Sustainability isn't just about the environment. Experts say carbon scores can help dairy farmers measure efficiency, improve management, and meet growing marketplace expectations.

Teri Barr talks with Grace Moeller, manager of sustainability initiatives with the National Milk Producers Federation to learn how it could be an important management tool for your farm. 

Sustainability isn't just about the environment. Experts say carbon scores can help dairy farmers measure efficiency, improve management, and meet growing marketplace expectations.
Teri Barr talks with Grace Moeller, manager of sustainability initiatives with the National Milk Producers Federation to learn how it could be an important management tool for your farm.&nbsp;

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

How Sustainability Goals Can Start on the Farm

The Junior National Hereford Expo is a week-long event that brings an opportunity for kids to showcase their cattle as well as their talents. The event itself rotates across the country every year, and this year, it's taking place in Madison. An event of this magnitude can't be pulled off without the generous support of many people. Jaclyn Bevans sat down with me. She's a board member of the National Hereford Women, as well as a mother, farmer, and a wife. National Hereford Women is one of the organizations that supports Junior Hereford activities both during the Junior Nationals, as well as all year long. She tells us what their mission is.

The Junior National Hereford Expo is a week-long event that brings an opportunity for kids to showcase their cattle as well as their talents. The event itself rotates across the country every year, and this year, it's taking place in Madison. An event of this magnitude can't be pulled off without the generous support of many people. Jaclyn Bevans sat down with me. She's a board member of the National Hereford Women, as well as a mother, farmer, and a wife. National Hereford Women is one of the organizations that supports Junior Hereford activities both during the Junior Nationals, as well as all year long. She tells us what their mission is.

Hereford Association Brings More Than Cattle To Madison

The hosts for the 2026 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, No Joke Dairy in Stratford, are examples of what a partnership with Focus on Energy can accomplish.

Pam Jahnke visits with Matt Redetzke, one of the brothers farming, about their fifth-generation family farm in Marathon County.  Through careful planning with Focus on Energy, the farm has achieved considerable savings on several projects around the farm. Focus on Energy Advisor, Kevin Weiler, explains the amount of energy saved - and the money that was kept in the farm families pocket!

 

Energy Efficiency Upgrades with Focus on Energy

No Joke Dairy has implemented a series of energy-saving improvements in partnership with Focus
on Energy:
• Livestock Waterers (Installed in 2022 and 2023)
o Installed new waterers that use less electricity and keep water from freezing in winter.
The cows always have clean water to drink, even during the colder months. These
waterers save money on energy bills and keep the animals comfortable.

• LED Exterior Lighting (2023)
o Replaced exterior lights with LED lights. LEDs make outdoor areas safer for everyone
and last longer, reducing the need to replace them as often.
• Refrigeration Heat Recovery (RHR) System (2020)
o Installed an RHR system that takes heat from the milk-cooling process and uses it to
warm water for the farm. The farm needs less electricity or fuel to make hot water
for cleaning.

• Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Vacuum Pump (2019)
o Upgraded to a vacuum pump with a VFD to allow the milking system to run at the power
needed, instead of at full power all the time. This reduces electricity use and extends
equipment life.

• High-Bay LED Fixtures (2019)
o Improved lighting inside the barn with high-bay LED fixtures to create a brighter, safer
workspace while using less energy than traditional high-intensity lamps.

The hosts for the 2026 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, No Joke Dairy in Stratford, are examples of what a partnership with <a href="https://focusonenergy.com/business/agribusiness">Focus on Energy</a> can accomplish.
Pam Jahnke visits with Matt Redetzke, one of the brothers farming, about their fifth-generation family farm in Marathon County.&nbsp; Through careful planning with Focus on Energy, the farm has achieved considerable savings on several projects around the farm. <a href="https://focusonenergy.com/business/agribusiness">Focus on Energy</a> Advisor, Kevin Weiler, explains the amount of energy saved - and the money that was kept in the farm families pocket!
&nbsp;
Energy Efficiency Upgrades with Focus on Energy No Joke Dairy has implemented a series of energy-saving improvements in partnership with Focus on Energy: &bull; Livestock Waterers (Installed in 2022 and 2023) o Installed new waterers that use less electricity and keep water from freezing in winter. The cows always have clean water to drink, even during the colder months. These waterers save money on energy bills and keep the animals comfortable.
&bull; LED Exterior Lighting (2023) o Replaced exterior lights with LED lights. LEDs make outdoor areas safer for everyone and last longer, reducing the need to replace them as often. &bull; Refrigeration Heat Recovery (RHR) System (2020) o Installed an RHR system that takes heat from the milk-cooling process and uses it to warm water for the farm. The farm needs less electricity or fuel to make hot water for cleaning.
&bull; Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Vacuum Pump (2019) o Upgraded to a vacuum pump with a VFD to allow the milking system to run at the power needed, instead of at full power all the time. This reduces electricity use and extends equipment life.
&bull; High-Bay LED Fixtures (2019) o Improved lighting inside the barn with high-bay LED fixtures to create a brighter, safer workspace while using less energy than traditional high-intensity lamps.

Kevin Weiler - Matt Redetzke - 7-15-26

The mantra behind many of the most successful big events is "many hands make light work." The same is true for Farm Technology Days. I sat down and talked with one of the many volunteers, Maria Meyer. And she's not just a volunteer, her family is widely involved across the event. She tells us what brought her to sign up.

The mantra behind many of the most successful big events is "many hands make light work." The same is true for Farm Technology Days. I sat down and talked with one of the many volunteers, Maria Meyer. And she's not just a volunteer, her family is widely involved across the event. She tells us what brought her to sign up.

How Sustainability Goals Can Start on the Farm

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