Wisconsin Dairy Farm Turns Manure into Renewable Energy

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is using cattle waste to help power its dairy operation and cheese production.

WATERLOO, Wis. (RFD News) — One Wisconsin dairy family is turning cattle manure into a source of renewable energy on its operation.

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, a family-owned dairy and cheese operation founded by four brothers, is known for producing specialty cheeses using milk piped directly from its own dairy cows.

As electricity costs climbed above $6,000 a month, the family farm began looking for another solution for power. Now, the farm converts cattle waste into green energy using a methane digester. Manure produced by cows is fermented with enzymes, releasing methane that fuels engines used to generate electricity.

The energy helps support farm operations and cheese production while reducing waste on the dairy.

By turning manure into energy, the Crave family says the system is helping create a more sustainable future for agriculture.

Related Stories
Stronger sorghum genetics could enhance the resilience of bioenergy crops and broaden production options for growers in harsher climates.
A permanent national E15 standard would boost corn demand, lower fuel costs, and provide a stable path for U.S. energy security.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
Henning Strauss, CEO of STRAUSS, joins us to share his company’s commitment to crafting tools that farmers wear.
Strong plant output and rising exports contrast with softer domestic blending demand, suggesting margins are poised for volatility.
The Environmental Protection Agency confirms that new single-fluorinated pesticides are not PFAS and remain fully compliant with current safety standards.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Nebraska cattle rancher Joe Van Newkirk joins us to discuss wildfire recovery in Nebraska’s Sandhills athe challenges ranchers face restoring basic infrastructure after the fire.
One student is working to help farmers protect livestock and property.
Young anglers learn skills on the water while building a deeper connection to the outdoors.
The fifth-generation operation is managing land and cattle with a long-term focus.
Officials say the virus is not a food safety risk and does not affect humans
Beef is leading the decline as slaughter drops and supplies tighten.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.