Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Dairy Farmers Switch Feed to Curb Burps

By Drew Nelles, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 21, 2009 3:01 PM CDT

(Newser) – Vermont dairy farmers are changing their cows’ diets in an effort to fight climate change, the AP reports. Milk production accounts for 2% of the country’s greenhouse gases, the vast majority of which comes from the methane-rich burps of cattle. Now, 16 farms working with Stonyfield Farm Inc. are feeding their cows a gas-reducing mix of flaxseed, alfalfa, and grasses instead of soy and corn.

"It's just the right thing to do," an industry rep says. One farm has already reduced belching by 18%, and there are plenty of other benefits to the new feed mix. The cows’ coats look shinier, and they have fewer foot and stomach problems. Plus, it hasn’t cost the farmers a dime extra.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (1)]

This June 16, 2009 photo shows a Holstein cow at Coventry Valley Farm in Coventry, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm wants its cows to burp less. It's for a noble cause: cutting down on the gases that contribute to global warming. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

This June 16, 2009 photo shows Tim Maikshilo posing with one of his young Holsteins in Coventry, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Working with 15 Vermont farms to change cows' diets so they emit less methane, Stonyfield Farms has already reduced cow burping by as much as 18%. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

I just figured a cow was a cow and they were going to do whatever they were going to do in terms of cow things for gas. - Kristen Dellert, farmer

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Which Entertainer Pulled Out of 'Inappropriate' Whitney Tribute? (NewsOne)

The French Government Wants to Tone My Vagina (Slate)

Obama Photo on Facebook Helps Catch Drug Dealer (HuffPost)

Hottest Women to Ever Appear in the SI Swimsuit Issue (Bleacher Report)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 5 comments

browzman

Jun 24, 2009 12:49 PM CDT

Food for human consumption should also contain ingredients to decrease burping. News on human green gases is not as prevalent as that of cows.

Jes

Jun 22, 2009 5:06 AM CDT

"In Defense of Food" is another good book to check out. Cows are also fed corn because it fattens them up quicker. The feed mix they are talking about now is closer to what a cow's natural diet should be; corn is actually bad for most livestock, especially with the proportion of their diet it constitutes. That's why they get indigestion and belch and fart, why they are constantly sick and need antibiotics. It is really bizarre that the standard feed for so many animals is corn at all.

riffran

Jun 22, 2009 2:03 AM CDT

and the cow goes..."Here...pull my hoof"...pbbbbbt..... :)

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

Valentine's Day Role-Playing Goes Very Wrong

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

Utah dairy farmers face tough times
Salt Lake Tribune

EU may help milk industry
Bloomberg

US • Green

climate change • greenhouse gases • gas • Vermont • cows • methane • dairy

More Newser Stories

Study: 14 Practical Steps Can Slow Climate Change

Try ditching wood cook stoves in developing world

(NEWSER) - Just because the world can't agree on a battle plan against carbon dioxide doesn't mean we can't take big strides against climate change, scientists say. In fact, a dozen or so relatively simple steps could cut global warming by nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit by mid-century, a process that could save countless lives and increase crop production, a study in Science asserts. That's because carbon dioxide isn't the only problem: Methane and soot are big contributors to climate change, too, the Washington Post reports. More»

Evangelical Preaches Gospel of Global Warming

West Texas scientist aims to win over skeptics

(NEWSER) - Who better to talk about global warming in West Texas than an evangelical Christian? That's what gives geoscientist Katharine Hayhoe an edge in her crusade to convince people around Lubbock, Texas, that greenhouse gases are harming the environment, the Miami Herald reports. "People ask me if I believe in global warming," says the Texas Tech professor. "I tell them, 'No, I don't,' because belief is faith. ... Science is evidence of things seen." More»

Greenhouse Gases Surging: US Report

Carbon dioxide emissions take biggest jump on record

(NEWSER) - Carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases continued to build in the atmosphere last year, a federal report finds: Between 2009 and 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s yearly index of greenhouse gases—which measures said gases' combined heating effect—jumped 1.5%, to 1.29. It has climbed 29% since 1990, the Los Angeles Times reports. That number isn't the equivalent to a change in our temperature in degrees, but as it rises, so too does our warming potential, says a NOAA director. More»

California OKs Cap-and-Trade

Other states are watching to see how well program works

(NEWSER) - California became the first state in the nation to adopt its own cap-and-trade system yesterday, as its Air Resources Board voted unanimously to approve the regulations. The vote came after a grueling eight-hour meeting filled with the opinions of angry union members, disapproving industry representatives, and miscellaneous plan supporters, the LA Times reports. After the board finally held the vote, chairman Mary Nichols announced, “We’ve done something important.” More»

Burning Coal Slowed Climate Change: Study

Sulfur pollution masked effect of CO2 emissions

(NEWSER) - The vast amounts of coal China burned during the 2000s may have actually slowed down climate change, according to a new study. Researchers believe the sulfur pollution caused by burning coal deflected the sun's rays, causing a temporary plateau in warming, the AP reports. But while sulfur drops out of the air quickly, carbon dioxide, another byproduct, remains for a long time—and carbon dioxide's warming effects are beginning to be visible again. Temperatures lurched upward in 2009 and 2010, the study finds. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website