Pathways for Change: Understanding and Supporting Washington Dairies in Contributing to Washington’s Climate Goals

This report evaluates how Washington dairies can contribute meaningfully to state climate goals while maintaining economic viability. The project conducted comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments on 19 dairies representing diverse sizes, production systems, and regions. Using the FARM-ES decision-support tool, each participating farm received a customized Sustainability Plan outlining its emissions profile and prioritized recommendations across manure management, enteric emissions, energy use, and crop and field management.

Findings highlight substantial variability among farms, suggesting targeted mitigation strategies can significantly reduce emissions. Beyond emissions reductions, many strategies also improve operational efficiency, resilience, and long-term cost control. Aggregated data informed development of a draft statewide dairy sector roadmap designed to guide short-, medium-, and long-term climate action. The report emphasizes that coordinated technical assistance, financial incentives, and policy alignment will be essential for scaling adoption across the sector.