Rutgers cattle farm installs unique, vertical solar panels
Plus, U.S. dairy to test methane gas scrubber for cattle barns
Rutgers University’s animal research farm recently installed more than 375 vertical, bifacial solar panels. These panels generate electricity whether the sun hits the front or the back of each panel.
This design contrasts with typical south-facing, fixed-tilt arrays that leave little room in the field for agricultural or horticultural operations. University scientists will study the new design to better understand how they allow for a variety of different farming practices while generating solar power.
Read more here.
Afimilk (Sponsor)
Coming in 2025: the next giant leap in dairy profitability. Imagine cutting your dairy’s biggest expense – Afimilk can make it happen.
U.S. dairy to test methane gas scrubber for confined barns
A unique air-scrubbing system for methane emissions in confined barns will be tested on a dairy in Indiana. The system uses a gas-phase photochemical process that combines chlorine atoms and UV light in a reaction chamber, mimicking a natural process of methane destruction in the atmosphere. As dairy barn air is cycled through the system, it breaks down methane, preventing its release into the ambient air. The chlorine atoms are generated onsite via electrolysis of saltwater, and after eradicating 80% to 90% of the methane, the chlorine is recycled in a closed system.
Read more about the system here.
Cool stuff at World Dairy Expo 2024
Progressive Dairy editors recently published their annual recap of “cool” new technology on display at World Dairy Expo. See what made their list here.
Rumin8 gains another regulatory approval
An Australian climate technology company is expanding its methane-reducing supplements to another country. Rumin8 recently announced regulatory approval to feed the solid feed or water-delivered formulations of methane-inhibiting products to cattle in Brazil. This marks the third country where the company has received regulatory approval, adding to approvals in New Zealand and Australia. The company was also recently featured in MIT’s Technology Review.
Read more about it here.
Innovation Hub Summit to be livestreamed
The University of Wisconsin – Madison’s annual Dairy Innovation Hub Summit will be livestreamed this year. Consider registering to participate virtually and learn more about their recent work. In addition to research presentations, there will be a session dedicated to on-farm dairy tech implementation, highlighting farmers and service providers who are using the hub’s research outcomes.
Click here to register for virtual attendance.
Will a technology specialist soon fill a position on your ranch?
Technological advances are steadily making their way further into the livestock production sector. Due to the speed of innovation, they’re not always simple and easy to understand or employ. Will this trend require a new and unique staff position?
Read more here.
U.S. cattle group opposes mRNA vaccine technologies
A cattle organization representing 10,000 cattle producers in the U.S. has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to the use of mRNA vaccines for cattle. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association recently published its stance against the commercial use of mRNA vaccines in cattle. The association says until or unless “scientifically sound raw data is available for open review by researchers with no conflicts of interest and publicly available research studies are published and peer-reviewed on the short- and long-term health, safety and fertility effects” of mRNA vaccines, they should not be used.
Read more here.
Dairy profit projections from ZISK
Projected profitability for the next 12 months for two dairy herd sizes DECLINED in recent profit projections from ZISK.
ZISK is a profit projection smartphone app that tracks individual dairy farm profitability based on current CME board prices. Projections for a 1,000-cow dairy producing an average of 80 pounds of milk per cow and a 2,500-cow dairy producing an average of 85 pounds of milk per cow are provided.
12-month dairy farm profit projections (as of Oct. 10, 2024):
1,000-cow dairy = $1.078 million (DOWN about $122,000 since the middle of summer)
2,500-cow dairy = $3.506 million (DOWN about $323,000 since the middle of summer)