WEBVTT 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.060 Breaking free from the chains of the past Where 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:18.820 truth moves faster than a Holstein calf No law 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:21.660 waiting on some printed page We're charting new 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:25.300 ground in the digital age From genomic codes 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:29.120 to robot facts We cut through the noise, no hold 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.460 them back not your daddy's dairy news tonight 00:00:32.460 --> 00:01:02.880 we're sparking Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:05.359 where we explore the cutting -edge innovations 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:08.939 and critical insights shaping the future of dairy 00:01:08.939 --> 00:01:12.019 farming. I'm your host, and today we're diving 00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:14.939 deep into a groundbreaking topic that could fundamentally 00:01:14.939 --> 00:01:17.099 change how we think about dairy sustainability 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:21.280 and profitability. In this episode, we're examining 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.299 the hidden carbon costs of modern dairy forage 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:27.299 systems and their impact on the industry's ambitious 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:30.799 net -zero emissions goals. We'll uncover why 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.420 traditional corn silage heavy rotations might 00:01:33.420 --> 00:01:36.400 be working against our climate objectives, explore 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:39.319 the surprising role soil carbon plays in your 00:01:39.319 --> 00:01:42.560 farm's true environmental footprint, and most 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.500 importantly, discuss practical strategies to 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:48.620 transform your forage management for both environmental 00:01:48.620 --> 00:01:52.120 and economic success. Whether you're managing 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.680 50 cows or 5 ,000, This conversation will challenge 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.099 conventional thinking and provide actionable 00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:01.260 insights for building a more resilient and sustainable 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:05.280 dairy operation. Let's get started. Welcome back 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.799 to the Bullvine Podcast, the show that digs deep 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:09.900 into the topics that matter to dairy producers. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.500 That's right. Today we're tackling a really interesting 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:14.539 feature article from the Bullvine that's got 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:16.039 everyone talking. We're going to break it all 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.300 down. All right, let's dive right in. Today our 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:20.560 deep dive is into something that's been quite 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:24.289 literally under our feet. all along yet its critical 00:02:24.289 --> 00:02:28.289 role in dairy's net zero journey has been well 00:02:28.289 --> 00:02:32.870 surprisingly overlooked soil management for a 00:02:32.870 --> 00:02:35.210 long time when we talk about dairy and climate 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:37.990 the conversation naturally gravitates towards 00:02:37.990 --> 00:02:40.530 methane emissions from the cows themselves or 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:43.110 you know maybe the electricity powering the milking 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:46.110 parlor sure the obvious stuff exactly but this 00:02:46.110 --> 00:02:48.370 recent article from the bullvine really shines 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:51.659 a spotlight on soil carbon as a true hidden in 00:02:51.659 --> 00:02:54.259 plain sight aspect of our sustainability efforts. 00:02:54.379 --> 00:02:57.099 It's a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest 00:02:57.099 --> 00:02:59.099 challenges and perhaps therefore the greatest 00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:01.659 opportunities are found right where we least 00:03:01.659 --> 00:03:05.159 expect them. This deep dive promises to transform 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:07.620 what many might see as just another climate hurdle 00:03:07.620 --> 00:03:10.500 into a genuine opportunity for both environmental 00:03:10.500 --> 00:03:14.979 good and profound economic sustainability right 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:17.759 there on your farm. Right. We're going to explore 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:21.099 why soil carbon is so absolutely vital, what 00:03:21.099 --> 00:03:23.280 specific challenges it presents in modern dairy 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.800 systems, and crucially, what practical, actionable 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.960 pathways exist for you, our listeners, the dairy 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.259 farmers, to tackle this head -on. And you know, 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:33.900 it's a conversation that couldn't be more timely. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.259 The dairy industry, to its credit, has truly 00:03:36.259 --> 00:03:38.520 made remarkable strides in sustainability over 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.020 the last five decades. We've seen a staggering 00:03:41.020 --> 00:03:43.979 42 % reduction in greenhouse gas intensity per 00:03:43.979 --> 00:03:46.099 unit of milk produced. That's huge. Really impressive 00:03:46.099 --> 00:03:48.479 numbers. Yeah. And think about the incredible 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:51.500 gains in productivity. Average milk output per 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:54.520 cow has soared from around, what, 9 ,700 pounds 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:57.939 back in the 1970s to over 23 ,000 pounds today. 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:00.280 Those are genuinely impressive numbers, certainly 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:02.419 something to be proud of. And they highlight 00:04:02.419 --> 00:04:05.699 a tremendous commitment to efficiency. But... 00:04:06.189 --> 00:04:08.449 The article immediately hits us with a challenging, 00:04:08.610 --> 00:04:12.110 almost provocative perspective. Are these efficiency 00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:15.050 gains, as impressive and necessary as they are, 00:04:15.229 --> 00:04:18.250 inadvertently coming at the expense of our soil's 00:04:18.250 --> 00:04:21.709 precious carbon bank account? That's a tough 00:04:21.709 --> 00:04:23.709 question. It's a sobering thought, isn't it? 00:04:24.170 --> 00:04:26.889 Dr. Matthew Ruark, a professor of soil science 00:04:26.889 --> 00:04:29.649 at the University of Wisconsin -Madison, really 00:04:29.649 --> 00:04:31.629 drives this point home with a quote that's become 00:04:31.629 --> 00:04:34.459 a cornerstone of this discussion. The carbon 00:04:34.459 --> 00:04:36.639 balance on your farm is like your herd's reproductive 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.519 efficiency. You can't manage what you don't measure. 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:42.360 Makes sense. And he warns us that when we properly 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:45.279 include soil carbon losses in our overall calculations, 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:47.720 the carbon footprint of milk can nearly double. 00:04:48.089 --> 00:04:50.790 Double. Really? Nearly double. Think about that 00:04:50.790 --> 00:04:53.089 for a moment. It's a massive shift in perspective, 00:04:53.230 --> 00:04:55.509 a fundamental reevaluation of what we thought 00:04:55.509 --> 00:04:58.170 we knew. And it perfectly sets the stage for 00:04:58.170 --> 00:05:00.589 why this deep dive isn't just academic theory. 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:04.670 It's about your farm's bottom line, the industry's 00:05:04.670 --> 00:05:07.790 unwavering commitment to net zero emissions and 00:05:07.790 --> 00:05:10.310 ensuring we're truly accounting for every piece 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:13.310 of the puzzle. That's a powerful and frankly, 00:05:13.389 --> 00:05:16.490 a bit unsettling opening thought. If our hard 00:05:16.490 --> 00:05:18.810 -won efficiency gains are unknowingly costing 00:05:18.810 --> 00:05:21.689 us our soil's precious carbon, then we absolutely 00:05:21.689 --> 00:05:24.810 need to know that, and quickly. Right. This brings 00:05:24.810 --> 00:05:27.029 us right into our first major talking point from 00:05:27.029 --> 00:05:29.810 the article, the hidden carbon cost of modern 00:05:29.810 --> 00:05:32.569 forage systems. This section really delves into 00:05:32.569 --> 00:05:35.490 what initially seems like, well, a core paradox. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:38.740 Why are our modern corn silage systems, which 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:40.860 have been so incredibly efficient for milk production 00:05:40.860 --> 00:05:42.879 and have driven so much of that productivity 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:45.779 we just celebrated, potentially acting as significant 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:48.420 carbon leakers right beneath our feet? Yeah, 00:05:48.459 --> 00:05:50.740 it seems counterintuitive at first. Historically, 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.819 there's no arguing it. Corn silage has truly 00:05:53.819 --> 00:05:56.579 been the undisputed king of forage for dairy 00:05:56.579 --> 00:06:00.009 operations across North America and beyond. It 00:06:00.009 --> 00:06:02.829 consistently delivers high yields, boasts excellent 00:06:02.829 --> 00:06:05.170 energy content for high -producing cows, and 00:06:05.170 --> 00:06:07.490 from a practical standpoint, it's relatively 00:06:07.490 --> 00:06:10.569 easy to harvest and preserve. Absolutely. A staple. 00:06:10.730 --> 00:06:13.490 For decades, these agronomic and nutritional 00:06:13.490 --> 00:06:16.709 advantages made it the champion in dairy feed, 00:06:16.889 --> 00:06:19.370 undeniably driving incredible dairy efficiency 00:06:19.370 --> 00:06:22.230 and profitability. But here's the crucial point 00:06:22.230 --> 00:06:24.750 the article makes. All of this happened in an 00:06:24.750 --> 00:06:27.410 era before the full carbon cost to our soils 00:06:27.410 --> 00:06:29.829 was widely understood, let alone properly accounted 00:06:29.829 --> 00:06:32.370 for. We just didn't know. Exactly. It was a trade 00:06:32.370 --> 00:06:34.569 -off, a depletion of a natural asset that we 00:06:34.569 --> 00:06:36.569 simply weren't even aware we were making. So 00:06:36.569 --> 00:06:38.329 that explains the why. From a historical and 00:06:38.329 --> 00:06:40.069 practical standpoint, it made perfect sense at 00:06:40.069 --> 00:06:41.790 the time. But what's actually happening on a 00:06:41.790 --> 00:06:44.620 mechanical level... within the soil itself, that 00:06:44.620 --> 00:06:46.600 causes these seemingly efficient systems to become 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:48.939 carbon leakers. That's a great setup because 00:06:48.939 --> 00:06:51.040 it really highlights the fundamental imbalance 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.579 at play, an imbalance that can have long -term 00:06:53.579 --> 00:06:57.189 consequences. The article describes soil carbon 00:06:57.189 --> 00:07:00.750 depletion in a really vivid way as a hidden withdrawal 00:07:00.750 --> 00:07:04.069 from your farm's long -term asset account. Think 00:07:04.069 --> 00:07:06.949 of it like constantly skipping routine maintenance 00:07:06.949 --> 00:07:09.790 on your milking equipment year after year. You 00:07:09.790 --> 00:07:12.170 might get by for a while, and production might 00:07:12.170 --> 00:07:14.949 even seem fine, but eventually the bill comes 00:07:14.949 --> 00:07:18.149 due, and it's often a much larger, more disruptive 00:07:18.149 --> 00:07:20.370 bill than if you just kept up with the regular 00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:22.819 upkeep. Right, that makes sense. Here's the catch, 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:25.000 the one that often gets overlooked in discussions 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.240 purely focused on forage yield and nutrition. 00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:31.180 When corn is harvested for silage, the vast majority 00:07:31.180 --> 00:07:34.079 of the plant's above -ground biomass, essentially 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:37.160 the entire plant minus the roots, is removed 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:38.959 from the field. Okay, so you take almost everything. 00:07:39.470 --> 00:07:42.250 Pretty much. This leaves minimal crop residue 00:07:42.250 --> 00:07:45.470 to return to the soil. So what happens is you're 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:47.970 extracting a huge amount of carbon through the 00:07:47.970 --> 00:07:50.209 harvest carbon that was captured from the atmosphere 00:07:50.209 --> 00:07:52.750 and built into the plant, but you're depositing 00:07:52.750 --> 00:07:55.029 very little back into the soil through those 00:07:55.029 --> 00:07:58.329 minimal residues and roots. The system is inherently 00:07:58.329 --> 00:08:00.629 extractive in terms of carbon. You're taking 00:08:00.629 --> 00:08:02.610 more out than you're putting back. Precisely. 00:08:03.370 --> 00:08:06.050 Dr. Mary Beth Hall, a highly respected dairy 00:08:06.050 --> 00:08:08.970 nutritionist quoted in the article, uses a fantastic, 00:08:09.310 --> 00:08:13.069 incredibly clear analogy to explain this. Think 00:08:13.069 --> 00:08:15.649 of soil carbon like your farm's bank account. 00:08:15.910 --> 00:08:18.410 When you remove more carbon through harvest than 00:08:18.410 --> 00:08:20.870 you deposit through residues and roots, you're 00:08:20.870 --> 00:08:22.829 making withdrawals from an account with a limited 00:08:22.829 --> 00:08:25.449 balance. Eventually, the soil carbon account 00:08:25.449 --> 00:08:28.079 becomes depleted. That's a really clear picture, 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:30.860 a bank account. It's a very tangible way to conceptualize 00:08:30.860 --> 00:08:33.080 what's happening beneath your fields. And this 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:35.059 isn't just theoretical, it's backed by robust 00:08:35.059 --> 00:08:37.940 science. Studies using direct measurement techniques 00:08:37.940 --> 00:08:40.240 across North America and Europe have extensively 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:43.039 documented substantial net carbon losses under 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:46.490 these intensive corn silage systems. With figures 00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:51.389 ranging from a staggering 13 .5 to 25 .6 metric 00:08:51.389 --> 00:08:54.409 tons of coir equivalent per hectare annually. 00:08:54.610 --> 00:08:57.330 Wow, that's a huge range, but all big numbers. 00:08:57.429 --> 00:08:59.710 Huge numbers. To give you a more concrete example, 00:08:59.950 --> 00:09:02.509 researchers in Minnesota monitored an eight -year 00:09:02.509 --> 00:09:05.570 crop rotation that included five years of intensive 00:09:05.570 --> 00:09:09.009 silage corn, followed by three years of alfalfa. 00:09:09.659 --> 00:09:11.820 Over the entire rotation, they found average 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:15.600 annual net carbon losses of 13 .9 metric tons 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.460 of Coero equivalent per hectare. With the most 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:21.759 significant losses a jaw -dropping 17 .9 metric 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:23.980 tons of Coero equivalent per hectare occurring 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:26.000 specifically during those intensive corn years. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:28.500 So the corn years were really driving the loss. 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:31.120 Exactly. And here's the truly troubling part, 00:09:31.179 --> 00:09:32.960 the piece that the article really drives home. 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:35.639 You will likely never see these losses explicitly 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:37.899 listed on your farm's current climate impact 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:40.360 statement or factored into your milk's carbon 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.659 footprint. It's invisible in the current accounting. 00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:44.799 It's a hidden cost, yeah. That is troubling, 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.279 because if we're not seeing it, we're certainly 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:50.000 not managing it, just as Dr. Ruark emphasized. 00:09:50.830 --> 00:09:53.110 So let's talk about that accounting gap that 00:09:53.110 --> 00:09:55.070 changes everything, as the article titles it. 00:09:55.269 --> 00:09:58.409 It's truly eye -opening, almost a paradigm shift 00:09:58.409 --> 00:10:01.649 in how we understand our environmental footprint. 00:10:01.870 --> 00:10:04.149 Definitely. If these substantial soil carbon 00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:06.389 losses aren't included in the reported carbon 00:10:06.389 --> 00:10:09.250 footprint in milk, it fundamentally alters the 00:10:09.250 --> 00:10:11.529 entire picture, doesn't it? It means we've been 00:10:11.529 --> 00:10:14.549 operating with, well, incomplete data. It absolutely 00:10:14.549 --> 00:10:17.929 changes everything, and profoundly so. When researchers 00:10:17.929 --> 00:10:20.009 at the University of Wisconsin took the critical 00:10:20.009 --> 00:10:22.549 step to include these previously uncounted soil 00:10:22.549 --> 00:10:25.389 carbon losses in their accounting for a representative 00:10:25.389 --> 00:10:28.649 5 ,000 cow dairy operation in the Midwest, the 00:10:28.649 --> 00:10:31.090 results were nothing short of astounding. Okay, 00:10:31.149 --> 00:10:33.190 what did they find? The total greenhouse gas 00:10:33.190 --> 00:10:35.250 footprint of milk didn't just inch up a little, 00:10:35.330 --> 00:10:39.700 it increased by a massive 60 % to... 93 percent. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:42.220 60 to 93 percent. Yeah. That's the difference 00:10:42.220 --> 00:10:44.460 between what we thought was a standard 0 .75 00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:48.720 to 1 .16 kilograms of co -euros equivalent per 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.360 kilogram of fat and protein corrected milk or 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:56.500 FPCM. Jumping to an alarming 1 .45 to 1 .86 kilograms 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:02.820 of co -euro equivalent per kilogram FPCM. Think 00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:04.779 about that for a moment, listeners. We've been 00:11:04.779 --> 00:11:06.960 celebrating these amazing efficiency gains, and 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.120 they are real. But if we're potentially missing 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.259 almost double our actual carbon footprint, it's 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:14.419 not just an academic number. It fundamentally 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:16.779 shifts how the industry needs to approach its 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:19.700 net zero goals and how we communicate our environmental 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:22.840 impact. It's like finding out your herd's feed 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:25.419 conversion ratio was wildly off because you weren't 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:27.700 fully accounting for hidden feed waste or maybe 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:29.960 the energy spent on environmental controls. Right. 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:31.799 A critical piece of the puzzle we've been missing. 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:34.320 Exactly. So this isn't just an academic exercise 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:36.600 in accounting. It has real world implications 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:38.879 for the long term health and sustainability of 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:42.110 our farms. Dr. Randy Jackson, a renowned grassland 00:11:42.110 --> 00:11:43.929 ecologist also at the University of Wisconsin 00:11:43.929 --> 00:11:46.629 -Madison, perfectly captures the gravity of this 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:48.909 situation. Yeah. These carbon losses represent 00:11:48.909 --> 00:11:51.809 the mining of a finite resource, soil organic 00:11:51.809 --> 00:11:54.389 matter that took centuries to accumulate. Mining 00:11:54.389 --> 00:11:56.629 a finite resource. That's a powerful language. 00:11:56.889 --> 00:12:00.450 That phrase, mining of a finite resource, really 00:12:00.450 --> 00:12:03.039 hits home. It's like pushing your cows too hard 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.480 on lactation performance, isn't it? You might 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:07.559 get impressive short -term milk yields hitting 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.240 those peak numbers, but at what potential cost 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.279 to their long -term health, their reproductive 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.919 cycle and their future productivity? You're drawing 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:18.580 down their inherent reserves. Exactly. We're 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:20.740 essentially drawing down a non -renewable resource, 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:24.000 the accumulated organic matter in our soils that 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.519 took centuries to build up through natural processes. 00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:29.399 When we lose soil carbon, we're not just losing 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.700 a number on a spreadsheet, we're losing long 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:34.419 -term productivity, water holding capacity, nutrient 00:12:34.419 --> 00:12:37.100 cycling efficiency, and overall resilience of 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:39.580 that land. It's the foundation. It is. It's a 00:12:39.580 --> 00:12:41.600 critical point because it implies that the carbon 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:44.000 efficiency gains in milk production that the 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.679 industry has rightly celebrated, while real in 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:49.539 terms of of per unit output from the cow may 00:12:49.539 --> 00:12:52.100 have come partly at the expense of our underlying 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:55.039 soil carbon stocks. So a trade -off we didn't 00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:57.059 realize we were making. Right. Instead of our 00:12:57.059 --> 00:12:59.539 soils acting as carbon sinks, which is what we 00:12:59.539 --> 00:13:01.759 want them to be helping to offset other emissions 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.759 from the farm, many current dairy forage systems 00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:07.840 are inadvertently creating a carbon liability. 00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:11.279 This makes the challenge of reaching net zero 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:13.460 emissions, which is a significant commitment 00:13:13.460 --> 00:13:15.580 for the industry, even harder than it appears 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:19.799 on paper. It forces us to ask, are we just shifting 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:21.679 the problem from one part of the farm to another, 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:26.580 or maybe from today to tomorrow? perhaps more 00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:29.700 holistic, spin on things. For you, the listener, 00:13:29.820 --> 00:13:31.840 this isn't just about abstract carbon numbers 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:34.960 or scientific studies. It impacts the dairy industry's 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.980 credibility, its reputation with consumers, and 00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:40.340 its ability to achieve those crucial long -term 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:42.639 sustainability goals it has committed to. Yeah, 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:45.320 the stakes are high. If we're unknowingly depleting 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:47.899 our soil's carbon, we need to address that honestly, 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:51.629 transparently, and proactively. And that, thankfully, 00:13:51.690 --> 00:13:53.809 leads us to our next major talking point from 00:13:53.809 --> 00:13:55.870 the article, which offers some much -needed solutions 00:13:55.870 --> 00:13:58.889 and a path forward. Rethinking forage systems 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:02.009 for climate -smart dairy, and specifically, the 00:14:02.009 --> 00:14:04.870 power of perennials. Okay, good. Solutions. So 00:14:04.870 --> 00:14:07.210 if modern corn silage systems are creating this 00:14:07.210 --> 00:14:10.210 carbon deficit, this vital accounting gap, it 00:14:10.210 --> 00:14:13.210 naturally begs the question, are we overlooking 00:14:13.210 --> 00:14:16.429 our most powerful natural climate tool by not 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:19.480 prioritizing perennials in our rotations? It's 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:21.159 a fair question. The article really positions 00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:24.159 perennials as a leading, perhaps even foundational 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:28.340 solution here. What is it about them? What's 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:31.080 the underlying mechanism at play that makes them 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:33.720 so effective for carbon sequestration compared 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.730 to annual crops like corn? That's the million 00:14:36.730 --> 00:14:38.730 -dollar question, and the answer is actually 00:14:38.730 --> 00:14:41.769 quite elegant in its simplicity, really rooted 00:14:41.769 --> 00:14:43.970 in how these plants interact with the soil year 00:14:43.970 --> 00:14:46.710 -round. Perennial systems offer some fundamental 00:14:46.710 --> 00:14:49.289 advantages for carbon sequestration that annual 00:14:49.289 --> 00:14:52.129 crops simply can't match, primarily because they're 00:14:52.129 --> 00:14:55.210 not disturbed as frequently. First, they provide 00:14:55.210 --> 00:14:57.730 continuous living cover on the land, protecting 00:14:57.730 --> 00:15:00.210 the soil from erosion by wind and water, regulating 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:02.730 soil temperature, and mitigating extremes year 00:15:02.730 --> 00:15:05.600 -round. This constant cover means active roots 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.980 are present in the soil for much longer periods. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:11.120 Right, always covered. Second, they develop incredibly 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.240 extensive and often deep root systems. These 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:16.480 roots are constantly growing, shedding cells, 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.240 and interacting with soil microbes, depositing 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:21.740 organic carbon much deeper into the soil profile. 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:25.460 This deeper carbon is often more stable and less 00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:27.860 prone to decomposition than surface carbon. Ah, 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.500 deeper is better, more stable? Generally, yes. 00:15:30.860 --> 00:15:33.620 Third, Because they aren't replanted every single 00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:36.820 year, there's minimal soil disturbance from tillage. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.659 This helps to preserve the existing soil structure 00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:42.279 and, crucially, the carbon already stored within 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:44.559 it. Every time you till, you introduce oxygen, 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:46.940 which accelerates the breakdown of organic matter 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:49.360 and the release of CO2. Less disturbance, less 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.129 carbon loss. Exactly. And finally... Their year 00:15:53.129 --> 00:15:55.370 -round or near -year -round photosynthesis means 00:15:55.370 --> 00:15:57.649 they are capturing more atmospheric carbon for 00:15:57.649 --> 00:16:00.289 a longer period of time compared to annual crops 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:01.929 that only grow for part of the year and then 00:16:01.929 --> 00:16:03.990 leave the ground bare. Makes sense. More time 00:16:03.990 --> 00:16:07.110 working, basically. You got it. Dr. Sarah Gosley, 00:16:07.230 --> 00:16:09.769 a research ecologist with the USDA Agricultural 00:16:09.769 --> 00:16:12.269 Research Service, articulates this beautifully 00:16:12.269 --> 00:16:15.429 in the article. There's a stark contrast between 00:16:15.429 --> 00:16:18.620 what happens under perennial systems versus annual 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:22.139 crops like corn silage she particularly emphasizes 00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:24.940 that perennial pastures especially when managed 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:27.960 with practices like rotational grazing have shown 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.399 significantly greater accumulation of stable 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.519 forms of soil carbon specifically something called 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:38.419 mineral associated organic matter or maomc maomc 00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:41.620 okay what's that think of maomc as carbon that's 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:43.679 literally glued to the soil particles making 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.059 it incredibly resistant to breakdown and loss 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:48.730 locking it away for centuries. So like super 00:16:48.730 --> 00:16:51.509 stable carbon storage. Precisely. This MAOMC 00:16:51.509 --> 00:16:54.250 is a much more stable long -term carbon pool 00:16:54.250 --> 00:16:56.330 than what you typically find in annual systems, 00:16:56.490 --> 00:16:58.909 even those using conservation practices like 00:16:58.909 --> 00:17:01.049 no -till or cover crops, because those annual 00:17:01.049 --> 00:17:03.110 systems still involve periods of disturbance 00:17:03.110 --> 00:17:05.309 and bare ground. That's a powerful distinction, 00:17:05.450 --> 00:17:08.009 not just adding carbon, but adding the stable 00:17:08.009 --> 00:17:11.529 kind. And the article is very clear. This isn't 00:17:11.529 --> 00:17:14.369 about eliminating corn silage entirely, which 00:17:14.369 --> 00:17:16.519 for many operations would be a massive perhaps 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:19.000 impractical shift. No, definitely not. It's about 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:21.779 reimagining rotations, finding a new balance. 00:17:22.259 --> 00:17:25.779 So what are some of those concrete options for 00:17:25.779 --> 00:17:29.000 farmers who are looking to strategically increase 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.299 their perennial footprint without necessarily 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:35.119 tearing up their entire established system? Exactly. 00:17:35.220 --> 00:17:37.519 It's about balance and strategic integration, 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:40.140 not necessarily throwing out the baby with the 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:42.750 bathwater. The article suggests several very 00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:45.369 practical options that can be implemented incrementally. 00:17:45.509 --> 00:17:48.069 You could incorporate or extend the phase of 00:17:48.069 --> 00:17:50.069 grass -legume -hay mixtures within your existing 00:17:50.069 --> 00:17:52.589 rotation. Like alfalfa grass mixes. Yeah, exactly. 00:17:52.650 --> 00:17:54.569 We're talking about species like orchard grass, 00:17:54.829 --> 00:17:57.529 tall fescue, or timothy paired with nitrogen 00:17:57.529 --> 00:18:00.410 -fixing legumes such as alfalfa or various clovers. 00:18:00.630 --> 00:18:03.250 These provide excellent forage quality while 00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:06.039 building soil carbon. Multispecies pastures are 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:08.779 another excellent option, particularly for operations 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:11.359 that already incorporate grazing or are looking 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.519 to expand into it. These diverse pastures are 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:17.380 incredibly resilient and effective carbon builders. 00:18:17.619 --> 00:18:19.559 More diversity, more resilience. Absolutely. 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:22.660 And looking to the future, there are exciting 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:25.740 emerging dual -purpose crops, such as Kernza 00:18:25.740 --> 00:18:28.220 intermediate wheatgrass, that can provide both 00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:31.200 high -quality forage and a grain harvest, offering 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:33.619 a multifaceted approach to perennial integration. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.380 Interesting. Kernza. Yeah, it's getting a lot 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:38.859 of attention. The bottom line for farmers here 00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:41.180 is that by extending your perennial forage phases, 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:43.839 you can potentially reduce your annual seed, 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:46.700 fuel, and equipment costs associated with yearly 00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:49.079 planting and harvest, all while systematically 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.740 building soil fertility and carbon. So potential 00:18:51.740 --> 00:18:54.589 cost savings too. Definitely. The article even 00:18:54.589 --> 00:18:56.910 references research from the University of Turin, 00:18:56.990 --> 00:18:59.630 which shows that dairy farms incorporating a 00:18:59.630 --> 00:19:01.450 higher percentage of perennials, specifically 00:19:01.450 --> 00:19:08.329 more permitting impacts per kilogram of milk 00:19:08.329 --> 00:19:10.329 produced. Essentially, they were making more 00:19:10.329 --> 00:19:13.130 milk with a smaller environmental footprint on 00:19:13.130 --> 00:19:16.630 less cultivated land. It truly suggests a win 00:19:16.630 --> 00:19:19.769 -win scenario. Environment and benefit and improved 00:19:19.769 --> 00:19:22.509 efficiency. That makes so much sense, connecting 00:19:22.509 --> 00:19:24.470 it back to both the environmental impact and 00:19:24.470 --> 00:19:27.009 the bottom line. But what about the winter months, 00:19:27.150 --> 00:19:29.910 especially in temperate regions? You mentioned 00:19:29.910 --> 00:19:32.450 that soil microbial activity continues, breaking 00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:35.329 down organic matter, but photosynthesis largely 00:19:35.329 --> 00:19:38.529 stops. Isn't that a period of net carbon loss 00:19:38.529 --> 00:19:40.569 for the soil? Yeah, that's a critical point. 00:19:40.650 --> 00:19:43.630 How do we proactively fill that winter gap and 00:19:43.630 --> 00:19:45.910 prevent those carbon leaks? You've hit on another 00:19:45.910 --> 00:19:48.589 critical challenge and, importantly, a substantial 00:19:48.589 --> 00:19:51.309 opportunity for carbon capture. You're absolutely 00:19:51.309 --> 00:19:54.309 right. In many temperate regions, winter is typically 00:19:54.309 --> 00:19:57.349 a period of net carbon loss. Microbial activity 00:19:57.349 --> 00:20:00.049 in the soil continues to decompose organic matter 00:20:00.049 --> 00:20:01.970 that was accumulated during the growing season. 00:20:02.130 --> 00:20:05.710 But without actively growing plants, photosynthesizing, 00:20:05.710 --> 00:20:07.990 and adding new carbon inputs through roots and 00:20:07.990 --> 00:20:10.490 residues, there's no new carbon being deposited. 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.359 So the question becomes, why allow our fields 00:20:14.359 --> 00:20:17.180 to essentially leak carbon for months when we 00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:19.200 could be actively capturing it and improving 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.720 soil health? Good question. And that's precisely 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:24.539 where winter annual crops, often referred to 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.259 as cover crops, come in. They offer a strategic 00:20:27.259 --> 00:20:29.920 and highly effective opportunity to reverse these 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.559 winter carbon losses while also diversifying 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:35.380 your forage supply and offering other co -benefits. 00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:38.579 Okay, cover crops. So what kinds of crops are 00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:40.480 we talking about here for winter covers and what 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:42.759 are their specific benefits during those traditionally 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:45.160 dormant months? What should a farmer consider 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:47.559 when selecting them? Good questions. We're talking 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:50.319 about hardy options like winter rye, which is 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:52.819 very common due to its cold tolerance and ability 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:55.960 to scavenge nitrogen. Other options include winter 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:58.900 barley, field pennycress, or winter camelina. 00:20:59.130 --> 00:21:01.869 The key benefit is that they can capture atmospheric 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:05.150 carbon through photosynthesis during periods 00:21:05.150 --> 00:21:07.349 when your fields would otherwise be bare and 00:21:07.349 --> 00:21:10.470 inactive. They serve multiple purposes. They 00:21:10.470 --> 00:21:13.190 actively grow and build soil organic matter, 00:21:13.430 --> 00:21:15.869 acting as a living root system throughout the 00:21:15.869 --> 00:21:18.450 colder months. Keeping the soil biology active. 00:21:18.609 --> 00:21:21.190 Exactly. They also provide crucial protection 00:21:21.190 --> 00:21:23.910 for the soil from erosion caused by winter winds 00:21:23.910 --> 00:21:27.170 and rain, preventing valuable topsoil from washing 00:21:27.170 --> 00:21:29.950 away. Furthermore, they can scavenge leftover 00:21:29.950 --> 00:21:32.470 nutrients like nitrogen that might otherwise 00:21:32.470 --> 00:21:34.869 leach away over the winter, keeping them in the 00:21:34.869 --> 00:21:37.190 root zone for the next cash crop. Holding on 00:21:37.190 --> 00:21:39.890 to nutrients. That's valuable. Very. And as an 00:21:39.890 --> 00:21:42.190 added bonus, some of these can even provide additional 00:21:42.190 --> 00:21:44.549 forage or grain revenue streams in the spring. 00:21:45.349 --> 00:21:47.849 Dr. Mary Beth Hall uses another great analogy 00:21:47.849 --> 00:21:49.849 for these winter covers in the article. They're 00:21:49.849 --> 00:21:52.130 like hiring a workforce that works for free during 00:21:52.130 --> 00:21:54.809 the off -season. I like that. She points out 00:21:54.809 --> 00:21:57.460 that they're actively photosynthesizing. diligently 00:21:57.460 --> 00:22:01.380 building soil organic matter, and, as a bonus, 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:04.599 can provide valuable supplemental feed or cash 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:07.359 crop revenue before your main forage crop goes 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.880 in. Research in the Midwest, for example, has 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:12.160 clearly shown that integrating these winter annual 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.359 crops into corn silage systems can substantially 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:18.180 reduce the carbon deficit caused by corn production. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.420 Okay, so they really help balance the books, 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:23.750 carbon -wise. They do. Crucially, they can also 00:22:23.750 --> 00:22:26.509 provide additional forage or grain, making them 00:22:26.509 --> 00:22:29.490 an economically viable choice. It's a lot like 00:22:29.490 --> 00:22:32.569 how strategic dry cow management, while not directly 00:22:32.569 --> 00:22:35.269 contributing to immediate milk, can significantly 00:22:35.269 --> 00:22:37.690 improve transition cow performance and prevent 00:22:37.690 --> 00:22:40.730 costly metabolic disorders later on without necessarily 00:22:40.730 --> 00:22:43.779 adding excessive costs. Right. It's a proactive, 00:22:44.019 --> 00:22:46.259 preventative and ultimately profitable approach. 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.440 Exactly. So it's increasingly clear that this 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:50.380 isn't just about what you grow, but absolutely 00:22:50.380 --> 00:22:52.819 how you grow it. The article really emphasizes 00:22:52.819 --> 00:22:54.799 that management makes the difference beyond just 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.299 the specific species of forage. It suggests that 00:22:57.299 --> 00:23:00.220 even within existing systems, strategic management 00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:04.369 can dramatically enhance soil carbon. What are 00:23:04.369 --> 00:23:06.529 some of those other key management practices 00:23:06.529 --> 00:23:09.730 that play a vital role in enhancing soil carbon 00:23:09.730 --> 00:23:13.440 and overall soil health? Absolutely. is just 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.539 as crucial, if not more so, than the what when 00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:18.779 it comes to building soil carbon. Let's break 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:20.660 down some of these key management practices. 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:23.759 First, conservation tillage. Okay, reducing tillage. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:26.480 Right. This involves significantly reducing soil 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:28.799 disturbance through practices like no -till, 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:31.640 where you plant directly into previous crop residues 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:34.079 without plowing, or strip -till, where you only 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:36.140 disturb a narrow strip of soil for planting. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:38.779 The goal is to preserve existing soil structure 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:41.759 and, importantly, existing carbon stocks. Keep 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:44.859 the carbon locked in. Yep. When you don't continually 00:23:44.859 --> 00:23:47.539 invert and aggressively disturb the soil, you 00:23:47.539 --> 00:23:50.000 prevent the rapid oxidation of organic matter, 00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:52.920 which would otherwise release CO2 into the atmosphere. 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:55.359 The article aptly compares this to minimizing 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:58.500 stress during cow transitions. Less disturbance, 00:23:58.819 --> 00:24:00.819 better long -term outcome for both the animal 00:24:00.819 --> 00:24:03.769 and the soil. Studies consistently show this 00:24:03.769 --> 00:24:05.970 can be particularly beneficial when you're transitioning 00:24:05.970 --> 00:24:08.690 from one forage crop to another, minimizing the 00:24:08.690 --> 00:24:10.750 carbon bleed during that period. Makes sense. 00:24:10.990 --> 00:24:14.130 Second, cover cropping in general, beyond just 00:24:14.130 --> 00:24:16.690 winter annuals. Implementing cover crops between 00:24:16.690 --> 00:24:19.369 your main cache or forage harvests adds significant 00:24:19.369 --> 00:24:22.349 biomass back into the soil, both above and below 00:24:22.349 --> 00:24:24.930 ground, and provides crucial protection for the 00:24:24.930 --> 00:24:27.569 surface from erosion. More biomass, more protection. 00:24:27.750 --> 00:24:30.349 Exactly. Different types of cover crops offer 00:24:30.349 --> 00:24:33.690 complementary benefits. Non -legumes like cereals, 00:24:33.690 --> 00:24:36.869 oats, wheat, or brassicas like radishes are excellent 00:24:36.869 --> 00:24:39.210 at scavenging leftover nutrients and producing 00:24:39.210 --> 00:24:42.130 a lot of biomass. Legumes, such as clovers or 00:24:42.130 --> 00:24:44.690 vetches, have the added benefit of fixing atmospheric 00:24:44.690 --> 00:24:47.940 nitrogen reducing your need for synthetic fertilizers, 00:24:48.099 --> 00:24:50.740 and they often create more stable forms of soil 00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:53.140 carbon. Nitrogen fixation, that's a big plus. 00:24:53.339 --> 00:24:56.079 Huge. And then mixes of different cover crop 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:58.519 types provide multiple benefits simultaneously, 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:02.079 much like a properly balanced TMR delivers a 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:04.619 complete array of nutrients for your herd's optimal 00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:08.099 performance. A diverse cover crop mix builds 00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:10.700 a more diverse and resilient soil ecosystem. 00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:13.099 That's a good analogy. A diverse cover crop mix 00:25:13.099 --> 00:25:15.359 for the soil is like a perfectly balanced ration 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:17.720 for the cow, creating a thriving environment. 00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:20.619 What about grazing management and manure? Those 00:25:20.619 --> 00:25:23.380 are huge parts of dairy farming and have massive 00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:26.200 implications for soil health. Indeed. Third, 00:25:26.339 --> 00:25:28.670 strategic grazing. For operations that utilize 00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:31.049 pasture, well -managed rotational grazing is 00:25:31.049 --> 00:25:34.490 incredibly key to carbon sequestration. It promotes 00:25:34.490 --> 00:25:36.930 uniform nutrient distribution across the pasture 00:25:36.930 --> 00:25:39.569 by having animals graze a smaller area intensely 00:25:39.569 --> 00:25:42.250 for a short period, then moving them, allowing 00:25:42.250 --> 00:25:44.390 for essential rest and regrowth periods for the 00:25:44.390 --> 00:25:46.589 plants. Rest is key for the plants. Absolutely. 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:49.650 This rest allows plants to put more energy into 00:25:49.650 --> 00:25:52.240 root development. which in turn enhances overall 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.019 plant health and carbon deposition. Over time, 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.180 it can even improve the species composition of 00:25:57.180 --> 00:25:59.259 your pastures, leading to greater biodiversity 00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:02.240 and carbon uptake. This precision approach to 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:04.579 grazing really mirrors the principles of precision 00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:07.740 dairy nutrition, where strategic management of 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:10.000 feed inputs leads to improved feed efficiency 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:12.200 and overall animal health. You're optimizing 00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:14.720 the system. Optimizing the pasture system, gotcha. 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.589 And manure. And fourth, manure management. Applying 00:26:18.589 --> 00:26:21.069 dairy manure back to your fields is a vital way 00:26:21.069 --> 00:26:23.829 to return photosynthetic carbon captured by the 00:26:23.829 --> 00:26:26.630 plants the cows ate back to the soil, effectively 00:26:26.630 --> 00:26:29.250 closing your farm's carbon loop. Right, closing 00:26:29.250 --> 00:26:31.769 the loop. However, how that manure is handled 00:26:31.769 --> 00:26:34.190 before application makes a significant difference 00:26:34.190 --> 00:26:36.970 in its carbon contribution and its ability to 00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:39.519 build stable soil organic matter. Recent research 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:41.500 published in the Journal of Dairy Science highlighted 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:44.319 this, showing that anaerobic digestion significantly 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:47.579 reduces slurry dry matter by 55 % compared to 00:26:47.579 --> 00:26:50.640 raw manure, from 76 grams per kilogram down to 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:53.319 34 grams per kilogram. Wow, a big reduction. 00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:56.740 It is. This reduction in dry matter directly 00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:59.140 impacts the amount of stable carbon available 00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:02.279 for soil building. While anaerobic digestion 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:04.400 is fantastic for capturing methane emissions 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:07.019 and producing renewable energy, Which is important 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:09.279 too. Absolutely important. But it effectively 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:11.880 breaks down some of the complex organic material 00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:15.079 that would otherwise become long -term soil carbon. 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:19.279 So in terms of soil carbon sequestration and 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:22.299 building organic matter, typically raw slurry 00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:25.460 or solid manure delivers more of that beneficial 00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:28.420 stable carbon than heavily digested or separated 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:31.349 slurry. That's an important nuance to consider 00:27:31.349 --> 00:27:33.549 when setting your specific farm goals for carbon. 00:27:33.650 --> 00:27:35.650 So there's a tradeoff there between methane capture 00:27:35.650 --> 00:27:38.329 and carbon building in the soil itself. Interesting. 00:27:38.509 --> 00:27:41.289 There can be. As Dr. Jessica Goatneck from the 00:27:41.289 --> 00:27:44.000 University of Wisconsin aptly puts it. The carbon 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:46.200 balance of a dairy farm is fundamentally about 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:48.259 how much carbon you're putting into the soil 00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:50.779 versus how much is being removed or lost. Right. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:53.079 Every management decision, whether it's your 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:56.140 feeding program or your cropping system, tips 00:27:56.140 --> 00:27:58.359 that balance one way or another, much like how 00:27:58.359 --> 00:28:00.299 subtle tweaks in your feeding program affect 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:02.579 your milk components and bulk tank averages. 00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:05.619 It's all interconnected. Totally. Every management 00:28:05.619 --> 00:28:08.039 decision you make has ripple effects on that 00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:10.700 delicate carbon balance within your farm ecosystem. 00:28:11.549 --> 00:28:13.670 It's clear that this isn't just about abstract 00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:16.289 environmental benefits, but fundamentally about 00:28:16.289 --> 00:28:18.710 holistic farm management and long -term profitability 00:28:18.710 --> 00:28:22.210 and resilience. So let's transition from the 00:28:22.210 --> 00:28:24.809 theory and the why of these practices to the 00:28:24.809 --> 00:28:27.309 practical application for you, the listener. 00:28:27.490 --> 00:28:29.789 Okay. Moving into our third major discussion 00:28:29.789 --> 00:28:32.730 point, practical pathways, co -benefits, and 00:28:32.730 --> 00:28:35.390 the economics. For a farmer considering these 00:28:35.390 --> 00:28:37.950 significant yet essential changes to their forage 00:28:37.950 --> 00:28:41.259 systems, where did they even begin? What are 00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:44.099 the concrete strategic steps to tailor this carbon 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:46.680 smart approach to their specific farm conditions, 00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:48.900 their soil types, their climate? That's where 00:28:48.900 --> 00:28:51.880 the rubber truly meets the road, isn't it? Transitioning 00:28:51.880 --> 00:28:54.440 your forage system to enhance soil carbon certainly 00:28:54.440 --> 00:28:57.299 requires a strategic, often phased approach. 00:28:57.700 --> 00:29:00.079 It's definitely not a one size fits all solution, 00:29:00.200 --> 00:29:02.839 but the article lays out some very clear, practical 00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:05.119 steps that can be adapted to almost any dairy 00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:08.519 operation. Good. What's step one? First, you 00:29:08.519 --> 00:29:11.259 need to assess your current carbon balance. You 00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:13.619 can't manage what you don't measure right, so 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:20.529 you need to understand your starting point. Good 00:29:20.529 --> 00:29:43.490 question. Getting a real baseline picture. Exactly. 00:29:44.089 --> 00:29:46.269 This comprehensive assessment gives you a crucial 00:29:46.269 --> 00:29:48.849 baseline, much like evaluating your herd's current 00:29:48.849 --> 00:29:51.509 production metrics, genetics, and health status, 00:29:51.710 --> 00:29:54.430 before you implement any major breeding or management 00:29:54.430 --> 00:29:57.670 changes. It helps you accurately identify your 00:29:57.670 --> 00:29:59.549 biggest opportunities for carbon improvement 00:29:59.549 --> 00:30:02.670 and where to focus your initial efforts. Okay, 00:30:02.769 --> 00:30:06.099 assess first, then what? Second, extend rotations 00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:08.700 with perennials. This is often one of the most 00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:11.680 impactful changes. Look for concrete opportunities 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:14.180 to lengthen the perennial phase of your rotation. 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:17.039 Instead of, say, one or two years of alfalfa 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:19.039 followed by three or four years of intensive 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:22.140 corn silage. Right. Consider extending that perennial 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:24.359 phase to three or four years of alfalfa or mixed 00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:26.759 hay, then perhaps two or three years of corn 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:28.859 before returning to perennials. Shifting the 00:30:28.859 --> 00:30:30.740 balance in the rotation. Yeah. You could also 00:30:30.740 --> 00:30:32.859 evaluate marginal cropland on your operation 00:30:32.859 --> 00:30:35.420 areas that are consistently less productive or 00:30:35.420 --> 00:30:37.640 challenging to farm profitably. It might actually 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:40.000 be far more profitable and environmentally sound 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:42.519 to convert those areas to permanent pasture or 00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:45.279 dedicated perennial hay fields. Rethinking those 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.200 less productive spots. Absolutely. And don't 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:51.109 forget to consider dedicating maybe... 10, 15 00:30:51.109 --> 00:30:53.950 % of your land to strategic perennial plantings, 00:30:53.990 --> 00:30:57.150 especially in areas prone to erosion, steep slopes, 00:30:57.369 --> 00:30:59.410 or those that are naturally less productive. 00:30:59.730 --> 00:31:02.029 The Turin study we mentioned earlier specifically 00:31:02.029 --> 00:31:04.369 showed that dairy farms with a higher percentage 00:31:04.369 --> 00:31:06.690 of permanent grasslands actually had better land 00:31:06.690 --> 00:31:09.609 occupation efficiency per kilogram of milk, meaning 00:31:09.609 --> 00:31:12.369 they produced more milk with a smaller land footprint 00:31:12.369 --> 00:31:15.269 by leveraging those perennial benefits. So it's 00:31:15.269 --> 00:31:17.670 about strategically shifting that balance in 00:31:17.670 --> 00:31:20.910 the rotation and even finding new, more productive 00:31:20.910 --> 00:31:23.390 uses for land that might not be pulling its weight 00:31:23.390 --> 00:31:25.190 right now. That seems like a logical first step 00:31:25.190 --> 00:31:27.130 for many. It often is. What about those crucial 00:31:27.130 --> 00:31:29.210 winter covers and optimized manure management? 00:31:29.369 --> 00:31:31.529 How do we integrate those strategically for maximum 00:31:31.529 --> 00:31:35.089 carbon benefit? Absolutely. Third, implement 00:31:35.089 --> 00:31:38.740 winter covers strategically. You want to target 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:40.900 your investments in winter cover crops where 00:31:40.900 --> 00:31:43.380 they'll provide the greatest return and fit best 00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:46.359 into your existing workflow. Fields with an early 00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:48.960 corn silage harvest, for example, offer an ideal 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:51.440 wider window for getting those winter covers 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:54.539 established properly, ensuring good growth before 00:31:54.539 --> 00:31:57.160 winter dormancy. Target the early harvest fields. 00:31:57.299 --> 00:32:01.190 Good tip. Yeah. Choose cover crop species based 00:32:01.190 --> 00:32:03.789 on your specific goals, whether it's primarily 00:32:03.789 --> 00:32:06.509 soil building and carbon sequestration, providing 00:32:06.509 --> 00:32:09.269 additional forage in the spring, or nitrogen 00:32:09.269 --> 00:32:12.190 fixation to reduce fertilizer needs. You can 00:32:12.190 --> 00:32:14.809 even consider innovative techniques like interseeding 00:32:14.809 --> 00:32:18.150 cover crops into standing corn, giving them a 00:32:18.150 --> 00:32:20.309 head start on establishment and allowing for 00:32:20.309 --> 00:32:22.450 greater growth before the corn is harvested. 00:32:22.769 --> 00:32:25.569 Getting creative with timing. Exactly. Fourth, 00:32:25.750 --> 00:32:28.329 optimize your manure strategy. Manure is essentially 00:32:28.329 --> 00:32:31.150 recycled carbon, and it's a fantastic resource 00:32:31.150 --> 00:32:33.450 right there on your farm to help close your carbon 00:32:33.450 --> 00:32:36.089 loop and build soil health. Use what you've got. 00:32:36.309 --> 00:32:39.690 Right. Think about exploring options like solid 00:32:39.690 --> 00:32:43.109 -liquid separation to strategically direct carbon 00:32:43.109 --> 00:32:45.490 -rich solid manure to those fields that have 00:32:45.490 --> 00:32:48.190 the greatest carbon deficit or need the most 00:32:48.190 --> 00:32:51.609 organic matter. time your applications to maximize 00:32:51.609 --> 00:32:54.789 nutrient use efficiency by the crops and minimize 00:32:54.789 --> 00:32:57.930 losses through leaching or volatilization timing 00:32:57.930 --> 00:33:00.410 is everything and importantly pair your manure 00:33:00.410 --> 00:33:02.789 applications with cover crops that can actively 00:33:02.789 --> 00:33:05.089 capture and utilize those nutrients as soon as 00:33:05.089 --> 00:33:07.630 they are applied preventing losses and incorporating 00:33:07.630 --> 00:33:10.789 that carbon more effectively into the soil Penn 00:33:10.789 --> 00:33:13.109 State University Research, for instance, has 00:33:13.109 --> 00:33:15.089 compellingly shown how strategic applications 00:33:15.089 --> 00:33:18.430 of manure combined with active cover crops significantly 00:33:18.430 --> 00:33:21.470 enhance soil carbon levels and improve nutrient 00:33:21.470 --> 00:33:24.470 retention, which really mitigates potential environmental 00:33:24.470 --> 00:33:26.970 impacts and saves on synthetic fertilizer costs. 00:33:27.210 --> 00:33:29.150 So it's about making every application count 00:33:29.150 --> 00:33:31.829 and having a living plant there to immediately 00:33:31.829 --> 00:33:33.829 take advantage of those nutrients and lock in 00:33:33.829 --> 00:33:36.509 that carbon. What else is on the list for practical 00:33:36.509 --> 00:33:39.150 pathways to consider for building soil carbon? 00:33:39.450 --> 00:33:42.710 Fifth, reduce tillage intensity. While going 00:33:42.710 --> 00:33:45.210 completely no -till might not be practical or 00:33:45.210 --> 00:33:48.410 desirable in every single forage system, simply 00:33:48.410 --> 00:33:50.710 reducing tillage intensity can significantly 00:33:50.710 --> 00:33:53.569 help preserve existing soil carbon and build 00:33:53.569 --> 00:33:56.410 new organic matter. Every little bit helps. It 00:33:56.410 --> 00:33:59.329 does. Consider adopting strip -till for corn 00:33:59.329 --> 00:34:02.049 planting, particularly after perennials, which 00:34:02.049 --> 00:34:04.430 minimizes disturbance to the rest of the field 00:34:04.430 --> 00:34:07.549 while still preparing a seedbed. Strive to minimize 00:34:07.549 --> 00:34:09.929 the number of tillage passes whenever establishment 00:34:09.929 --> 00:34:13.570 is absolutely necessary. And always use no -till 00:34:13.570 --> 00:34:15.690 drills for cover crop establishment whenever 00:34:15.690 --> 00:34:17.730 possible, allowing them to be planted directly 00:34:17.730 --> 00:34:20.010 into residues with minimal soil disturbance. 00:34:20.030 --> 00:34:22.489 Smart use of equipment. And sixth, and this is 00:34:22.489 --> 00:34:25.210 truly foundational, focus on soil health monitoring. 00:34:25.710 --> 00:34:28.630 Regular, consistent soil testing with a particular 00:34:28.630 --> 00:34:31.909 emphasis on tracking soil organic matter, SOM 00:34:31.909 --> 00:34:34.190 levels, is crucial for tracking your progress 00:34:34.190 --> 00:34:37.039 over time. Keep score, basically. Yeah, establish 00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:39.260 baseline measurements of soil organic matter 00:34:39.260 --> 00:34:41.820 at consistent depths across your fields and then 00:34:41.820 --> 00:34:44.219 monitor those levels annually or biennially. 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:47.139 You might even consider more advanced soil health 00:34:47.139 --> 00:34:49.739 tests that measure active carbon fractions, which 00:34:49.739 --> 00:34:52.019 can give you an earlier indication of changes 00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:55.099 in soil health. Active carbon. And don't underestimate 00:34:55.099 --> 00:34:57.820 the power of simple photo documentation. Take 00:34:57.820 --> 00:35:00.340 pictures of your soil structure, residue cover, 00:35:00.420 --> 00:35:02.619 and plant health throughout the season to visually 00:35:02.619 --> 00:35:05.400 track changes over time. It provides a powerful, 00:35:05.460 --> 00:35:07.599 tangible record. See the difference yourself. 00:35:07.820 --> 00:35:10.719 Exactly. The bottom line for you here, the farmer, 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:14.610 the immediate tangible benefit, get this, Every 00:35:14.610 --> 00:35:17.210 1 % increase in soil organic matter can hold 00:35:17.210 --> 00:35:20.269 approximately 20 ,000 more gallons of water per 00:35:20.269 --> 00:35:23.969 acre. 20 ,000 gallons per acre. Let that sink 00:35:23.969 --> 00:35:26.829 in. That's a huge, almost unbelievable increase 00:35:26.829 --> 00:35:29.849 in your soil's water holding capacity. This translates 00:35:29.849 --> 00:35:32.349 directly to tangible benefits like reduced irrigation 00:35:32.349 --> 00:35:35.250 costs during dry periods and significantly improved 00:35:35.250 --> 00:35:37.829 drought resilience for your crops. That right 00:35:37.829 --> 00:35:40.090 there is money in the bank during dry years, 00:35:40.150 --> 00:35:42.210 like having an insurance policy built right into 00:35:42.210 --> 00:35:44.389 your fields. That's a massive co -benefit right 00:35:44.389 --> 00:35:47.449 there. Huge. Dr. Randy Jackson offers excellent 00:35:47.449 --> 00:35:50.280 advice on embarking on this journey. Making these 00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:52.420 transitions doesn't have to happen all at once. 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.440 Start with pilot areas, perhaps just a few fields 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:58.400 or a specific rotation. Learn what works best 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:01.380 on your particular farm, adapt those practices 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:03.920 based on your observations, and then expand gradually. 00:36:04.219 --> 00:36:08.179 Start small, learn, adapt, scale. That's the 00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:10.849 idea. He emphasizes that some of the biggest 00:36:10.849 --> 00:36:12.929 gains can come from relatively small changes 00:36:12.929 --> 00:36:15.789 applied consistently over time, similar to how 00:36:15.789 --> 00:36:18.210 small, consistent tweaks in your transition cow 00:36:18.210 --> 00:36:21.329 program can lead to significant long -term improvements 00:36:21.329 --> 00:36:24.389 in lactation performance and herd health. It's 00:36:24.389 --> 00:36:27.289 about consistent, smart choices, building momentum. 00:36:27.489 --> 00:36:29.730 That's incredibly reassuring, that it's a journey, 00:36:29.829 --> 00:36:32.050 not a sprint, and that incremental changes can 00:36:32.050 --> 00:36:34.719 yield big results. And speaking of results, the 00:36:34.719 --> 00:36:36.480 article really highlights that while reducing 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:38.559 greenhouse gas emissions is a critically important, 00:36:38.820 --> 00:36:41.780 noble goal, the benefits of actively enhancing 00:36:41.780 --> 00:36:45.179 soil carbon extend far beyond just climate mitigation. 00:36:45.460 --> 00:36:48.460 These co -benefits are often immediate, tangible, 00:36:48.619 --> 00:36:51.239 and directly impactful on the farm's daily operations 00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:54.820 and long -term viability. Let's really dig into 00:36:54.820 --> 00:36:57.000 them. What are some of these powerful additional 00:36:57.000 --> 00:36:59.579 upsides for a dairy farmer? This is where it 00:36:59.579 --> 00:37:13.590 gets really interesting, Sarah, because Okay, 00:37:13.789 --> 00:37:16.289 lay them out. First and perhaps most impactful 00:37:16.289 --> 00:37:19.170 for many operations is improved drought resilience. 00:37:19.909 --> 00:37:22.269 Soil organic matter acts like a massive natural 00:37:22.269 --> 00:37:24.989 sponge. The article powerfully states that for 00:37:24.989 --> 00:37:28.329 every 1 % increase in soil organic matter, soils 00:37:28.329 --> 00:37:31.030 can hold approximately 20 ,000 more gallons of 00:37:31.030 --> 00:37:33.170 water per acre. That number is just incredible. 00:37:33.429 --> 00:37:35.829 It really is. This dramatically increases your 00:37:35.829 --> 00:37:38.070 soil's water holding capacity and its ability 00:37:38.070 --> 00:37:40.889 to buffer plants against dry spells. During the 00:37:40.889 --> 00:37:43.949 devastating 2012 drought, for instance, Dr. Christine 00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:47.659 Jones, a renowned soil ecologist, observed dramatic 00:37:47.659 --> 00:37:50.019 differences in forage production between farms 00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:52.599 with high and low soil organic matter. Yeah. 00:37:53.059 --> 00:37:55.719 She noted that the farms that had consciously 00:37:55.719 --> 00:37:58.519 built their soil carbon had a visible buffer 00:37:58.519 --> 00:38:01.480 against the drought stress that... utterly devastated 00:38:01.480 --> 00:38:04.519 other operations. Wow. Much like how a properly 00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:06.800 conditioned cow handles the stress of calving 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:09.059 and peak lactation far better than one that enters 00:38:09.059 --> 00:38:12.300 the dry period too thin or too fat. It's essentially 00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:15.679 natural built -in irrigation, an emergency water 00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:18.679 reservoir right there in your fields at no extra 00:38:18.679 --> 00:38:21.639 cost for infrastructure. 20 ,000 gallons per 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:25.719 acre per 1 % of organic matter. That's truly 00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:27.699 incredible. It's like having that emergency water 00:38:27.699 --> 00:38:29.619 reservoir built right into your fields, as you 00:38:29.619 --> 00:38:32.239 said, at no extra cost for infrastructure. So 00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:35.159 a tangible benefit that can save you money and 00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:37.719 headaches during unpredictable weather. What 00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:39.460 else does the article highlight as a co -benefit? 00:38:39.710 --> 00:38:42.389 Second, we see enhanced nutrient cycling and 00:38:42.389 --> 00:38:45.050 efficiency. Carbon -rich soils are bustling with 00:38:45.050 --> 00:38:47.170 more diverse and active microbial communities. 00:38:47.530 --> 00:38:50.010 These microbes are the unsung heroes of your 00:38:50.010 --> 00:38:52.269 farm. They're absolutely essential for cycling 00:38:52.269 --> 00:38:54.369 nutrients more efficiently, making them more 00:38:54.369 --> 00:38:56.130 available to your crops and reducing losses. 00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:00.539 Exactly. This can directly reduce your synthetic 00:39:00.539 --> 00:39:02.599 fertilizer requirements and their associated 00:39:02.599 --> 00:39:05.760 costs, which is a major input for any dairy operation. 00:39:06.139 --> 00:39:09.260 It also improves water quality by reducing nutrient 00:39:09.260 --> 00:39:11.820 runoff and leaching into groundwater or surface 00:39:11.820 --> 00:39:14.360 waters. Saving money on fertilizer, protecting 00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:18.199 water. Win -win. Big time. Studies in the Northeast 00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:20.280 have actually shown that dairy farms implementing 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:23.380 perennial -based rotations with cover crops have 00:39:23.380 --> 00:39:26.159 seen their nitrogen fertilizer needs drop by 00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:29.750 a significant 30 -50%. all while maintaining 00:39:29.750 --> 00:39:32.889 or even improving their yields. 30 to 50 % reduction, 00:39:33.090 --> 00:39:35.789 that's huge. It is. This directly enhances farm 00:39:35.789 --> 00:39:37.949 profitability and reduces environmental impact 00:39:37.949 --> 00:39:40.769 simultaneously. Much like strategic feeding of 00:39:40.769 --> 00:39:43.010 bypass proteins can reduce your total protein 00:39:43.010 --> 00:39:44.590 requirements while still maintaining optimal 00:39:44.590 --> 00:39:47.349 milk production and feed efficiency, it's about 00:39:47.349 --> 00:39:49.710 getting more out of what you put in and often 00:39:49.710 --> 00:39:52.070 needing to put less in overall. And less going 00:39:52.070 --> 00:39:54.030 where it shouldn't be, like into our valuable 00:39:54.030 --> 00:39:56.190 waterways, which is a huge win for everyone. 00:39:56.590 --> 00:40:00.329 Exactly. Third, reduced erosion and improved 00:40:00.329 --> 00:40:03.210 water quality. The improvements in soil structure 00:40:03.210 --> 00:40:05.269 that naturally come with higher soil organic 00:40:05.269 --> 00:40:07.969 matter dramatically reduce the potential for 00:40:07.969 --> 00:40:10.769 soil erosion, whether from intense rainfall or 00:40:10.769 --> 00:40:13.050 strong winds. Keeping that topsoil in place. 00:40:13.230 --> 00:40:15.789 Absolutely. This means your valuable topsoil 00:40:15.789 --> 00:40:18.269 along with the nutrients it contains stays where 00:40:18.269 --> 00:40:21.059 it belongs. in your fields, where it can support 00:40:21.059 --> 00:40:23.699 your crops, instead of washing away into ditches, 00:40:23.699 --> 00:40:26.420 streams, and rivers. And by keeping the soil 00:40:26.420 --> 00:40:28.760 and its associated nutrients in place, you're 00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:31.159 also directly preventing sediment and nutrient 00:40:31.159 --> 00:40:34.760 pollution from impacting our waterways. Dr. Matt 00:40:34.760 --> 00:40:36.860 Ruark, whom we heard from earlier, summarizes 00:40:36.860 --> 00:40:39.659 this perfectly. Soil health and water quality 00:40:39.659 --> 00:40:42.119 are two sides of the same coin. Nice summary. 00:40:42.539 --> 00:40:45.000 the very practices that build soil carbon are 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:46.739 inherently the ones that protect and improve 00:40:46.739 --> 00:40:49.780 water resources leading to clearer streams and 00:40:49.780 --> 00:40:52.460 healthier aquatic ecosystems for everyone downstream 00:40:52.460 --> 00:40:54.710 good for the farm good for the community Right. 00:40:54.789 --> 00:40:58.250 And fourth, greater farm resilience. Diversifying 00:40:58.250 --> 00:41:00.289 your forage systems and building soil health 00:41:00.289 --> 00:41:02.889 creates a natural, biological insurance policy 00:41:02.889 --> 00:41:05.929 against a whole host of risks that dairy farmers 00:41:05.929 --> 00:41:08.909 face daily. Extreme weather events, unforeseen 00:41:08.909 --> 00:41:11.309 disease, and pest pressures on single crops, 00:41:11.409 --> 00:41:13.969 and even market volatility. Building in a buffer 00:41:13.969 --> 00:41:17.349 against shocks. Precisely. If one crop struggles 00:41:17.349 --> 00:41:20.449 due to drought or disease, others in a diverse 00:41:20.449 --> 00:41:22.449 system may thrive under the same conditions, 00:41:22.730 --> 00:41:25.469 providing a crucial buffer against total crop 00:41:25.469 --> 00:41:28.369 failure. Dairy farmer Ron Holter from Jefferson, 00:41:28.530 --> 00:41:30.710 Maryland, who famously transitioned to a perennial 00:41:30.710 --> 00:41:33.610 pasture -based system, articulates this beautifully. 00:41:34.110 --> 00:41:36.449 Resilience is about having options. Options are 00:41:36.449 --> 00:41:38.769 good. He adds, when you're working with a diverse 00:41:38.769 --> 00:41:40.829 carbon building system, you're not putting all 00:41:40.829 --> 00:41:43.010 your eggs in one basket, just like you wouldn't 00:41:43.010 --> 00:41:45.570 want a herd susceptible to the same genetic weaknesses 00:41:45.570 --> 00:41:48.130 or all at the same stage of lactation vulnerable 00:41:48.130 --> 00:41:50.750 to a single challenge. It's about spreading your 00:41:50.750 --> 00:41:53.369 risk, building robustness into your entire operation, 00:41:53.530 --> 00:41:55.809 and creating a more stable, adaptive farming 00:41:55.809 --> 00:41:58.110 system that can weather the inevitable challenges. 00:41:58.510 --> 00:42:00.530 Those co -benefits are certainly compelling. 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:04.000 Perhaps even more immediately tangible and financially 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:06.900 motivating for many farmers than just abstract 00:42:06.900 --> 00:42:10.460 carbon numbers or future climate targets. But 00:42:10.460 --> 00:42:12.340 of course, the ultimate question for any dairy 00:42:12.340 --> 00:42:14.539 farmer, considering significant changes to their 00:42:14.539 --> 00:42:17.059 forage systems, changes that require investment 00:42:17.059 --> 00:42:20.179 time and a learning curve as always, does carbon 00:42:20.179 --> 00:42:23.159 smart farming actually pay? Yeah, the bottom 00:42:23.159 --> 00:42:25.760 line question. What does the article say about 00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:27.659 the economics of these shifts, especially in 00:42:27.659 --> 00:42:30.519 the short and long term? This is the absolute 00:42:30.519 --> 00:42:32.860 crux. Crucial question, isn't it? It's where 00:42:32.860 --> 00:42:34.920 the rubber meets the road for farm managers. 00:42:35.260 --> 00:42:37.920 And the article doesn't shy away from dissecting 00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:40.099 the economics by looking at both the potential 00:42:40.099 --> 00:42:43.239 initial costs and the significant potential benefits 00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:46.400 and returns. On the cost side, it's important 00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:48.519 to acknowledge there can be initial investments. 00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:50.900 You might need equipment modifications or new 00:42:50.900 --> 00:42:53.860 purchases like specialized no -till drills or 00:42:53.860 --> 00:42:56.619 roller crimpers for cover crops. There's definitely 00:42:56.619 --> 00:42:58.880 a learning curve associated with adopting new 00:42:58.880 --> 00:43:01.000 practices and adapting them to your specific 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:03.579 farm and climate, which requires time and commitment. 00:43:03.820 --> 00:43:06.780 Sure, change takes effort. You might even see 00:43:06.780 --> 00:43:08.960 some short -term yield adjustments during the 00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:11.500 transition periods as the soil biology adapts 00:43:11.500 --> 00:43:13.440 and rebuilds, although often these are quickly 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:16.280 offset. There can also be additional management 00:43:16.280 --> 00:43:18.920 complexity initially and potentially higher seed 00:43:18.920 --> 00:43:22.599 costs for cover crops or diverse perennial forage 00:43:22.599 --> 00:43:25.019 mixes compared to conventional monocultures. 00:43:25.159 --> 00:43:27.300 Okay, so there are hurdles. What about the benefits? 00:43:27.639 --> 00:43:29.820 But then you have the potential benefits and 00:43:29.820 --> 00:43:32.400 returns, which are quite significant and often 00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:36.190 compound over time. These include... Genuinely 00:43:36.190 --> 00:43:38.849 reduced fuel, labor, and machinery maintenance 00:43:38.849 --> 00:43:41.969 costs from less tillage and fewer passes across 00:43:41.969 --> 00:43:44.710 the field. Big savings there, potentially. Significantly 00:43:44.710 --> 00:43:47.030 lower fertilizer requirements due to improved 00:43:47.030 --> 00:43:50.150 nutrient cycling and nitrogen fixation by legumes, 00:43:50.210 --> 00:43:52.789 as we just discussed. Reduced irrigation needs 00:43:52.789 --> 00:43:55.349 from that vastly improved water retention in 00:43:55.349 --> 00:43:57.889 the soil. More stable and often higher yields, 00:43:57.969 --> 00:44:00.190 especially under weather extremes, thanks to 00:44:00.190 --> 00:44:02.130 that increased resilience of the soil. Stability 00:44:02.130 --> 00:44:05.530 is valuable. Very. And looking slightly down 00:44:05.530 --> 00:44:08.070 the line, potential premium markets for low carbon 00:44:08.070 --> 00:44:10.550 dairy products as consumer demand for sustainability 00:44:10.550 --> 00:44:13.710 grows. And of course, the exciting, though still 00:44:13.710 --> 00:44:16.590 developing, potential for carbon credit revenue. 00:44:16.789 --> 00:44:19.369 Carbon credit revenue. That's a relatively new 00:44:19.369 --> 00:44:21.489 and incredibly exciting opportunity for agriculture, 00:44:21.789 --> 00:44:24.889 particularly dairy. How significant is that market 00:44:24.889 --> 00:44:27.530 for dairy farmers right now? And what does a 00:44:27.530 --> 00:44:30.389 farm need to do to participate? It's an emerging 00:44:30.389 --> 00:44:32.329 market, absolutely, but it's gaining significant 00:44:32.329 --> 00:44:35.289 momentum and structure. Carbon credits from agricultural 00:44:35.289 --> 00:44:37.929 soil projects are currently ranging, in various 00:44:37.929 --> 00:44:41.610 markets, from around $15 to $45 per metric ton 00:44:41.610 --> 00:44:44.690 of co -euro equivalent. $15 to $45 a ton. Okay. 00:44:44.809 --> 00:44:47.110 To participate and generate these credits, projects 00:44:47.110 --> 00:44:49.389 typically require verified changes in management 00:44:49.389 --> 00:44:52.469 practices and then measured or credibly modeled 00:44:52.469 --> 00:44:55.760 carbon gains in the soil. These credits can stem 00:44:55.760 --> 00:44:58.980 from direct soil carbon increases, but also from 00:44:58.980 --> 00:45:01.840 other GHG reductions on the farm, such as methane 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:03.380 reductions achieved through manure digestion, 00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:06.119 or a combination of both. Do you need proof? 00:45:06.239 --> 00:45:09.719 Verification? Yes. Dr. Debbie Reed, Executive 00:45:09.719 --> 00:45:12.960 Director of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, 00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:16.980 or ESMC, a leading player in this space, notes 00:45:16.980 --> 00:45:19.539 that forward -thinking dairy farms are strategically 00:45:19.539 --> 00:45:22.940 positioning themselves to benefit. She explains 00:45:22.940 --> 00:45:26.300 that the farms with good baseline data, documented 00:45:26.300 --> 00:45:29.280 practice changes, and a commitment to long -term 00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:32.039 soil health will be best positioned to participate 00:45:32.039 --> 00:45:35.019 and capitalize as these markets develop and mature. 00:45:35.659 --> 00:45:38.800 Similar to how farms that were early adopters 00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:41.280 of robotic milking or precision feeding technology 00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:44.199 often gained significant market advantages and 00:45:44.199 --> 00:45:46.780 efficiencies. It's about being ahead of the curve, 00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:49.400 establishing those baselines, and proving out 00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:52.199 the practices now. That analogy of early adopters 00:45:52.199 --> 00:45:54.099 is a good one. It suggests that while the market 00:45:54.099 --> 00:45:56.320 is still maturing, being an early mover could 00:45:56.320 --> 00:45:59.159 offer a competitive edge and unlock future revenue 00:45:59.159 --> 00:46:01.300 streams. And the article gives some real -world 00:46:01.300 --> 00:46:03.539 economic case studies, which really help bring 00:46:03.539 --> 00:46:05.679 this concept of carbon -smart farming paying 00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:07.679 off to life. Yeah, those are really powerful. 00:46:08.019 --> 00:46:09.780 What if farms that have actually made these transitions 00:46:09.780 --> 00:46:12.079 experience in terms of their bottom line? The 00:46:12.079 --> 00:46:13.960 real -world examples provided in the article 00:46:13.960 --> 00:46:16.559 are truly compelling and demonstrate the tangible 00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:20.880 economic benefits. Let's look at a few. First, 00:46:21.230 --> 00:46:23.849 Rutland Farm in Pennsylvania is a fantastic example 00:46:23.849 --> 00:46:27.389 of a dramatic, successful transition. Okay. They 00:46:27.389 --> 00:46:29.889 moved from a corn silage -based confinement operation 00:46:29.889 --> 00:46:32.710 to a managed grazing system utilizing diverse 00:46:32.710 --> 00:46:35.469 perennial pastures. While their milk production 00:46:35.469 --> 00:46:39.010 per cow did decrease slightly, wait for it, the 00:46:39.010 --> 00:46:41.210 overall farm profitability soared because they 00:46:41.210 --> 00:46:43.369 completely eliminated silage production costs, 00:46:43.590 --> 00:46:46.130 significantly reduced their grain purchases by 00:46:46.130 --> 00:46:49.510 a remarkable 30%, and observed substantial improvements 00:46:49.510 --> 00:46:51.849 in herd health. reducing veterinary bills and 00:46:51.849 --> 00:46:55.210 improving longevity, the net result. Documented 00:46:55.210 --> 00:46:58.250 profitability gains of an astonishing $800 per 00:46:58.250 --> 00:47:01.489 cow annually. $800 per cow, that's huge from 00:47:01.489 --> 00:47:04.250 changing the forage system. That's a huge, undeniable 00:47:04.250 --> 00:47:06.670 economic win stemming from a fundamental shift 00:47:06.670 --> 00:47:09.230 in their forage system. Then there's Graysway 00:47:09.230 --> 00:47:11.550 Dairy in Wisconsin. They implemented a partial 00:47:11.550 --> 00:47:13.730 system where about 40 % of their forage comes 00:47:13.730 --> 00:47:16.690 from perennial pasture and 60 % from harvested 00:47:16.690 --> 00:47:19.650 feed. Mixed approach. Right. They've documented 00:47:19.650 --> 00:47:22.610 a significant 35 % reduction in machinery and 00:47:22.610 --> 00:47:26.170 fuel costs, a major expense for any farm, all 00:47:26.170 --> 00:47:28.210 while maintaining comparable milk production 00:47:28.210 --> 00:47:30.389 to their previous system. Cutting costs, same 00:47:30.389 --> 00:47:32.909 milk, good deal. And perhaps even more impressively, 00:47:32.929 --> 00:47:35.929 over a 12 -year period, their soil organic matter 00:47:35.929 --> 00:47:38.230 on their pastures increased from a baseline of 00:47:38.230 --> 00:47:42.369 3 .2 % to an impressive 5 .7%. Building that 00:47:42.369 --> 00:47:45.039 soil, I said. That's a measurable, long -term 00:47:45.039 --> 00:47:47.360 asset building up in the soil, improving its 00:47:47.360 --> 00:47:49.820 productive capacity and resilience for generations. 00:47:50.440 --> 00:47:53.059 And Blue Spruce Farm in Vermont took a different, 00:47:53.199 --> 00:47:54.980 more incremental approach, proving you don't 00:47:54.980 --> 00:47:57.059 have to overhaul everything at once. Okay, the 00:47:57.059 --> 00:47:59.119 incremental approach. They maintained their corn 00:47:59.119 --> 00:48:01.380 silage system, but strategically added winter 00:48:01.380 --> 00:48:04.320 cover crops, reduced tillage intensity, and incorporated 00:48:04.320 --> 00:48:06.860 manure injection. While they spent approximately 00:48:06.860 --> 00:48:09.980 $30 more per acre on seeds and management for 00:48:09.980 --> 00:48:12.500 these practices. Okay, a bit more cost up front. 00:48:12.719 --> 00:48:14.940 They saw an immediate return. They reduced their 00:48:14.940 --> 00:48:17.940 synthetic fertilizer costs by $45 per acre and 00:48:17.940 --> 00:48:19.940 documented yield increases in their subsequent 00:48:19.940 --> 00:48:23.079 corn crops worth an additional $65 .90 per acre. 00:48:23.260 --> 00:48:26.280 So a net positive return pretty quickly, even 00:48:26.280 --> 00:48:29.300 without ditching silage. Exactly. So even without 00:48:29.300 --> 00:48:31.980 eliminating corn silage, they found significant 00:48:31.980 --> 00:48:35.019 immediate financial gains through strategic carbon 00:48:35.019 --> 00:48:38.369 building practices. As fifth -generation dairy 00:48:38.369 --> 00:48:40.889 farmer John Gilbert succinctly puts it in the 00:48:40.889 --> 00:48:44.010 article, there's a cost to changing, yes, but 00:48:44.010 --> 00:48:46.530 there's also a much larger cost to not changing. 00:48:46.969 --> 00:48:49.369 Interesting perspective. He expands on this, 00:48:49.429 --> 00:48:51.489 saying, When I look at what we're spending on 00:48:51.489 --> 00:48:54.309 synthetic fertilizer, fuel, and equipment repairs 00:48:54.309 --> 00:48:56.750 in our conventional system versus what we're 00:48:56.750 --> 00:48:58.869 seeing in our transition fields using these carbon 00:48:58.869 --> 00:49:01.289 -building practices, the numbers increasingly 00:49:01.289 --> 00:49:03.489 favor the carbon -building approach. Looking 00:49:03.489 --> 00:49:06.099 at the whole picture. Yeah. He says, It's like 00:49:06.099 --> 00:49:08.539 comparing the economics of preventing a metabolic 00:49:08.539 --> 00:49:10.760 disease in your herd versus waiting to treat 00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:12.739 it once it's already caused damage and lost production. 00:49:13.260 --> 00:49:15.760 It's about looking at the holistic picture of 00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:18.559 your operation's financial health, not just individual 00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:21.500 line items in isolation. It's about long -term 00:49:21.500 --> 00:49:24.940 vision. So, Jake, after all that incredibly detailed 00:49:24.940 --> 00:49:27.800 and practical discussion, what's the key takeaway, 00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:30.980 the absolute most important insight for a dairy 00:49:30.980 --> 00:49:33.099 farmer listening today who's perhaps feeling 00:49:33.099 --> 00:49:35.059 both the challenge and the opportunity of this 00:49:35.059 --> 00:49:37.739 topic? The core message is undeniably clear. 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:40.880 Soil carbon management is not just another environmental 00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:43.300 regulation or a distant sustainability goal. 00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:46.539 It is simultaneously dairy's biggest climate 00:49:46.539 --> 00:49:49.440 challenge and, crucially, its greatest on -farm 00:49:49.440 --> 00:49:51.739 opportunity. Challenge and opportunity. Exactly. 00:49:51.860 --> 00:49:55.039 It offers tangible, measurable benefits for farmers 00:49:55.039 --> 00:49:57.820 that go far beyond just carbon numbers. We're 00:49:57.820 --> 00:49:59.820 talking about significantly improved drought 00:49:59.820 --> 00:50:03.420 resilience, with every 1 % increase in soil organic 00:50:03.420 --> 00:50:08.570 matter holding approximately That's money saved 00:50:08.570 --> 00:50:10.789 on irrigation and insurance against dry years. 00:50:11.010 --> 00:50:13.929 That water number again. Yeah. Huge. We're talking 00:50:13.929 --> 00:50:17.050 about genuinely reduced input costs, like less 00:50:17.050 --> 00:50:20.610 fuel consumption from fewer passes and less reliance 00:50:20.610 --> 00:50:23.750 on expensive synthetic fertilizers, leading directly 00:50:23.750 --> 00:50:27.070 to a stronger, more stable bottom line. And perhaps 00:50:27.070 --> 00:50:29.670 most importantly, it builds overall farm resilience, 00:50:29.989 --> 00:50:32.909 making your entire operation more robust and 00:50:32.909 --> 00:50:35.269 adaptable in the face of increasingly unpredictable 00:50:35.269 --> 00:50:38.230 weather patterns and volatile market fluctuations. 00:50:38.670 --> 00:50:41.389 Resilience is key these days. Absolutely. It's 00:50:41.389 --> 00:50:43.909 vital to stress that this is a journey, not an 00:50:43.909 --> 00:50:46.869 overnight, immediate transformation. You do not 00:50:46.869 --> 00:50:48.909 have to overhaul your entire operation tomorrow. 00:50:49.070 --> 00:50:51.789 Start small, perhaps with pilot areas on a few 00:50:51.789 --> 00:50:53.369 fields that you're willing to experiment with. 00:50:53.449 --> 00:50:55.130 They'll bite off more than you can chew. Right. 00:50:55.500 --> 00:50:57.500 Learn what works best on your specific farm's 00:50:57.500 --> 00:51:00.199 unique soils and climate conditions, adapt those 00:51:00.199 --> 00:51:02.420 practices based on your observations, and then 00:51:02.420 --> 00:51:04.500 scale gradually as you gain confidence and see 00:51:04.500 --> 00:51:07.260 results. The research consistently shows that 00:51:07.260 --> 00:51:09.559 small, consistent changes applied over time really 00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:12.739 do lead to significant compounding gains. Like 00:51:12.739 --> 00:51:14.579 interest in a savings account. Yes, exactly. 00:51:14.719 --> 00:51:16.579 Much like how small, incremental improvements 00:51:16.579 --> 00:51:19.099 in herd genetics compound over generations to 00:51:19.099 --> 00:51:22.900 create a truly superior herd. For you, the listener, 00:51:23.079 --> 00:51:25.519 we strongly encourage active knowledge building. 00:51:25.800 --> 00:51:28.000 Attend field days where these carbon -friendly 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:30.519 practices are being demonstrated by other farmers 00:51:30.519 --> 00:51:33.039 and researchers. Learn from peers. Connect with 00:51:33.039 --> 00:51:35.519 your local extension office or Natural Resources 00:51:35.519 --> 00:51:38.840 Conservation Service, NRCS, for soil health programs 00:51:38.840 --> 00:51:41.900 and invaluable technical assistance. Join farmer 00:51:41.900 --> 00:51:43.760 networks focused on regenerative agriculture 00:51:43.760 --> 00:51:46.619 and soil health. Peer -to -peer learning from 00:51:46.619 --> 00:51:48.719 those who are already on this path is often the 00:51:48.719 --> 00:51:50.920 most valuable resource. Tap into the community. 00:51:51.420 --> 00:51:53.699 And definitely consider a comprehensive soil 00:51:53.699 --> 00:51:55.679 health assessment to establish your baseline 00:51:55.679 --> 00:51:58.039 and accurately track your progress over time. 00:51:58.260 --> 00:52:00.219 Don't hesitate to seek out incentives available 00:52:00.219 --> 00:52:02.880 through NRCS, state -level programs, or even 00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:05.219 from milk processors and carbon market developers 00:52:05.219 --> 00:52:07.860 who are increasingly offering financial support 00:52:07.860 --> 00:52:11.079 and technical guidance for these practices. Taking 00:52:11.079 --> 00:52:14.300 a whole farm systems approach and involving your 00:52:14.300 --> 00:52:17.619 nutritionist, crop advisor, and other trusted 00:52:17.619 --> 00:52:19.579 team members in the planning process will be 00:52:19.579 --> 00:52:23.440 absolutely key to long -term success. Dr. Jed 00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:25.940 Colquhoun, Associate Dean for Extension at the 00:52:25.940 --> 00:52:28.719 University of Wisconsin -Madison, has a powerful 00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:31.159 prediction that really encapsulates the future. 00:52:31.639 --> 00:52:34.380 The dairy farms that will truly thrive in the 00:52:34.380 --> 00:52:36.860 coming decades are the ones thinking holistically 00:52:36.860 --> 00:52:40.219 about carbon. Holistically? Not just how to reduce 00:52:40.219 --> 00:52:43.420 emissions, but how to actively build and manage 00:52:43.420 --> 00:52:46.670 carbon in their soils. That's a clear and inspiring 00:52:46.670 --> 00:52:49.949 vision for the future of dairy. This deep dive 00:52:49.949 --> 00:52:52.309 has shown us that by thoughtfully reimagining 00:52:52.309 --> 00:52:54.449 your forage systems and actively focusing on 00:52:54.449 --> 00:52:57.170 building soil carbon, you can make meaningful 00:52:57.170 --> 00:52:59.750 and verifiable progress toward the industry's 00:52:59.750 --> 00:53:02.329 critical climate goals. But it's so much more 00:53:02.329 --> 00:53:04.880 than that. You can simultaneously build more 00:53:04.880 --> 00:53:07.059 resilient, more profitable, and more environmentally 00:53:07.059 --> 00:53:09.719 sound operations right there on your farm. You'll 00:53:09.719 --> 00:53:11.800 improve environmental outcomes that go far beyond 00:53:11.800 --> 00:53:14.300 just carbon, positively impacting water quality, 00:53:14.539 --> 00:53:16.820 biodiversity, and the health of your local ecosystems. 00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:20.239 You'll position yourself and your farm for emerging 00:53:20.239 --> 00:53:23.699 ecosystem service markets. And perhaps most importantly, 00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:26.619 you'll be able to tell a truly compelling, authentic 00:53:26.619 --> 00:53:30.119 sustainability story to consumers. processors, 00:53:30.239 --> 00:53:32.599 and the wider community. That story matters. 00:53:32.820 --> 00:53:35.019 It really does. There's no single one -size -fits 00:53:35.019 --> 00:53:37.539 -all solution, of course, but the journey toward 00:53:37.539 --> 00:53:39.940 carbon smart dairy is not only vital for the 00:53:39.940 --> 00:53:42.719 planet, but increasingly vital for the prosperity 00:53:42.719 --> 00:53:46.139 and longevity of your farm. The carbon that literally 00:53:46.139 --> 00:53:48.860 sustains us, that forms the building blocks of 00:53:48.860 --> 00:53:52.099 life, ultimately comes from the soil. By managing 00:53:52.099 --> 00:53:53.960 that carbon more thoughtfully, more intentionally, 00:53:54.219 --> 00:53:56.800 you can lead agricultural climate solutions or 00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:58.940 building operations that will thrive and produce 00:53:58.940 --> 00:54:01.440 for generations to come. What will your farm's 00:54:01.440 --> 00:54:04.139 carbon legacy be? Great points. And that's all 00:54:04.139 --> 00:54:06.099 the time we have for today's Deep Dive. For more 00:54:06.099 --> 00:54:09.639 articles and insights, be sure to visit www .thebullvine 00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:12.719 .com. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you 00:54:12.719 --> 00:54:15.039 get your podcasts. Thanks for listening. Thanks 00:54:15.039 --> 00:54:18.360 for joining us on the Bullvine Podcast. Today's 00:54:18.360 --> 00:54:21.000 discussion on soil carbon and dairy forage management 00:54:21.000 --> 00:54:24.500 reveals just how interconnected our farming practices 00:54:24.500 --> 00:54:27.820 are with both environmental sustainability and 00:54:27.820 --> 00:54:30.920 long -term profitability. The path to net zero 00:54:30.920 --> 00:54:33.239 emissions isn't just about meeting industry targets. 00:54:33.460 --> 00:54:35.980 It's about building farming systems that work 00:54:35.980 --> 00:54:38.599 better for your bottom line, your soil health, 00:54:38.739 --> 00:54:42.500 and your farm's future resilience. As we've heard 00:54:42.500 --> 00:54:45.929 today, the solutions are within reach. but they 00:54:45.929 --> 00:54:48.409 require us to think differently about how we 00:54:48.409 --> 00:54:52.449 manage our land and our forages. Remember, every 00:54:52.449 --> 00:54:55.090 management decision you make today shapes your 00:54:55.090 --> 00:54:58.210 farm's carbon legacy tomorrow. Keep pushing the 00:54:58.210 --> 00:55:00.989 boundaries, stay informed about the latest research, 00:55:01.170 --> 00:55:04.010 and never stop asking the tough questions about 00:55:04.010 --> 00:55:07.210 how we can do better. Until next time, this is 00:55:07.210 --> 00:55:09.570 The Bullvine, where progressive thinking meets 00:55:09.570 --> 00:55:11.989 profitable farming. Keep innovating.