Fridays on the Farm: Improving Energy Efficiency in Iowa

This Friday meet Ann Deering, dairy farmer of Distant View Farms in Allamakee County, Iowa. Ann’s parents started milking dairy cows more than 50 years ago. While operation has evolved into more than just a dairy over the past five decades, dairy is still the heart of the operation.

“We milk about 500 Holstein cows three times a day and raise their young stock,” Ann said. “We also operate a feedlot, a beef herd, and raise all the feed – including corn, soybeans, and alfalfa.”

Improving Energy

In 1971, Ann’s parents, Steve and Jane Johanningmeier, built a parlor to milk 125 cows at their dairy farm near Monona. Over time, they had five children and now run the operation with two of them –Mike Johanningmeier and Ann, along with their spouses, Lori Johanningmeier and Koal Deering.

Since 2017, the family has implemented several new projects to protect natural resources and long-term sustainability on their farm. To accomplish their goals, they partnered with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to receive financial and planning assistance through the NRCS-administered Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for an on-farm energy audit. 

NRCS provided financial and planning assistance to help Distant View Farms install an energy efficient lighting system on their dairy in 2017. NRCS recommended implementing more efficient LED, long day lighting that illuminates the barns 16 to 18 hours per day. 

Seeing the Benefits

The primary benefits of the lighting system have improved energy efficiency, reduced energy costs, increased work productivity, improved worker safety, and reduced operational costs. 

“Our old lighting system was installed in the 1990s, so it was outdated. We had poor lighting quality, and it was expensive to run,” Ann said.

“They have seen increases in milk production because of the lighting system,” said retired former NRCS District Conservationist LuAnn Rolling, who worked with Distant View Farms on their energy improvements. “There is room for energy improvements in almost every operation. Technology is really changing fast, so let’s tap into that and increase the bottom line.”

After 20 days, the difference in milk production increased by 6.8 pounds per day. Deering says the lighting system has been a win-win for the environment, employees, and the entire operation. “It helps us in the working environment,” she said. “It helps our employees see the animals better, and it is a lot more cost-efficient.”

Continuing Efforts and Managing Risk

In 2019, Ann applied for NRCS assistance to implement conservation enhancements through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Through CSP, NRCS offers annual payments for implementing practices and operating and maintaining existing conservation efforts. In 2024, Distant View Farms renewed their CSP contact for another five years, continuing their conservation efforts through practices like herbaceous weed treatment, field borders, pollinator habitat, and brush management. 

In addition to conservation, USDA offers programs that provide coverage for producers to help them manage risk and to protect their operations from the impact of natural disasters and offer price support for drops in prices or revenues. Distant View Farms participates in the Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC), overseen by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), to do just that. This voluntary program provides dairy operations with risk management coverage, paying producers when the difference (the margin) between the national price of milk and the average cost of feed falls below a certain level selected by the program participants.

Distant View Farms is similarly reducing farm risk by participating in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, also administered through FSA. These programs provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues, providing a vital economic safety net. 

More Information

Visit local farms, ranches, forests, and resource areas through our Fridays on the Farm stories. Meet farmers, producers, and landowners who are working to improve their operations with USDA programs. 

USDA offers a variety of risk management, disaster assistance, loan, and conservation programs to help producers weather ups and downs in the market, recover from natural disasters, and invest in improvements to their operations. Learn about additional programs. 

For more information about USDA programs and services, contact your local USDA service center. 

Jason Johnson is a public affairs specialist for NRCS in Iowa.