Steve Maddox is a diversified farmer in California; he has 4,000 registered 
Holstein dairy cows, 1,500 acres of almonds and 2,500 acres of wine grapes. Maddox is Vice Chair of the National Dairy and Promotion Board. One of the checkoff-funded efforts for the National Dairy Board is the Innovation Center for Dairy designed to raise the level of sustainability and stewardship for the dairy industry. He says one of the most important things a dairy producer can do is get an energy audit on the farm. He found a number of ways to be more efficient including lighting, variable-speed vacuum pumps, fans and others. Maddox says the payback on most of the changes he made was less than two years.
AUDIO:Maddox talks about the energy audit on his farm 6:00 mp3
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