{"id":337,"date":"2026-06-01T12:02:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/?p=337"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:27:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:27:41","slug":"catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching Up with Vander Woude Dairy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever stopped to think about how your milk or butter&nbsp;actually gets&nbsp;to your table?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WMFI3jBM6pQ?si=xEVpA2oLkdQGh_7K\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We recently caught up with the family behind Vander Woude Dairy in Merced, and the conversation quickly went beyond cows and equipment. At its heart, their story is about family, responsibility,&nbsp;a&nbsp;passion for dairy farming&nbsp;and a deep belief that food is security.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many in California agriculture, the Vander Woude family started with&nbsp;very little&nbsp;and built their dairy over time. That mindset&nbsp;hasn\u2019t&nbsp;changed.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;something&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;passing on to their kids\u2014work hard, take care of what you have, and leave things better than you found them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while&nbsp;there\u2019s&nbsp;a&nbsp;perception&nbsp;that dairy farmers have it easy, their reality looks a lot different. Dairy is a 24\/7, 365-days-a-year commitment. There are no days off\u2014just a constant rhythm of caring for animals, producing food, and keeping the operation running.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same sense of responsibility is what led them to invest in a covered&nbsp;anaerobic&nbsp;lagoon digester, part of the Merced-South Cluster developed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maasenergy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maas Energy Works<\/a>. With support from the&nbsp;Dairy Digester Research and Development Program&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars\/ddrdp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(DDRDP)<\/a>,&nbsp;they\u2019ve&nbsp;turned&nbsp;something often seen as waste into a resource,&nbsp;capturing methane to create renewable energy and returning nutrients back to their fields.&nbsp;This project is funded in&nbsp;2018 in Merced County&nbsp;with over&nbsp;$1.8 million from DDRDP through California Climate Investments (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CCI<\/a>)&nbsp;and equal&nbsp;matching&nbsp;funds from Vander Woude Dairy,&nbsp;cost the total project&nbsp;worth $3.7 million.&nbsp;For more insights&nbsp;on how&nbsp;Vander Woude dairy&nbsp;digester converts methane to renewable natural gas (RNG), check out the related&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester\/?_gl=1*1qxn018*_ga*MTkxMjY1MDA3LjE3NDU2MTU1Njk.*_ga_VXGW92DN7L*czE3Nzg2Mjc1NDckbzMzMyRnMCR0MTc3ODYyNzU4NSRqMjIkbDAkaDA.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blog post&nbsp;link<\/a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;Vander&nbsp;Woude&nbsp;Dairy&nbsp;project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Vander Woude family,&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;simple: take what you have, use it wisely, and be good stewards of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Farming today&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;easy. Rising costs, unpredictable weather,&nbsp;and&nbsp;many other challenges&nbsp;are real, but projects like this show how innovation can work for farmers,&nbsp;helping them stay&nbsp;viable&nbsp;while contributing to a more sustainable future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the day, though, what stands out most&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;the technology.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;the people&nbsp;and family&nbsp;behind it. A family rooted in&nbsp;hard work, committed to their community in Merced, and proud to play a role in feeding others every single day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-related-posts\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Similar Stories<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever stopped to think about how your milk or butter&nbsp;actually gets&nbsp;to your table?&nbsp; We recently caught up with the family behind Vander Woude Dairy in Merced, and the conversation quickly went beyond cows and equipment. At its heart, their story is about family, responsibility,&nbsp;a&nbsp;passion for dairy farming&nbsp;and a deep belief that food is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Catching Up with Vander Woude Dairy\u00a0<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-producer-success-story","tag-methane-reduction","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":0},"title":"Anaerobic Dairy Digester Converts Methane to Renewable Natural Gas in Merced County","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Vander Woude Dairy is transforming sustainability in agriculture. This family-owned farm in Merced, California, has implemented a cutting-edge methane digester, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24,000 MTCO\u2082e annually and converting waste into Renewable Compressed Natural Gas (R-CNG). With state support and local partnerships, the project also creates jobs and empowers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/01\/first-of-its-kind-fuel-cell-project-generating-electricity-from-dairy-waste-in-fresno-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":1},"title":"First of Its Kind Fuel Cell Project Generating Electricity from Dairy Waste in Fresno County\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bar 20 Dairy, a Shehadey family-owned and operated business in Fresno County, received $3 million in funding from the state incentive Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) in 2019, to implement a dairy digester to capture methane. The California Bioenergy dairy digester and Bloom Energy fuel cell technology have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross speaking at the Bar 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/03\/28\/sustainability-spotlight-manure-management-improvements-at-triple-c-dairy\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":2},"title":"Manure Management Improvements at Triple C Dairy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"March 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This grantee Q&A was conducted by Dr. Alyssa Louie with the help of Mr. Robert Camozzi and Ms. Stephanie Dehner (Triple C Dairy) in November 2024 to develop an AMMP project profile in partnership with the California Air Resources Board Climate Investments Policy Section.\u00a0 Owner and operator of Triple C\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Manure collection pit and screw press separator installed as part of the AMMP project.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/hilmar-cluster-making-a-real-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":3},"title":"Hilmar Cluster: Making a Real Difference\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"February 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Through the implementation of anaerobic digesters, CalBioGas Hilmar LLC (Hilmar Cluster), working with Hilmar dairy farmers, are leading the way toward a more sustainable future for their surrounding community. \u00a0Cluster projects consist of a hub facility for centralized operations, including the collection of biogas from multiple dairy digesters. The hub\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/investing-in-impact-how-the-oars-team-helps-deliver-climate-solutions-on-california-dairy-and-livestock-farms\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":4},"title":"Investing in Impact: How the OARS Team Helps Deliver Climate Solutions on California Dairy and Livestock Farms\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The CDFA Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is dedicated to supporting California's dairy and livestock farmers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As proof of that, the CDFA\u2019s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) awarded nearly $25 million\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Informational&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Informational","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/informational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A technical assistance provider and rancher are reviewing data at a dairy farm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":130,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/15\/fernandes-family-farms-four-digesters-one-legacy\/","url_meta":{"origin":337,"position":5},"title":"Fernandes Family Farms: Four Digesters, One Legacy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Fernandes Family\u00a0 The Fernandes family has been dairying in California\u2019s San Joaquin Valley since the 1920s, when Frank Fernandes came over from the Azores and started milking cows during the Great Depression. A century later, his grandsons continue to dairy and have expanded on multiple facilities\u2014 and now, they\u2019re also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":345,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions\/345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}