At CONO Kaasmakers, cattle farmers are actively working on sustainable business practices on their farms. Through the Caring Dairy program in which our dairy farmers attend workshops. Together we are taking steps towards future-proof and environmentally friendly dairy farming.
Dairy Farmers
of CONO cattle farmers generate their own green energy
Caring Dairy is the longest-running sustainability program
Caring Dairy
In 2008, the Caring Dairy sustainability program was established together with the ice cream makers of Ben & Jerry's. It focuses on continuously making the entire chain more sustainable from cow to cheese. Caring Dairy is now the longest-running sustainability program for dairy farming.
Top manure: naturally better for cow, soil and cheese
Our livestock farmers work every day to ensure a sustainable future.
In this video, we follow a group of livestock farmers who have been learning together for more than a decade in their Caring Dairy workshops. During the workshop, they learn how to make the best use of natural manure. And how to build a living soil with the manure from your own cows and the addition of organic material such as straw or compost.
This yields more: up to 30% more soil life, healthier grass and ultimately a higher nutritional value of the forage. This results in high-quality milk, rich in proteins and fats. And exactly that is the basis for the flavorful cheese we are proud of.
The "Top Manure" workshop shows that small steps in the yard can have a big effect.
Green power
CONO Kaasmakers is the most sustainable cheese producer in the Netherlands. Nearly 30% of our 380 member dairy farmers generate their own green energy using solar panels and wind turbines. This energy is also used in the cheese-making process.
Cut farm footprint in half
Marcel and Henrike's dairy farm aims to halve their footprint in 10 years with a pilot, through feed use and other investments, among other things.
By 2023, the company already had the lowest footprint of the pilot group: 74.2 kilograms of CO2-eq per 100kg of RMO milk.
CONO Stable
The CONO barn is one of the most sustainable barns. The mono-manure digester generates both electricity and heat. It also utilizes methane and does not release it into the air.
Pilot concentrate and by-products
By participating in the 'Concentrated feed and by-products' pilot, our farmers have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 8.2%. The cows need about 4kg less concentrate feed due to this modified feed.
Smart feeding in the polder
During the open day at family Ruijter-Masteling on November 6, the focus was on innovation. The Noord-Holland dairy farmers combine craftsmanship with modern technology and shared their experiences with the Lely Vector automatic feeding system. Their story shows how smart solutions contribute to peace, efficiency and good feed for healthy cows.
Bee Ribbon
Through the "Beemster in Bloom" project, livestock farmers, CONO, and other partners are working together to boost biodiversity by creating a blooming bee corridor. Last year, no less than 40,000 square meters of bee corridor were planted.
Swallows in the stable
The barn swallow is an endangered species, at cattle farmer Pieter Jan Groot they are safe. Every year about twenty pairs of barn swallows nest there in the barns. In return, they relieve cows of many flies and chase away intrusive starlings.
#ikbenCONO
In the #ikbenCONO column, our livestock farmers and employees share their stories of craftsmanship, sustainable choices and their work on the farm or in the cheesemaking process.
At CONO Cheese Makers, we believe that these stories not only inspire and motivate, but also contribute to a transparent and positive future. This is how we show who we are: a cooperative with pride, built on people who work together to make really good cheese.
#IkbenCONO - Together we tell the story of the tastiest cheese.
How does milk get from the farm to the cheese factory? Take a look at the milk transport chain step.