Highway Dairy Farms was first established in 1967 by John M. Stauffacher Sr. and his sons. Now owned by Stauffacher family brother and sister, Jay and Jean, this farm is a shining example of family legacy, community involvement, and commitment to smart growth.
In 2017, the family targeted some important and impactful goals they wanted to achieve: becoming fully CAFO permitted, achieving status as a zero-discharge operation, adding manure storage, improving nutrient management practices, and developing more effective, resilient stormwater systems.
MSA agricultural engineers were asked to assist with a variety of projects — namely improving manure management systems and helping the family become best positioned for CAFO compliance. Manure management upgrades consisted of constructing a new 9.75-million-gallon concrete manure lagoon to achieve the minimum 180 days of storage for CAFO compliance, modifying the farm’s existing manure transfer system and increasing handling capacity.
MSA also assisted in upgrading the runoff collection system from several acres of feed storage. This portion of the project involved channeling water runoff from the storage areas into a series of in-ground drains and collection basins which then funnel the water into a pipe that gravity feeds the water downhill into the farm’s waste storage lagoon. This low-impact solution is designed to accommodate the 25-year, 24-hour storm event — the largest recorded storm event that happens in a 24-hour period every 25 years — in this geography: roughly five inches of rain in one day.
MSA engineers also assisted the family with a retrofit layout and design of a barn area for cows with unique needs such as expectant mothers or those needing more intensive care. The goal was to analyze the existing space, assess the movements of people and operations, then shift the layout in order to least stress the animals during a time when they are most sensitive.
The Stauffacher family has reached the goals established for itself: upgrading manure management systems, becoming fully CAFO permitted, and achieving zero-discharge status. They are active educators about their farm practices and operations, host to a wide variety of community events at the farm such as Day @ The Dairy and the Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast — and very involved in the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance (LASA) in Lafayette County — a diverse alliance of farmers dedicated to enhancing environmental stewardship initiatives.