Improving Energy Efficiency in Iowa

By Jason Johnson

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.