Kansas Dairy Farms, Then & Now:Innovation, Conservation & Dedication

IDAiRY

$$ $ 4.50

$ 5.75

Dairy totaled

$4.2 billion in economic impact (direct and indirect) in KS, 2018 6

Dairy led to

22,457 jobs (direct and indirect)in KS, 2018 6

KS DairyProduction(Millions of pounds of milk)

KS Cow Population(Number of cows)

family owned and operated 7

95% ofdairy farms are

Made in communities across the country, dairy foods contribute 3% of the U.S. gross domestic product.6

Most dairy farm manure is incorporated into fields as natural fertilizer, increasing soil’s water-holding capacity

of dairy cows’ diets comes from plant fibers and feedstu�s that they can digest but humans can’t, and would otherwise go to landfills 3

80%

by 20%

The U.S. dairy industry has decreased its water use

over the past decades4

by 65+%

5

Spent Grains

As part of a stewardship pledge to consumers, the dairy industry is pursuing a voluntary goal to cut GHG emissions for milk by 25% from 2007–2008 levels.2

‘73‘68 ‘78 ‘83 ‘88 ‘93 ‘98 ‘03 ‘08 ‘13 ‘18

1960s... to today, From the

dairy farmers have become more sustainable, with advances in cow care, nutrition, genetics and technology. Milk production in the U.S. has nearly doubled despite fewer cows.1

Protruding peculiarly from the top of the milking barn at Hildebrand Farms Dairy is a long, overhead stainless steel line. That’s because Hildebrand now bridges its fresh milk to a connected processing facility, which opened in 2008 on a leap of faith.

It’s here, 100 feet from the source, a mixture of dairy products — not just white milk, but chocolate, strawberry, root beer-flavored and more, as well as delicious creams, butters and ice cream mixes — are pasteurized, homogenized, carefully poured into Hildebrand’s signature glass containers, and labeled under the 90-year-old family farm’s name.

“I love the pureness and simplicity of what we make,” said Melissa Reed, Hildebrand’s plant and marketing manager and the go-to gal for stores.

“We’re taking what Mother Nature gives us, harvesting it the best way possible, and putting it in a package.”

Melissa, the oldest of Alan and Mary Hildebrand’s three children, is one of seven di�erent third- and fourth-generation family members to work with the business full time. While she loves being around the excitement of the processing plant and having her finger on the pulse of consumer interest, she also relishes the peacefulness and tranquility the cows o�er next door. The dairy barn, in fact, was built by her grandparents in the 1970s to incent her dad and uncle to return to the Flint Hills farm with their wives — one reminder of the investments and sacrifices made throughout the years to keep the family dream alive.

Today, this dream is appreciated by people from all over the country, as the farm has become a popular daytrip for individuals stationed at nearby Fort Riley U.S. Army base. While many of the historic traditions have been preserved (the glass bottles harken back to the first generation’s idea of

selling milk door-to-door), visitors also can see new dairy technology at work, including three-phase cooling fans that require less electricity and motion-activated sprinklers that only mist cows when they’re actually present.

Hildebrand Farms also collects its unsold, near expiration milk back from stores to feed its baby calves — a “win-win” solution for sustainability and for its animals.

“The cows naturally come first because they take care of us. We wouldn’t be able to have this business without them, so we have to return the favor,” said Melissa.

Hildebrand Farms Dairy | Junction City, Kan.Discover Local Dairy: Always Real, Forever Good

But I love the dairy community, and wanted to raise a family in a rural setting where I can see my children regularly.

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Sources:1. Milk Production. USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information Systems. https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/h989r321c?locale=en. Accessed October 1, 2019. 2. 2018 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report. Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. http://www.usdairy.com/report. Accessed October 1, 2019. 3. de Ondarza, MB. Let’s end the feed versus food debate. Hoard’s Dairyman. January 18, 2017. https://hoards.com/article-20263-lets-end-the-feed-versus-food-debate.html. Accessed October 1, 2019. 4. Capper JL, Cady RA, Bauman D. The environmental impact of dairy production: 1944 compared with 2007. J Anim Sci. 2009; 87(suppl 6):2160-2167. 5. Dairy and the Environment. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension. https://www.uaex.edu/4h-youth/activities-programs/docs/Dairy%20and%20the%20Environment.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2019. 6. Dairy Delivers: The Economic Impact of Dairy Products. International Dairy Foods Association. https://www.idfa.org/resources/dairy-delivers. Accessed October 1, 2019. 7. Vilsack, D. U.S. Dairy Farmers: Preserving the Planet for Future Generations. USA Today. April 22, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sponsor-story/innovation-center-for-us-dairy/2019/04/22/earth-day-dairy-farmer-thinking-decades-down-line/3521007002/. Accessed October 1, 2019.