Environmental Responsibility "I grew up on a farm, enjoying its benefits, and it is important to me that we preserve our natural heritage for generations to come. Sustainable agriculture means we must replenish rather than exhaust our natural resources. What we’ve created is a business that is both profitable and sustainable. I’ve always believed in it and we’ve proven over time that these goals are achievable and that wildlife and agriculture are fully compatible.”
Sustainable Practices Joseph Farms is one of the first sustainable cheese plants, generating green power to produce their all natural cheese. Their systems and facilities are designed to maximize efficiency,ensuring valuable resources Joseph Gallo enjoyed being active in the outdoors, and at a young age he developed a love for the land and the surrounding wildlife. This was a passion that he shared with his children, ensuring it would remain a part of their families’ lives as well. (In cooperation with US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gallo family provided almost 8,000 acres of land for the San Luis Wildlife Refuge, which is a critical habitat for countless waterfowl and other threatened species. They have also restored more than 2,700 acres of their ranches to upland and wetland wildlife habitat.) Mike Gallo continued his father’s legacy, and over the years has transformed Joseph Farms into a model of environmentally responsible farming. Much of the feed for our cows are grown on more than 8,200 acres of prime agricultural land that has been dedicated to growing wildlife compatible crops. Manure from the dairies is added to other green waste and made into organic compost, returning invaluable nutrients to our soil.
Total Integration "Our vertical integration allows us to oversee the entire process: from the feed we grow, to the treatment of our cows, to the cheese we make. It is our mission to give our customers the healthiest and best tasting cheese possible.” – Mike Gallo.
Cow Power Not only does this system help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, it also improves the air and water quality and produces a truly “green” renewable energy source. We are continually improving our systems to make them even cleaner and more efficient and are pursuing a second digester at our Santa Rita Dairy. We at Joseph Farms are constantly searching for ways to operate more efficiently. By reusing byproducts such as manure, we make organic compost, which is returned to the fields to fertilize crops in place of chemical fertilizers. These are just a few of the ways we are proactively exhibiting our commitment to the environment and the public health. We aspire to be leaders in environmental responsibility and run a successful business at the same time. Cow Power Joseph Farms produces much of its own electricity using an innovative methane digester system, which provides as much as 80% of the electricity needs for our cheese plant. This system produces biogas from cow organic compost in a seven-acre covered lagoon anaerobic digester. The gas is scrubbed and piped to two power generators which produce a total of 700 kilowatts of electricity. Heat from the generators is captured to produce steam for the cheese plant, saving on much of the propane needed to fuel our boilers. Not only does this system help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, it also improves the air and water quality and produces a truly “green” energy source. We are continually improving our systems to make them even cleaner and more efficient and are pursuing a second digester at our Santa Rita Dairy. We at Joseph Farms are constantly searching for ways to operate more efficiently. By reusing byproducts such as organic compost, we are able turn “waste” into new resources, which are returned to the fields to fertilize crops in place of chemical fertilizers. These are just a few of the ways we are proactively exhibiting our commitment to the environment and the public health. We aspire to be leaders in environmental responsibility and run a successful business at the same time.
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Beyond being vital parts of Joseph Farms’ 
Joseph Farms is a model of total integration, balancing business and environmental concerns to maintain dairy and farming operations and a cheese making facility. Through the intelligent management of our land and facilities and frequent improvements to maximize efficiencies and meet growing demand, we are able to assure that no resource is wasted. 
Joseph Farms produces much of its own electricity using an innovative methane digester system, which provides as much as 100% of the electricity needs for our cheese plant. This system produces biogas from cow manure in a seven-acre covered lagoon anaerobic digester. The gas is scrubbed and piped to two power generators which produce a total of 700 kilowatts of electricity. Heat from the generators is captured to produce steam for the cheese plant, saving on much of the propane needed to fuel our boilers. 