10/25/2021
'Cow power' helps dairy farm run on renewable energy
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese has built a business the entire dairy industry wants to emulate. The farm uses methane from cow manure to produce electricity to run its dairy operation and cheese factory. Mark Crave said his family’s farm also produces enough extra electricity to supply “about 300 typical Wisconsin homes." The operation is a success story, but it can't necessarily be replicated on other farms or ranches. You need two main things: Lots of money, and plenty of manure.
■Class discussion: How much could innovations like these reduce climate change? What other “waste” could produce power? Would you go out of your way to buy products from companies that use sustainable methods? Would you be willing to pay more for those products? Many environmentalists say we should change what we eat to help cut greenhouse emissions. How much energy and water does it take to produce a pound of beef? How does that compare with a pound of pork, chicken or farmed fish?