The Coast to Cow to Consumer Project
FREEPORT, ME – Dairy herd grazing on the Wolfe’s Neck Center farm. Wolfe’s Neck is an outreach dairy partner of the Coast to Cow to Consumer project (Photo by Wolfe’s Neck Center).
Cows burp, a lot.
And each burp releases methane into our Earth’s atmosphere.
Suppression of intestinal methane emission from livestock has the potential to drastically reduce the global production of this greenhouse gas, which is about thirty times more potent than carbon dioxide. Research has shown that certain seaweeds contain compounds that can influence cows’ digestion and reduce their methane production.
To continue this research, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $10 million grant to a multidisciplinary team with researchers hailing from schools and laboratories across the country.