Cow Lab: Not Your Average Herd
It’s a cow’s life
Not only do our cows enjoy a pasture-raised lifestyle, they are also active participants in an exciting experiment with seaweed. By integrating seaweed into their diets, we hope to show that methane emissions can be restrained while leveraging the resources of our local coastal environment.
Cows burp — a lot!
Methane, released through burping, is a byproduct of a cow’s natural digestion process. At the global level, methane has 30 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas.
With over 1.4 billion cows in the world, using seaweed to reduce methane emissions could minimize the impact of this greenhouse gas and greatly contribute to the prevention of further global warming.
How does one measure cow burps?
On the farm, the tasty seaweed supplements are fed to the cows before and after milking in the morning and evening. As the cows approach the feeder to get their treat, we use a special gas measurement system called a GreenFeed*.
The machine detects each cow by their RFID ear tag; it then measures the methane and other gases emitted as they enjoy their snack. We also collect overall health data to make sure our girls continue to be happy and healthy.
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Learn more about this important research
Our work at Wolfe’s Neck Center
Wolfe’s Neck Center is part of an initiative called the Coast-Cow-Consumer Project (C3). Led by Bigelow Laboratory and other project partners, C3 aims to evaluate the linkages between certain seaweed compounds and methane suppression in cows. Over the next five years, we will assess the impacts of this new diet in key areas including methane emissions, manure, soil health, and milk production and quality.
The Wolfe’s Neck Center’s Organic Dairy Research and Training Program is part of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, a National Apprenticeship under the U.S. Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration. This two-year residential program consists of 4,000 hours of training. These apprentices work with our herd of Jersey and Holstein cows, about 30+ milking cows at any given time.
Through our dairy farming platform, the goal of our apprenticeship program is to prepare food systems leaders to be successful, taking with them the mindset, skills, and experience they have gained at Wolfe’s Neck Center. The unique team atmosphere allows for peer-to-peer mentoring, as well as opportunities for professional development. This program was launched in partnership with Stonyfield.
