FARM ES Integrates RuFaS Model Updates
June 2, 2026
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Environmental Stewardship Program on May 19 released revisions to its Version 3 evaluation tool, integrating the latest scientific updates from the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model that powers FARM ES Version 3.
Key reasons for this update:
- Cropping practices: If a farm enters optional details about their cropping, those practices will now be reflected in total footprint. Feed production emissions will be broken down into purchased and homegrown production emissions for those farms that choose to enter cropping info.
- RuFaS made important improvements in the manure methodology (for example, better responsiveness to temperature, better manure methane modeling for youngstock, ability to specify solids management after solid liquid separation, etc.).
- The RuFaS team can better support FARM ES when questions or issues arise because FARM ES will be using the most up-to-date model version.
- The RuFaS scientific documentation will reflect the model version that FARM ES uses, simplifying the efforts by cooperatives, processors, customers, and consultants to understand how FARM ES quantifies emissions.
- Adjustments to the FARM ES report now will better enable GHG Protocol LSRS aligned reporting.
Updating the platform upholds FARM Environmental Stewardship’s commitment to offer the best available scientific methods that work for farms of all sizes, geographies and production styles.
FARM Environmental Stewardship provides a platform built by and for the U.S. dairy community, powered by peer-reviewed, credible science. U.S. dairy farmers actively shape the program, unifying industry response to supply chain interests and helping to streamline sustainability measurement into one program.
FARM ES showcases the great conservation work dairy farmers have done for generations and increasingly serves as a gateway for farmers to access supply chain incentive projects and other mechanisms that directly support their stewardship efforts.
