Sabrina Caron fell into milk when she was little. But if she grew up with the cows on the traditional farm founded by her grandparents and then taken over by her father, she gave herself the mission, when taking the reins, to make her little revolution. Meeting with an entrepreneur driven by a passion for the profession.
“When I was very young, the farm workers told me that I had everything I needed to take over my father’s business. But it only became clear to me the day I visited the veterinary school on the Saint-Hyacinthe campus with my Secondary IV biology class. It’s hard to explain, but I felt in my element and knew I was going to study in this field. This interest in animal welfare prompted the future graduate of the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire on the La Pocatière campus to quickly take under her wing certain files that were less appealing to her father. “Little by little, I brought new ideas, I was interested among other things in the question of longevity as well as in the comfort of the cows. At the same time, I was looking for environmental solutions to ensure the reduction of our carbon footprint. »
The exercise allows him to see that breeding standards have evolved enormously over the past forty years due to the volume of knowledge accumulated during this period. This is what makes breeding practices on a dairy farm more efficient, less polluting, less restrictive for producers and kinder to animals.
happy cows
In 2009, Sabrina Caron tackled several projects with her husband and business partner Danny Giguère, starting with the replacement of a building dating back more than 30 years with a new space that was more modern, brighter and offering quality optimal air. “We did this to keep our cows happy. If they are well fed and all the right conditions are in place to provide them with a comfortable living environment, they will give a very, very good yield. It’s the same thing for humans: if you’re not overworked, if your work environment is nice and if you can go out from time to time to clear your mind, the performance will be there. »
Another improvement: the implementation of an automated milking system allowing the cows to be autonomous and to go freely to the milking station. Robotization ensures that the milk is drawn as needed rather than two or three times a day, which is better suited to their variable production volume, more abundant for example at the beginning of the lactation cycle. Each visit is accompanied by a feed distribution, which motivates the cows in less of a hurry.
“We are not bad polluters. We cultivate the soil every day in the right way, we treat our animals well and if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be in business… I’m sure ranchers and farmers are part of the environmental solution. »
When the herd is doing well, the quality of life for producers improves. New automation technologies, which also control the temperature regulation and ventilation of buildings, greatly simplify their daily lives. “With about 175 cows, including the next generation, which exceeds the national average, we manage to manage the farm together, with a helping hand from my father, without having to supervise any staff. All this with flexible hours and respecting demanding breeding standards.
More milk, less methane
Thanks to advances in genetics, the care provided and the attention paid to their well-being, the cows at the Roland Caron farm are very productive, which has a positive impact on the environment. “My cows give two to three times more milk than my grandfather’s. Their carbon footprint has therefore improved, because a single cow produces less methane – from their burps and their farts, I remind you – than two! It’s the same for water: a cow that produces milk consumes 140 liters of water a day, and one that produces twice as much milk will not double its water consumption. »
Sabrina Caron also points out that continuous adjustments to the diet of lactating cows to provide them with precisely the nutrients necessary for their health and production, without excess or waste, can reduce their methane production.
Farmers and ranchers are part of the solution
It could not be clearer for Sabrina Caron, who speaks on behalf of her colleagues. “We are not bad polluters. We farm the soil the right way every day, we treat our animals well, and if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be in business. I have been thinking about this for a long time and I am sure that ranchers and farmers are part of the environmental solution. We can improve by adopting new techniques that allow us to store the carbon produced by industries in the soil and clean the air as all plants do. We have the land and the fields to do that, and we all want to do our part for the environment. »
Sustainable farming practices
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