The dairy farm of the future will be even more cow-centric than in the past, recognizing the cow as its key to future success through focusing on genetics and genomics, thereby producing a healthier, more disease-resistant and more efficiently productive cow.

These attributes will be attained within a culture where the cow is respected by those working on the farm and cared for in a way that minimizes fear, pain, and distress all with consideration for the animal’s safety, health, and biological needs. She will be offered housing, ventilation and bedding that will offer ultimate comfort and freedom where she may express most of her natural behavioral traits.

These future successful farms will also be ecosystem centric. They will recognize that the future farm’s impacts on the environment may contribute toward solving problems such as climate change, water quality, non-carbon emissions (including odor), nutrient management, contaminant management and enhanced biodiversity.  

The future farm will achieve all of this while creating an additive, diversified income through renewable energy, ecosystem services, organic fertilizer production as well as through societal-benefitting ecological and biodiversity state and federal programs.

These future farms will be community centered enterprises that provide direct and visible benefits to the community, providing employment opportunities such as employee training, education, housing, healthcare, safety, and upward mobility.  

These future farms will include a focus and commitment to working with local government and community systems to foster an understanding that a dairy can be a desirable and important part of the community helping both to grow and prosper.