Jared Fernandes, a California dairy farmer and vice chairman of the California Dairy Research Foundation,

believes the door is wide open for California to inspire the dairy sustainability and climate neutral

revolution.

"We are definitely leading by example," he says. "I get calls all the time from people around the country

and around the world who want to know more about what we're doing here in California. I have people

coming out from Georgia on Monday to tour our farm and we expect additional visitors from Argentina

and Denmark. They're coming here to see what we're doing because we've invested in the time and

research to figure some things out."

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DAIRY TAKES ON THE CHALLENGE

Rather than wait for climate catastrophe and a more severe impact on the industry, California's dairy

farmers have taken the initiative to produce the milk that goes into a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, a

pound of butter or a gallon of ice cream in an eco-friendlier manner.

That's not to say the state's dairy farmers weren't focused on the environment long before the term

sustainability entered the vernacular. According to a study published in the Journal of Dairy Science, the

carbon footprint of a glass of California milk declined by more than 45 percent in the half century between

1964 and 2014 through improved cow nutrition and management, and advanced farming practices.

That study also determined that during that same period, the amount of land used by California's dairy

industry to produce a glass of milk was reduced by 89 percent, and water use declined by 88 percent. In

turn, there was a decrease in the use of fossil-fuel-based fertilizers, fuel needed to power tractors, and

energy needed to run irrigation pumps.

"Ironically, a lot of dairy farming practices were already sustainable," says Fernandes. "We've always tried

to utilize every resource we have. Dairy farmers don't control what we get paid for our milk or what

consumers are charged at the store. We have to be as efficient with precious resources as possible. We

also need to be aware that whatever we do will affect our ability to pass this business on to the next

generation."

'' Ironically, a lot of dairy farming

By the turn of the 21st century, it became

crystal clear the industry also needed to reduce

its greenhouse gas emissions. Although carbon

practices were already sustainable," says Fernandes. "We've always tried to utilize every resource we have. Dairy

dioxide from factories, transportation and

power generation remains the primary driver of

climate change in California - accounting for

roughly 80 percent of all greenhouse gases -

methane is another significant factor.