How Dairy Farmers Reuse Water

Water—we drink it, splash it. We float in it, bathe in it. We warm it, we chill it, we bottle it. What don’t we do with it?

Water is everywhere and we need it for so many things. Not only does it hydrate us and adorable animals, but it plays an important role in the foods we eat.

Of course plant and animal-based foods including dairy NEED water to grow to create the foods we love that SUSTAIN us. But, did you know one gallon of water on a dairy farm can be reused up to four times? Incredible. Dairy farmers legit make every last drop count. Here’s how:

• Reusing and recycling water is standard practice on today’s dairy farms, starting with chilling milk. Because milk leaves a cow’s body at 101 degrees, it needs to quickly chill to refrigerator temperature. Cold water that runs through stainless steel pipes acts as a cooling system in the farm’s milking parlor to quickly chill it to about 38 degrees, keeping it fresh from the farm to your refrigerator.
• Water that is used to cool milk goes on to be used to flush dairy barns, keeping the cows’ home clean or to keep cows hydrated. Keeping cows hydrated keeps them healthy and helps them produce nutritious and delicious milk.
• Finally, that water used to clean the barns is recaptured as a natural, nutrient-rich resource to irrigate crops.

Learn more about how dairy farmers are taking care of us, the community, and the planet https://www.conquerwithmilk.org/dairy-farming-and-sustainability/