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If you must apply manure in winter, do so to fields with the lowest risk of runoff.

High input costs led to shortage of organic milk supply in 2011.

Owners John and Celia Harrison received the award, which recognizes U.S. dairy producers that apply creativity, excellence and forward thinking to achieve greater on-farm productivity and improved milk marketing.

Spending time with Paul and Phyllis Van Amburgh and their five children on their Dharma Lea dairyfarm can make life here appear enviable.Sure, the work is hard and the days are long. But the Van Amburghs get to spend time together and they enjoy a close relationship with the land and their animals.But that’s the pastoral version of life on a small family farm. And the Van Amburghs, now in their fifth year, know that farming -- dairyfarming, especially -- is mainly about survival.

Funding is available right now to help producers address on-farm energy use and increase efficiency.

Jersey cows required 20% less total feedstuffs by weight and 32% less water to produce the same amount of milkfat and protein as Holstein cows.

This online tool weights the answers to assess level of risk, depending on how a dairy actually implements antibiotic treatments.

A 4,500-cow dairy proposed for Adams County has received the state water protection permit and high capacity well approvals necessary to operate, although it must meet additional requirements aimed at protecting area groundwater and lakes and streams.

The video also serves as a library of facts that dairy farmers can reference in talking to consumers about the dairy industry.

As the Washington Department of Ecology searches for ways to improve water quality in the Little Spokane River, state officials are looking for ways to engage private landowners. Landowners hold the key to reducing pollutants such as phosphorus and fecal coliform bacteria in the water.