Noblehurst Farms
John A. Noble is President of Noblehurst Farms, Inc. a multi-family farm corporation with 20 shareholders. This sixth generation farm works 1,000 hectars of corn, alfalfa and wheat and milks 1,800 cows in Western New York.
What is your view on sustainability – what does it mean to you?
JN: This question I would break into two parts. The word “sustainable” indicates a dairying system that is replicable and perpetual. The word has morphed into being synonymous with “environmentally friendly”. This is a part of the meaning in my mind. A more apt word would be “vibrant”. We would aspire to a faming system that would be operating for 50 or 10,000 years. A dairying system that uses resources wisely and efficiently provides opportunities for the owners and is constantly seeking to improve.
Please describe your sustainable solutions or practices:
JN: Agronomic use of natural and chemical fertilizer and pest control systems. Availing ourselves of best management practices to protect water, soil and air resources (as they are discovered). An anaerobic digester is used to handle the manure and produce energy (for more details on the digester: http://www.terrapass.com/projects/details/noblehurst-farms.html)
Obviously the dairy cow provides our major source of income. As we treat her well, she performs. This is true for all stages of her life as well as toward the end of her life. To treat her with respect is a key tenant.
When it comes to farm profitability, my comment here would center around the long view our business takes. We make management decisions that span generations in our business. As we learn and discover new technologies and systems for improving profitability, we implement as resources allow.
Obviously with a goal of operating a dairy for multiple generations, our close community becomes extremely important to foster and nurture. We have invested in recreation facilities for the community to use as well as being proactive in adopting strategies that limit our footprint. We want our neighbors to feel we are an asset to the community.
Why did you decide to go in a sustainable direction?
JN: I don’t think there was a particular moment in time – this mindset, whatever it’s called, has always been part of the farm’s (and family’s) ethos.
How do you feel about the reports in media on dairy farming’s contribution to the climate change? Have you noticed any reaction from the community/the consumers?
JN: There’s probably some truth to what they’ve said relative to research on methane emissions and its contribution to greenhouse gases.
However, you need to balance those claims with how dairy farming benefits the situation, through opportunities for carbon sequestration, as well as remedies, such as anaerobic digestion. Dairy cows tend to be “low hanging fruit”, especially if you’re someone who is adverse to dairy farming and looking to highlight its negatives to the media. Personal philosophies aside, if public policy were to address ways to limit emissions from the production and usage of fossil fuels, we’d be taking a much larger step in the right direction.
The local food issue is one that fits into this box – we believe we’re well positioned geographically to ride this trend if it takes greater hold.
Have you felt the impact of the climate change?
JN: I have no doubt that climate change is occurring. My career has spanned 40 years so far. It seems we are constantly addressing new challenges related to the environment. However, I’m not sure I can honestly say this is outside much of a normal variation within the last couple of hundred years. We have certainly not felt some of the devastating effects that other parts of the world are seeing.
What opportunities are there in working sustainably?
JN: The opportunities lie in keeping the eye on this ball. As we make any investments, if we can make those decisions through the lens of sustainability, we will be rewarded in the long term. These rewards can be in terms of cost reduction or improved production or improved community relationships or rewards yet to be manifested.
What are the challenges in working sustainably?
JN: It is difficult to decide whether each sustainability investment is on the “cutting” edge or the “bleeding” edge. The knowledge base is constantly growing and hard research has not yet caught up to those pioneering different technologies in many cases. A business needs to make these investments wisely since resources, capital and management, are finite. There are certainly “low hanging fruit” that are easily adopted. Those come with very little risk.
What is the main difference from ‘conventional’ dairy farming?
JN: I’m not sure there is a big different between operating conventionally and in a sustainable manner. There are certainly exceptions to that rule but for most dairy farms the goals become more long term in nature. I expect if we look back 25 years from now we will identify practices that we wish we had been smarter about. The goal should be (and will be) continuous improvement.
Where do you see yourself going from here?
JN: We will continue to look for opportunities that hold true to our core values.
What advice would you give to do those considering making changes to more sustainable solutions?
JN: Almost every dairy farm has a different set of resources. There are few absolutes beyond common sense. However, if an individual business can consider the “sustainability” impact of all decisions, we would be well on our way to make continuous improvement in the industry.
Background and milk production facts for Noblehurst Farms:
Number of dairy cows and breed: Holsteins: 1,800 milking cows and 1,500 heifers
How many people work on the farm? 25 full time and 6 part time
Total milk produced per year? 43 million pounds
Average yield per cow? 25,100 pounds per cow per year
% of fat and protein? 3.7% fat, 3.15% protein
Somatic cell count, SCC? 180,000
Total bacteria count? <5,000
What do you grow? Corn, wheat and mixed grass/alfalfa
Number of acres? 2,500
In 1997 Noblehurst formed a company to provide management and talent to other large dairy farms.
Linwood Management Group currently manages 9 other dairies with a combined total of 15,000 dairy cows in New York and Wisconsin. Mr. Noble’s responsibilities involve serving as general manager to 3 of these dairies, ranging from 1,500 to 2,200 cows and 3,600 hectars of forage crops.
Read about other farms in the Sustainability section >>
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