Did you know that about 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas–or GHG–emissions come from
farming and livestock*? We know we’re part of that number, and we know GHG emissions
contribute to climate change and global warming. So we’re stepping up to reduce our
GHG output, or carbon footprint.
*US EPA “Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”
Highland Dairy Farm
Soil that’s healthy not only grows nutritious grasses and crops, it also helps trap carbon underground, keeping it out of the atmosphere. We're investing in regenerative agriculture practices to increase soil health on over 54,000 acres of organic land.
Bonobus Family Farm
We all know cows are culprits–they can’t help it. The GHG methane is a natural by-product of their digestion, which comes out as burps. We’re exploring ways to optimize their diets to reduce how much methane they make. Improving manure storage and handling can also curb the release of GHGs.
We optimize our milk pickup routes among our network of farmer partners, as well as our distribution routes to retailers across the country. This helps cut down the distance driven, saving fuel and cutting GHG emissions. We’ve also signed on to the BSR ™ Sustainable Fuel Buyers principles, to encourage the transition to low-carbon fuels.
Fair Hill Farm
We’re committed to using 100% renewable electricity at our owned milk processing plants by buying renewable energy certificates and sourcing from power purchase agreements.
Turner Family Farm
Our carton packaging is widely recyclable, and we’re members of the Recycling Partnership, a national non-profit transforming recycling for good. You can find the How2Recyle logo with proper recycling instructions on our packaging.
These farming methods do a lot! In 2021, the farmer partners enrolled in our Regenerative Agriculture Program had a big impact**.
fewer tons of CO2e***
the same as taking 1,626 cars off the road for a year, or 41 rail cars of coal saved from being burned.
tons of soil carbon
trapped underground
tons of soil saved from
being lost through erosion
the same as 954 dump truck
loads of soil
**Compared to an average conventional tillage, no cover crop farm scenario, per acre basis. 2021 Regenerative Agriculture Program results verified by Sustainable Environmental Consultants.
***What is CO2e? It stands for "carbon dioxide equivalent." While carbon dioxide is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, it's not the only one. (Take methane from cows, for example.) CO2e basically brings all greenhouse gases into one measurement.
Our Growing Years® milks are certified carbon neutral through the Carbon Trust. To achieve this, first we work on reducing our milk’s carbon emissions at the source. Then, we carefully choose offsets to cover the remaining footprint. We work with The Nature Conservancy to purchase carbon offsets from projects that conserve and improve management of forests in the eastern U.S. and also provide educational opportunities for students with a passion for the environment. These carefully considered offsets help make our carbon neutral certification possible.
