Miltrim Farms, a family farm in Athens, is proving that automation and environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand. Founded in 1988, the farm has grown to milk 3,000 cows, utilizing 30 Lely milking robots, while managing 5,200 acres of cropland. Recently, the farm has shifted its focus toward a new metric of success: the carbon score.
Partnering with the “Your Farm, Your Footprint” program through the Professional Dairy Producers, David Trimner began compiling data in early 2024 to establish a baseline for the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions. This move comes as global dairy processors and brands, such as Nestlé, begin to demand more transparency regarding the environmental impact of the products they source.
While the transition to carbon tracking represents a modern shift, Trimner emphasizes that it is rooted in a long-standing commitment to the land.
“We have very heavy clay soils. And we love the water… so we want to protect that,” he said, noting that the farm has utilized no-till and cover crops for over 15 years.
The carbon score provides a tangible way to measure these efforts and identify areas for improvement, such as adjusting corn varieties to allow for earlier harvests and more effective cover cropping. By taking a proactive approach to data collection and third-party verification, the farm aims to remain competitive as the industry evolves.
“Having that score has been very valuable for us, particularly because we control it,” Trimner says. “Because of that, I think we’re ahead of the game.”
