Cornell’s RuFaS model empowers dairy farmers with data-driven sustainability and cost analysis.
Cornell University has launched the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model—a free, open‑source digital simulation for dairy farm management. Developed through a collaboration among academia, industry, and government over eight years, it integrates data on feeds, crops, livestock, manure systems, and greenhouse emissions.
The RuFaS tool allows users—from smallholders to large-scale operations—to virtually experiment with management changes before implementing them on farm. It assesses impacts on production costs, resource use, and environmental outcomes, thereby reducing risk and informing smarter feed, reproduction, and fertility decisions .
Adopted by industry bodies like the National Milk Producers Federation and Dairy Management, Inc., RuFaS supports their environmental stewardship programs. Since October 2024, 215 U.S. farms—from 30 to 14,000-cow herds across 20 states—have used the platform via FARM integration.
Principal investigator Kristan Reed describes RuFaS as “like SimCity but for dairy farming.” Its flexible, modular structure enables ongoing contributions from diverse stakeholders—boosting scalability, relevance, and collaborative research potential.
From a dairy economics and sustainability perspective, RuFaS empowers producers and analysts to quantify trade‑offs in feed strategies, emissions, and labor. Embedding this tool in farm planning elevates strategic decision making—key for international sectors facing price volatility, climate pressures, and ESG demands.
Source: Cornell University via News & Events — https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/07/dairy-farm-modeling-tool-boosts-sustainability-decision-making
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