Cows are ruminants- animals able to eat grass because of special bacteria in their unique four-compartment stomachs. These bacteria help the cows digest tough plant materials, particularly the carbohydrate cellulose, which is the component that gives plant stalks their strength and upright structure. However, as these bacteria aid in digestion, they also produce methane gas, which the cows burp out into the atmosphere. Methane gas is a “greenhouse gas” that contributes to global warming. It has been estimated that beef cattle and dairy cows are responsible for nearly 2o% of the atmospheric methane produced by the United States!
Stonyfield Farm, one of the country’s leading yogurt brands and a longtime champion of environmentally sound farming practices, heard these statistics and decided to make a change. They teamed up with scientists from their parent company, Groupe Danone, as well as from the University of Vermont, to determine how they could reduce Stonyfield’s methane emissions.
The solutions they found? Pump new bacteria into the cows’s stomachs… OR, feed them grasses as nature intended!
“Tim Maikshilo and his wife, Kristen Dellert [Stonyfield farmers], hold one of their Holsteins in Coventry, Vt.” Picture by AP/Tony Talbot
That’s right! Just by switching their cows from a corn diet to a grass diet, Stonyfield dairy farmers in Vermont reduced their cows’ methane emissions up to 18%! On top of that, the change didn’t affect their feed costs appreciably, and their vet bills have gone down too!
By feeding our cows ONLY grass, Ohio Organic Family Farms is trying to do the right thing for your health, our health, our cows’ health, and the health of the environment. We greatly appreciate your support in this endeavor!
SOURCES/LEARN MORE:
http://www.epa.gov/rlep/faq.html
http://www.cantonrep.com/business/x998779079/Cows-burp-less-on-a-green-diet
http://www.epa.gov/methane/scientific.html
