The Loup Valley Dairy uses the principles of life-cycle assessment to identify sustainable farming practices. The plant, located in central Nebraska, covers 370 acres with 140 milking cows.

The land is owned by two farmers, Monty Birnie and Jim Jenkins, and has belonged to their family for five generations. It has been used for various purposes including growing corn and providing range land for beef.

A few years ago the two farmers realized that the conventional farming techniques they were practicing were having a detrimental effect on the land. Erosion was on the increase, and the high inputs of chemicals were affecting wildlife.

Their concern over these impacts led them to consider alternative practices, in the belief that it would be possible to make a living working with nature rather than against it, and that 'ecological farming principles could lead to higher profits in spite of lower yields'.

A switch from artificial hormones and antibiotic feeding were phased out in favour of a completely grass-fed approach, which provides its own winter grazing. Milk production is comparable to that of conventional dairies, the owners claim, and the lower inputs of chemicals help to keep down costs.

In 1999 they adopted an intensively managed, rotational grazing approach, moving the animals frequently between fields. Life-cycle assessment was used for the first time to evaluate the environmental impacts of the dairy, as part of a comprehensive farm management plan.

Loup Valley Dairy is a member of the Institute for Environmental Research and Education (IERE) Community Environmental Management System. This programme is based on the ISO 14000 environmental management system standards, plus a commitment to public disclosure, and provides eco-labels to farms based on their products' environmental performance.

The dairy's environmental policy follows the ISO 14000 framework even though it is not officially certified. The farm plan includes an annual evaluation of all the environmental impacts on and off-farm, using a life cycle assessment. The LCA method 'helps us to see the full picture of our environmental impacts', explains Birnie.

Based on its initial LCA, Loup Valley Dairy set the following environmental goals for the year 2000:

• Eliminate confined feeding;
• Eliminate the use of 'sub-clinical' antibiotics;
• Eliminate the use of artificial hormones;
• Minimize the use of grains in feeds;
• Return pasture to native grass species;
• Protect waterways from cattle access;
• Greatly reduce the use of fossil fuels;
• Minimize the use of irrigation;
• Minimize external inputs;
• Repair and regenerate the soil through intensive management grazing.

The dairy produces an annual report each year summarizing its environmental goals and objectives, and to record its achievements. In particular, the report sets out:

• The environmental aspects of the farm;
• Related environmental impacts;
• Whether they are significant;
• What activities underlie these environmental impacts.

The farmers identified the following environmental impacts: air pollution from burning fossil fuels; use of electricity, water, pesticides, antibiotics and fertilizers; solid waste; the purchase of feed; manure spreading; cultivating; movements of cattle; and fencing.

The managers initially focused on impacts related to on-farm activities. The collection of data is ongoing.  They expect that the greater detail this provides will enable them to draw up off-farm management plans.

So far the results are good, says Birnie. Achievements to date include:

• The use of artificial hormones and sub-clinical antibiotic feeding has been eliminated;
• More land area is covered with native grasses;
• Fallow periods of at least two years have been established, during which the land can be recolonised by native species;
• A reduction in the amount of winter feed purchased;
• Progress towards a completely grass-fed approach;
• A reduction in the amount of herbicide used to control weeds.

The dairy is fully compliant with the relevant environmental regulations, and practises pollution prevention, particularly in relation to pest management and nutrient management. The farmers consider compliance as a baseline requirement for environmental sustainability, and are using ISO 14000 environmental management as one tool to help move in that direction.

Contact: Monty Birnie

Tel: 1-308 836 2702

E-mail: birnies@gpcom.net