04 Enduring Ecosystems
Growing our reach and responsibility.
Reaching more people in more places means sourcing more milk. Inevitably, we’re using more natural resources as we expand our supplier and contract manufacturer networks. To protect our ecosystems, we’re thinking big and working harder than ever to improve waste reduction, water stewardship, clean energy, and fuel efficiency efforts.
Agriculture, as a whole, has become more sustainable with a smaller environmental footprint. It’s not one individual farmer’s story. It’s everybody’s.
Derrick Josi
Tillamook Farmer-owner and Board Member
Our 2019 Highlights
Sustainability:from farms tofacilities
We’re working hard to protect our resources beyond the farm. That includes making everything—from our processes to facilities—leaner and greener.
$25,000
In grants provided for projects addressing water quality in Tillamook County.
90%
of our farmer-owners practice cover cropping in Tillamook County.
14%
of our farmer-owners have participated in voluntary air emissions assessments to improve air quality.
44,000
MT CO2-eq emissions reduced in 2019, the equivalent of taking 9,506 passenger vehicles off the road.
100%
Renewable energy used at our visitors center, The Creamery.
Poop Power
Yep, we’re converting cow waste into energy and by-products. It’s been happening for centuries—we call it the original circular economy. Thanks to new technology and cutting-edge equipment, the process is more widespread and effective than ever.
Enduring Ecosystems
When it comes to theenvironment, Good isNever Good Enough
We’re working hard to support and promote a closed-loop system, where a dairy farmer recycles all nutrients and organic matter back to the soil. Regenerative agricultural practices, air quality improvements, and conversion of manure into energy are a few of the ways we’re working to close the loop on farms.
Waste not, want not. From farm to facility to fork, we’re hyper-focused on minimizing waste while helping to feed those in need. We strive to send zero waste to the landfill, a goal we have yet to achieve, but we’re making progress. Between 2018 and 2019, we reduced our hazardous waste generation by 34 percent.
Our commitment to Enduring Ecosystems extends from farms to facilities and throughout our supply chain. We’re empowering great people who are taking advantage of breakthrough technology and innovation to reduce our environmental impact and preserve natural resources.
2019 Global Reporting Initiative
Issue Briefs
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