Idaho’s dairy industry can get a leg up on reducing methane emissions with a $3.1 million project funded by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

The funding comes with about $1.6 million in private partner contributions.

The grant was awarded to Newtrient LLC to coordinate the project aimed at increasing the adoption of technologies and practices to reduce methane emissions on dairy farms and providing a market for farmers to sell those carbon credits.

Newtrient, based in Rosemont, Ill., is focused on driving high-yielding methane-reducing outcomes through manure management and feed additives and has identified three companies within Idaho’s dairy supply chain that are committed to purchasing methane reductions.

Manure and enteric emissions contribute more that 60% of a dairy farm’s greenhouse gas emissions, said Jamie Vander Molen Boehl, Newtrient’s manager of sustainable initiatives.

Private partners

Schreiber Foods, Glanbia Nutritional and another soon-to-be-announced company within Idaho’s dairy supply chain have committed about $1.6 million to the project.

“I think what makes this project in Idaho so interesting is that it matches public and private dollars to make meaningful change,” she said.

There is a list of NRCS practices for manure management and feed additives that Nutrient will focus on to put on about 10 farms in Idaho to reduce methane emissions by 37,500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over about a three-year period, she said.

The project is targeting 12,000 to 12,500 cows.

Technical assistance

The project will help farms adopt technologies that have a significant impact on the farms’ and the industry’s environmental footprint, she said.

“From a producer’s perspective … it’s really great incentive to participate because the farm gets 100% of the technical assistance needed paid for,” she said.

The farms will get technical assistance and support throughout the entire process to help them adopt a new technology or practice on their farm. In addition, up to 75% of the implementation costs will be paid for, and partner contributions will help pay for the other 25% of implementation costs, she said.

“So adopting these technologies and practices through this program is very risk-free to any of the farms … participating, and hopefully they provide some great economic results and environmental results and also learnings for other farms,” she said.

Participation

Newtrient hopes to package the technologies, practices and what is learned to help other farms adopt them down the road, she said.

Newtrient has been contacted by some interested producers. The company will go through a process with Glanbia to identify interested farmers and to ensure they are NRCS eligible to participate. Underserved farmers will take priority.

“We know there’s a lot of farmers who are interested in adopting technologies and practices in the manure space and the feed additive space … but we’re going to have to go through a process to make sure we’re selecting farms that fit the program and that are also just incredibly excited … and eager,” she said.

There is still some work to be done with NRCS, and Newtrient is awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval of Elanco’s Bovaer feed additive, she said.

“But I’m really hopeful that by midyear we’ll be able to kick this off in a significant way,” she said.