World Water Day is happening on March 22! This is a great time to plan lessons and activities focused on the environment and this important resource. Plant- and animal-based foods, including dairy, require water to grow and create the delicious, nutritious foods that sustain us. Water is a vital resource on dairy farms for the many roles it plays, and farmers do what they can to make every drop count! 

Introduction: Click here to watch how water is recycled on dairy farms. It includes an introductory video you can watch that features a dairy farmer explaining how much they value water.

Dive Deeper: Dairy farmers are innovative when it comes to how they recycle water. In this article, dive deeper into this topic and see how a barn roof at Blan Dougherty’s farm in southeast Tennessee not only is used to shade and protect his cows from the elements, it is used to catch rainwater. Read more.

Take It a Step Further: Do you live in California or another state in the Western United States? Access to safe, quality water is more uncertain throughout the West, meaning effective management of the precious resource is increasingly important. Nearly 50% of the country’s dairy production is in the Western U.S., but farms face an arid climate with moderate to extreme drought conditions. By reducing, reusing, and recycling water, Western U.S. dairy farmers get the most out of every drop. Read more about their approach to water management.