Cows. They are the modest hero in the food system sustainability game that people completely overlook. And worse, misunderstand. Feeding cows to produce dairy and beef is not a waste of land or resources. They tend to give more than they take, and add value at multiple points in the process. Their manure provides natural fertilizer to grow food and feed crops. They produce some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet for us to enjoy via dairy and beef (and all kinds of other stuff we want and need, nothing goes to waste). In the process of doing that, they save tons and tons of plant-based food byproducts from becoming landfill waste.
Here's a look at how cows ultimately take what would be waste products from food and energy production, and "upcycle" them into nutrient dense dairy. We work with our bovine nutritionist to mix these ration ingredients so they deliver the right ratio of nutrients to keep cows healthy and producing milk.
Isn't it fascinating how cows enrich our entire food system and solve problems? A Coulee Flats Dairy we make this happen at scale, and similar practices are employed all across the country. Here in the pacific northwest we have an abundance and variety of other crops and plant-based food processing. When we look at it this way, it's obvious how cows are such an integral part of making our food system better and more sustainable.