Some may call it a trailblazing enterprise with a strong commitment to stewardship and productivity, but if you ask owner Jerry Huth, he’ll crack a smile and say it’s more of a “4-H project run amok.”

In the big picture of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contribution of livestock is relatively small.

Using feed additives to reduce enteric methane emissions from dairy cows is getting a lot of press lately. Scientific evidence with promising results is growing rapidly. 

In the U.S., agricultural greenhouse gas emissions were about 9.9% of the nation’s total emissions according to the 2022 report by the EPA. Methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management represent 26.9% and 9.2%, respectively, of total methane emissions from anthropogenic activities in the nation.

Grazing systems have been targeted as a source of greenhouse gas emissions due to high-forage diets and decreased forage quality.