The Union Dairy is implementing a variety of environmental initiatives with the aim of being a net zero carbon emissions business by 2025. Malerie Janes said the company was actively researching and implementing processes now, to meet the 2025 target. “It is definitely an ambitious target, but we are laying the foundations now to reach this goal by 2025,” Malerie said. “It will take innovative thinking due to the fact that cows themselves produce methane through digestion. We are currently formulating what our approach will be and basing our plan on research and new technology.” The Union’s dairy operation employs 30 people and milks 1500 cows off 4000 hectares. Cows roam free but receive some supplementary feed lot feeding, as required. “We are currently treating our effluent ponds through the bioremediation process using spirulina algae which, being a mixotrophic algae, has the ability to convert methane into carbon dioxide, a far less damaging greenhouse gas.” “We are also creating carbon sequestration plantations by planting thousands of new trees each year. These plantations will offset our carbon emissions produced by the farming processes and push us towards our net zero carbon emissions goal. “We’re in the process of installing a 100- ilowatt solar system, which will generate energy during sunlight hours and provide the farm with 100 per cent of its energy requirements during that period. This is also occurring on four of our other farms, meaning Midfield will have five farms with 100-kilowatt systems installed, which is a great initiative for our business and the environment.”
