Francisco Peñagaricano, with the University of Wisconsin – Madison, believes selective breeding could provide practical and effective options for dairy farmers seeking to mitigate emissions from their future herds.

From consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and carbon-conscious conglomerates to even the Vatican, who hosted a ‘Climate Resilience” conference in May of this year, sustainability’s hold on economic, environmental, and societal discussions is tight.

Feed additives have been highlighted as the best way to reduce enteric methane emissions in the short term due to their ease of applicability in a dairy farm. Typically, additives account for less than 1% of a dairy cow’s diet, but they have a drastic impact on enteric methane – up to 30% on commercial farms.

In this week's news, the Senate Republicans announce their farm bill priorities, ag-related legislation is introduced, Wisconsin sets influenza A testing requirements for exhibition and more.

From methane reduction and greenhouse gas programs to nutrition programs and NASS surveys, here is the week's news to wrap up May 2024.

As we begin this week with Earth Day, much of the news in our Weekly Digest highlights conservation and planet-friendly efforts being made within the dairy industry.

Native Microbials was recently awarded a $1.4 million grant from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The announcement was made by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as part of the USDA's effort to find partners that develop innovative approaches to climate-smart agriculture.