ROSEMONT, ILL. – The US Dairy Sustainability Awards program will continue accepting nominations for the 2022 awards through March 4, the Innovation Center for US Dairy announced.

The sustainability awards were established to honor farms, businesses and partnerships for “socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that have a broad and positive impact,” as described by the Innovation Center for US Dairy.

Since the awards program was established a little more than a decade ago, close to 80 farms, businesses and partnerships have received awards or honorable mention.

“Sustainability award winners epitomize the best of dairy sustainability and ingenuity, providing useful case studies for the dairy community as it moves forward to meet industrywide commitments, including dairy’s 2050 Environmental Stewardship goals,” said Barbara O’Brien, president and chief executive officer, Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for US Dairy. “We’re excited to see what innovations rise to the top with this year’s nominations.”

The innovation center’s 2050 Environmental Stewardship goals are to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, optimize water usage and improve water quality by 2050.

All farms, companies and organizations within the US dairy industry that are involved in sustainable dairy-related practices are eligible for the awards, which are broken down into four categories: Dairy Farm Sustainability, Processing and Manufacturing Sustainability, Community Impact, and Supply Chain Collaboration.

Nominations can be submitted online via the US Dairy website.

Award-winners are determined by an independent team of judges, which evaluates each nominee’s measurable results, innovations and the potential for other dairy farms and businesses to adopt their practices.