Dairy producers are faced with increasing scrutiny by environmental health and planning agencies," said Stu Pettygrove, a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) soils specialist at UC Davis and one of several authors of the publication. "We're happy to be able to share practical approaches and technologies that work to protect water quality."

Pettygrove noted that wide-scale adoption of farming practices that protect the environment depends on awareness and support by agricultural businesses and regulatory agencies. The 16-page guide is aimed at farmers as well as the lending institutions, consulting engineers and crop management companies that they work with, and regulatory bodies such as county environmental health departments and regional water quality control boards.

"California Dairies: Protecting Water Quality" was produced with funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture's "Buy California" Initiative, the USDA, the U.S. Clean Water Act, and the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP). It was developed through SAREP's Biologically Integrated Farming Systems program.

Source: UC Davis News & Information