Milk VS Water

Dairy Farming in Vermont and its effects on water pollution.
By: Morgan Peterson

Cattle on Pasture

Burlington, VT. People need to eat to survive, which is an undisputed fact. What we eat and how we make the food we consume is not an undisputed fact since many people choose to eat and make their food differently. Recently, farming in general has been put under the spotlight again with its practices. The state of Vermont has a reputation to uphold of practicing green farming. Dairy farming has been a huge part of the Vermont culture and draws attention to this small state.  Everywhere in the world it is hard to keep track of people, places, and things; especially when it comes to environmental regulation.  Regulation is key to reducing the way that dairy farming in Vermont has been contributing to water pollution. With government intervention and more awareness on these farmers to change the ways that they get rid of their waste will help the Vermont environment as a whole.

The Issue:

Algae Blooms seen from kayak

Phosphorus is a natural chemical that is found in Lake Champlain and needed for certain species of animals and plants to grow. However, when too much phosphorus runs into the lake, then nuisance plants and algae blooms can occur. These plants and blooms can kill off the existing organisms within the lake and causes a large shift in the environmental life.  Also, when runoff from farms and other sources occur, harmful bacteria and viruses can cause people to become sick.  Saint Michael’s College environmental studies student Amanda Kellner said regarding dairy farming runoff, “The accumulation of so much manure in rivers and lakes has caused massive blue-green algae blooms throughout the state which is a hazard not only to the health of people and pets, but also the health of aquatic ecosystems and our tourism industry.” Lake Champlain is a connector of many freshwater ways within Vermont that account for drinking water and to irrigate crops. When Lake Champlain is polluted than it forms a cycle that in the end is harmful to Vermonters.

At the moment, Lake Champlain does not meet federal and state regulations for clean water. Even though a 100 million dollar cleanup campaign happened, parts of the lake are still troubled by these algae blooms. According to James Maroney, former organic dairy farmer and citizen activist towards clean water, “We are in an historic moment right now, Vermont could become the leading state in the nation for organic farming practices and how it works to help the environment and the farmer.”  Maroney moved from New York City to Vermont to start his own family dairy farm. They immediately knew that they wanted to have an organic farm. Since then, he has become a devoted activist in changing state regulations and educating the public to start becoming more organic to clean up Vermont’s water.  Dairy Farming itself is something that Vermont prides itself on and something that the state uses to promote the ideal of Vermont as a charming farming state. However, “If our waters aren't healthy, we can't be healthy and people will stop wanting to visit our beautiful state,” said Kellner.

Regulations:

The Vilas Bridge over Bellows Falls Gorge

The Vermont Department of Agriculture website  stated ,“The fertilizer program provides for the registration, inspection and analysis of all commercial fertilizer products sold in Vermont. The purpose of the inspection and analysis is to ensure that fertilizer users are receiving a product that meets the chemical guarantee specified by the labeling.” This is one way that the state of Vermont regulates the run off from dairy farms. By limiting the use of fertilizers they are cutting down on harmful chemicals running into the lake. Another step that has recently been debated and passed through the Vermont House of Representatives is a new water bill.  Governor Peter Shumlin is now planning on taking this act to the Environmental Protection Agency to help clean up Vermonts waterways. The proposed plan is designed to cut phosphorus runoff from farms into Lake Champlain. 

Dairy Farm

John Maille grew up on Maille Farm in Shelburne, Vermont and says that Vermont has passed many laws that Dairy Farmers follow in regards to this issue, “Vermont does have laws on winter farm spreading which bands spreading from Dec. 15 through April 1.  So you have less runoff from the snow and melting and frozen ground.  There is also rules for bigger farms in Vermont with Nutrient Management practices which farmers keep records of crops and fields that manure is spread and then send the information to the Dept. of Agriculture in Vermont.”

Bob Kennet, of Liberty Hill Farm, agreed with Mailles statement that Vermont helps the farmers know what is new in the laws of the land, “Vermont department of Agriculture  is good at letting us know what the regulations are and working with us to deal with regulations. I don’t think at this point in time we are under stress from government regulations, we are aware of them and do work to follow them. Vermont legislatures are aware of how much time and effort we put into stewardship of the land which helps when it comes to regulations.” However, one of the biggest issues for regulations is getting them approved through the government and most importantly through the farmers. “Farmers know the land and legislators know how to make the laws, farmers don’t want the government coming to their farms and trying to tell them how to run things,” said Maroney. Most farmers have taken it upon themselves to help with halting runoff into the lake. In the end, it all comes down to economics. Brian Perron, member of the Michaud family who run Kingdom Creamery of Vermont, a family owned large-scale farm, “The cost of milk has stayed basically the same for the past few years, while the price of feed has gone up (which is true regardless of whether or not you go organic), we could not go organic just because it is not cost efficient right now.” Farmers want to help make a difference in their state when it comes to issues like water pollution but cannot take the sometimes extreme measures in changing the entire way they run a farm.

Solutions:

A lot of Dairy Farmers in Vermont are very conscience about runoff. Such is the case of Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, VT. Bob Kennet, owner and farmer of Liberty Hill Farm said that there farm has “A buffer zone around the fields that is about 30-50 feet to filter any water off the field. We take care of the cow manure within 24-48 hours so it’s not exposed to drain to run off. There are no pesticides allowed in Vermont so we use a herbicide to control weeds and fertilizers that today have a coating for a slow release so when it rains its released over a time period. In the winter we grow winter rye as a cover crop so always roots on the surface which helps slow the movement of runoff.”Maroney, Kennet, and  Kellner know that dairy farmers want to help their neighbors and the environment but are looking towards regulations to show them how to help. “The missing piece is education for farmers about why it's important to only spread their fields at certain times of the year, why they need to put so much effort into containing their manure pits, and how they can help reduce runoff with the creation of green buffers between their fields and the waterways and keeping their cows out of streams,” said Kellner.

For farmers like Jeff Boissoneault of Boissoneault Farms, taking the necessary steps to keep control of runoff is something of big importance.  They take the same measures that Liberty Hill Farm does with different steps to control the runoff from the land. Some farms such as Stony Pond Farm have even installed a wind mill to use cleaner energy. There are also things such as a Manure Digester that uses aerobic substances to decrease the phosphorus and other chemicals within manure which cause algae blooms and other environmental impacts in Lake Champlain. Once manure has gone through this process, it can be disposed of properly or even used as an energy resource. Vermont state also has a manure spreading ban that they put into effect from December 15^th to the spring. This is another way that Vermont farmers and legislators try to curb the pollution from runoff into Lake Champlain.

Conclusion: 

Manure Digester

“We can feed plenty of people organically,” Maroney said, “since barely 1% of the nation’s milk comes from Vermont.” In the end, switching to organic practices could be the way to save Lake Champlain and Vermont's watershed from the ever growing algae blooms. With farmers coming together with governmental agencies to help follow through with regulations that will benefit the environment and also benefit the farmer economically, Vermont could become a leading state in environmental farming. With farmers like Bob Kennet and the Michauds, informed young adults like Amanda Kellner and John Maille,  and activists like James Maroney, dairy farming in Vermont will survive. It is important to know that dairy farming is not the only contributing factor to pollution of Lake Champlain, however, it is an area that most Vermonters have knowledge of. We can continue the long family tradition of dairy farming but with a needed twist.

The Michaud Family

Bibliography:
Pictures:
1. http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Dairy-Cattle-on-Pasture-500-width.JPG
2. https://www.mychamplain.net/forum/potvin-lake-champlain-algal-blooms-pose-threat-property-values
3. http://vtdigger.org/2012/07/09/toxic-algae-bloom-spreads-to-new-areas-in-lake-champlain/
4. http://vtdigger.org/2014/04/17/diluted-water-cleanup-bill-gets-preliminary-approval-house/
5. http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/91330/total-number-dairy-farms-in-vt-falls-below-1000/
6. http://www.uvm.edu/~cmorriso/AltEnergy/smallmanure.pdf
7. http://kingdomcreameryofvermont.com/

Articles:

Herrick, John. "Diluted Water Cleanup Bill Gets Preliminary Approval in House - VTDigger." VTDigger. VTDigger, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://vtdigger.org/2014/04/17/diluted-water-cleanup-bill-gets-preliminary-approval-house/>.

Maroney, James. "Changing Agriculture Practices Is the Only Way to Clean up the Lake - VTDigger." VTDigger. VTDigger, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <http://vtdigger.org/2014/04/09/james-maroney-changing-agriculture-practices-way-clean-lake/>.

Maroney, James. "One Man’s Pollution Plan for Lake Champlain." Burlington Free Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. <http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20111211/GREEN01/111210015/One-man-s-pollution-plan-Lake-Champlain>.

Mason, Garland. "Dairy Farming in Vermont." Harvest Watch. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://rutlandharvestwatch.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/dairy-farming-in-vermont/>.

Stein, Andrew. "Toxic Algae Bloom Spreads to New Areas in Lake Champlain."VTDigger. Addison Independent, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://vtdigger.org/2012/07/09/toxic-algae-bloom-spreads-to-new-areas-in-lake-champlain/>.

"Vermont Dairy." Welcome to Vermont Dairy. Vermont Agency of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vermontdairy.com/>.

"Water: Nonpoint Source Success Stories: Vermont." EPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/success319/VT.cfm>.