FutureCow Continues to Support Global Alliance Promoting Regenerative Agriculture
Launched in 2019, Farming for Generations is a global alliance that aims to promote regenerative agriculture in dairy farming. Regenerative agriculture is a partnership with nature, in which available technologies today can amplify nature’s original capacity, while protecting biodiversity and preserving animal welfare.
In a nutshell, our goals are to:
- Speed up the transition towards regenerative agriculture to preserve and renew our planet’s resources
- Empower generations of dairy farmers to strengthen economic sustainability and ensure long-term viability
- Test innovative solutions driven by world leaders in agriculture
- Adjust them according to feedback and input from participating farms, and to respect animal welfare and ensure a healthy lifecycle.
Two years after launching, the Farming for Generations global alliance led by Danone, of which FutureCow is an active partner, shows that it is possible to reconcile sustainable farming practices with long-term economic viability of farming businesses. The alliance focuses on working hand in hand with farmers to help them transition towards regenerative agriculture and plan for the future.
To date, we have been collaborating with 30 pioneer farms in the United States, the European Union and Russia, piloting and implementing agricultural practices, essential to building the sustainable food systems of tomorrow. In just two years, many solutions have already proven to be viable, showing remarkable results we are proud to share:
- In Spain, 4 Spanish farms needed to optimize nutrient supply to achieve yield, quality and environmental targets. In 8 months, they achieved an increase of +11% in green yield, a reduction of -2.7% of their GHG emissions, all while increasing their milk production of +17%
- In Russia, the Verbilovskoe farm was hoping to improve udder health by using antibiotics judiciously. In a year and a half, the farm reduced mastitis incidence by -52%, reduced antibiotics treatments by -20%, while increasing its milk production of +305 kg
FutureCow Success – Case Study
Dairy in Belarus reduced mastitis and SCC by 60% in two months by switching to FutureCow for Teat Prep
Why does it matter?
Guaranteeing milk quality is a challenge for all dairy farms. Milking processes have a direct influence on quality and hygiene. Improper pre-treatment on teats can lead to increasing mastitis cases and dirt contamination in raw milk.
Mastitis is a painful disease for animals. Microbial and or dirt contamination could also lead to penalties for farmers or even milk rejection.
How did we solve this?
We implemented a new standard pre-treatment protocol, using FutureCow Teatscrubbers instead of washable wipes. We provided farms with helpful technology and training, reducing the number of mastitis cases and SCC in milk by around 60% in just two months.
Opportunities for other farms?
All farms – excluding those milking by hand and those using milking robots – can replicate the mechanical teat preparation systems we set up in Belarus.
FutureCow and Farming For Generations
FutureCow will support the initiative with its two product lines, the ComfortBrush and Teatscrubber Prep System, which align with the focus on sustainability and animal welfare.
“This alliance is a perfect fit for FutureCow and matches our focus on building products that support animal health and welfare” said Kevin Dole, President of FutureCow.
FutureCow’s Cow Comfort line includes the ComfortBrush cow and calf brushes, perfect for keeping cows clean, relaxed and comfortable. Brushes can help reduce heat stress, improve skin health, and help remove winter coats. Plus, they are a natural alternative for fly control.
FutureCow’s Teatscrubber Prep System creates a consistent cleaning process resulting in better milk quality, cleaner teats and healthier cows. Switching away traditional prep methods benefits farms in many ways including eliminating the resources and expenses associated with using towels, washing machines and dryers. That means lower energy use and less waste.
Farming for Generations has the appropriate balance of skills, knowledge, perspective and global reach to assist farmers of all sizes and in all locations in advancing their farms’ efficiency and sustainability. It’s unprecedented to have so many leading experts working towards this shared vision for dairy farming. Our role as farmers will be to serve as a sounding board to ensure practices are applicable and pragmatic and shared in a way so that they can be quickly adopted.