California Cows depart for greener pastures in Texas, Arizona

Michael Oosten’s grandparents have been dairy farmers within the Netherlands and immigrated to California within the Nineteen Twenties, beginning their very own dairy farm in Paramount in 1945 earlier than relocating to larger farms in Artesia and Bellflower.

Within the early Nineteen Seventies, they moved their farm to Chino, however determined to promote it in 2001 to a trucking firm situated subsequent to an Amazon warehouse, which was constructed on land comprised of two different dairy farms.

Oosten, who for 18 years has owned Marvo Holsteins dairy farm in Lakeview, which provides milk to Land O’Lakes, mentioned dairy farming has declined in California for the reason that trade’s peak in 2008. The trade has been damage by shrinking actual property in Southern California, extra inexpensive land in different states, rigorous allowing processes and the scarcity of water and different pure assets.

“Economics is the most important driver of farmers leaving to exit of state,” Oosten mentioned. “Milk pricing tends to be very aggressive in different states; the feed costs are decrease and the regulatory surroundings is best.”

Actual property, specifically, has performed a major function in additional dairies selecting to go away California, he mentioned.

Michael Oosten at his household’s dairy farm in Lakeview, Calif.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Instances)

“As city growth got here in and acquired near the farm, builders would are available in and purchase the land and convert it into housing or industrial buildings,” he mentioned. “That’s the development of what’s occurred within the California dairy trade. Extra just lately within the final 20 years, lots of people have began to maneuver out of state.”

Marvo Holsteins is one in every of about 1,200 dairies left in California, a major drop from the roughly 2,100 farms in 2001 and 20,000 farms in 1950, in keeping with Michael Boccadoro, government director of sustainability nonprofit Dairy Cares.

Though the variety of dairies within the state has declined by 94% within the final 70 years, farmers have been capable of make up for the distinction by way of elevated milk manufacturing and improved cow consolation and breeding, Boccadoro mentioned.

“The concept that we’re constructing new dairies or growing manufacturing in California is a nonstarter,” he mentioned. “We haven’t constructed a brand new dairy in six to seven years. It’s simply not a superb place in case you’re moving into the milk manufacturing enterprise.”

The state went from housing about 1.88 million dairy cows in 2008 to about 1.72 million at the moment — a lower of about 160,000 cows in 14 years, Boccadoro mentioned. The variety of cows within the state has diminished by about half a % to 1% yearly.

As an alternative of staying in California, dairy cows are being shipped to Texas, South Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho and Kansas — states not usually recognized for his or her dairy manufacturing. Boccadoro mentioned a shrinking demand for fluid milk and elevated demand for cheese, yogurt, butter, whey protein and different milk-related merchandise have pushed milk manufacturing to the Midwestern states. Demand for dairy has elevated by 200% for the reason that pandemic began in 2020.

Cows move by way of a cooling bathe after being milked at Marvo Holsteins dairy farm in Lakeview, Calif.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Instances)

“Traditionally, cows wanted to be near the market as a result of it was a recent milk market and milk has a brief shelf lifetime of about two weeks, so there was loads of milk manufacturing on the West Coast and East Coast,” he mentioned. “With the brand new merchandise in demand, the dairy sector is seeing milk manufacturing transfer to the center elements of the nation due to the longer shelf lifetime of the merchandise.”

Nearer proximity to new manufacturing websites additionally has pushed cows out of California. Hilmar Cheese Co. opened a facility in Texas, with one other cheese and whey manufacturing plant within the works in Kansas. Final fall, Leprino Meals, one other main dairy manufacturing firm, introduced it was constructing a brand new facility in Lubbock, Texas.

One other large query plaguing dairy farmers is whether or not they’ll see local weather change rules within the subsequent few years and what results they may have.

In 2016, California lawmakers handed the state’s Quick-Lived Local weather Pollutant Discount legislation, generally known as SB 1383, setting a 2030 aim to cut back methane emissions from the dairy and livestock industries by 40% under 2013 ranges, which quantities to about 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. If the California Air Sources Board determines in 2024 that the dairy trade isn’t on monitor for hitting its goal, it might probably begin implementing rules to restrict emissions.

Oosten mentioned potential rules might entail requiring dairies to put in anaerobic digesters — units that management the decomposition of manure and convert methane into clear power — in addition to utilizing feed components to assist scale back methane produced by cows by way of belching.

“There’s that concern in California in that if we begin making mandates and rules, then we begin dropping our incentive funding, we begin dropping our choices and we begin dropping farms,” he mentioned. “A few of them would possibly exit of enterprise, which might be a travesty for that household. … The opposite factor that’s going to occur is that they’re going to select up, depart and exit of state. The methane nonetheless will get produced, they don’t must take care of it over there and that’s the ‘leakage’ that we talked about.”

Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies, a commerce group that represents nearly all of milk produced in California, agreed that the state is best off from a world local weather perspective if extra dairy farmers keep in California.

Cows are milked at Marvo Holsteins dairy farm in Lakeview, Calif. The state has a aim of decreasing methane emissions from the dairy trade.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Instances)

“California’s exporting methane to totally different areas, which suggests processing and manufacturing can also be leaving, which was the state’s income supply for offering inexperienced merchandise,” she mentioned. “It was designed to be a reward system, but when we don’t make them right here in California, they’re undoubtedly going to make them someplace else.”

However David Clegern, a spokesperson for the California Air Sources Board, mentioned environmental rules have little to do with the cow exodus from California as a result of it isn’t even allowed to submit one for approval till 2024.

“Cattle costs are very excessive proper now, and jumped fairly a bit this summer time, so there could also be extra of a market drive there,” Clegernsaid.

Workers members are within the preliminary levels of creating a regulation on methane emissions by talking with group members and dealing teams, in keeping with Clegern.

“We received’t begin till we have now an precise regulation,” he mentioned. “It takes a pair years to get by way of the general public processes and the legislative and different regulatory assessments. We’ve to ensure it’s not interfering with federal rules and it scientifically is sensible and it may be accomplished in an affordable and not-too-expensive manner.”

Invoice Magavern, coverage director for the Coalition for Clear Air, emphasised the significance of decreasing methane, a short-lived local weather pollutant that lasts within the ambiance for about 12 years and has 80 occasions the warming influence of carbon dioxide.

“Along with the local weather change influence, there are additionally main native air pollution impacts from these large manufacturing facility farm operations, together with the methane itself that contributes to smog, which is already well-above authorized ranges within the San Joaquin Valley,” he mentioned. “The South Coast Air Basin and the San Joaquin Valley Air District are the 2 locations within the nation with the worst air air pollution, and that’s the place California’s dairy trade is.”

Magavern expressed skepticism that potential rules are driving cows out of the state.

“I’ve been watching them foyer over the past 20 years and oppose each measure that might get them to cut back the air pollution they’re emitting in California,” he mentioned. “They’re resisting the whole lot, and now they’re complaining once they’re not even being regulated is tell-tale.”

Cows are milked at Marvo Holsteins dairy farm in Lakeview, Calif.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Instances)

In keeping with a report by the California Air Sources Board launched this spring, the dairy and livestock sector — which accounts for greater than half of the state’s methane emissions — has diminished its annual emissions by simply over half. Dairy farmers should proceed modifying manure administration methods, reducing livestock populations and utilizing digesters with the intention to meet the 2030 aim.

However not everyone seems to be thrilled with the dairy digesters. Genevieve Amsalem, analysis and coverage director of the Central California Environmental Justice Community, mentioned dairy farms contribute to half of the particulate matter air pollution within the San Joaquin Valley. The digesters, she mentioned, are creating ammonia, which in flip causes air air pollution and endangers public well being.

“By putting in a dairy digester, you’re utilizing state cash to institutionalize this apply and setting it in stone,” she mentioned. “That’s a giant concern that the state is institutionalizing these environmental catastrophes.”

Citing the excessive price of digesters — it takes about $6 million to put in one at a 2,000-cow farm — and the truth that his farms don’t use as a lot water as a result of they home their cows exterior, Oosten mentioned he’s at present in talks with digester firms and isn’t against the concept of implementing them. As one of many incentives for decreasing methane emissions, the state’s Dairy Digester Analysis & Growth Program covers a portion of the prices of a digester whereas dairy farmers must pay for the remainder.

Oosten mentioned that his farms promote about 30% to 35% of their milking herd, comprised of about 2,500 cows, yearly for beef and that his livestock dimension has been comparatively steady regardless of the consolidation of his household’s farms over time.

“We’re not throwing animals out of the state simply to eliminate them,” he mentioned. “It’s based mostly on economics and wherever dairies are essentially the most worthwhile.”