Blog

Earth Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the values that guide our work, day after day, year after year. For over 25 years, our approach has always focused on responsible agriculture that allows us to feed the world while protecting the land, water, and resources that future generations will rely on.

Across Threemile, stewardship comes to life through everyday practices, including:

• Growing forage crops that support balanced, consistent nutrition for our dairy herd
• Managing water efficiently to meet crop, soil, and animal needs
• Recycling nutrients from the dairy back to the fields to support soil health and crop production
• Capturing methane and converting it into renewable energy
• Using data and technology to improve efficiency, track performance, and guide long-term planning

Our farming philosophy is grounded in understanding that every part of our operation is connected. Practices like crop rotation, manure application, and soil testing influence forage quality and availability for the dairy. Irrigation scheduling and water reuse during the growing season influences crop performance at harvest.

That’s why we care so much about the closed-loop system that makes up our dairy, crop, and renewable energy operations. It allows us to reuse and protect our resources. Nutrients are returned to the soil, water is managed efficiently to support conservation goals, and manure is converted into fertilizer and renewable energy.

We’ve also chosen to invest in innovative equipment and practices which play an important role in how we care for the land. Precision irrigation scheduling helps align water applications with crop needs and forage production goals. Crop and dairy teams use harvest and feed data to support consistent ration formulation and reliable herd nutrition.

And most of all, the success of this work depends on the people behind it. Without them, this commitment to stewardship is just words on paper. Our employees bring skill, care, and dedication to their work every day, ensuring our sustainability goals are supported by strong execution and shared responsibility.

We are proud to live on our small piece of the planet here in Eastern Oregon, and Earth Day 2026 offers an opportunity to recognize progress and renew our commitment to responsible agriculture. Farming is a complex and challenging industry, and lasting progress depends on consistency, transparency, and a willingness to adapt.

Stewardship is reflected in the daily decisions, long‑term planning, and ongoing investment in the land and systems we manage. Earth Day serves as a reminder of that responsibility and the work that continues beyond it.

It’s cliché to say, but it’s true. If we take care of the land, it’ll take care of us.