The study looked at how dairy farming in South Dakota affects the environment by measuring its greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers found that producing 1 kg of milk in South Dakota results in emitting about 1.21 kg of CO2 equivalents. This is from things like cow burps (which release methane) and managing manure. The main contributors to these emissions were cow burps and manure handling. By improving things like cow genetics, feeding practices, and using special tools like anaerobic digesters on farms, the environmental impact of dairy farming in South Dakota can be lowered. Using locally sourced feed can also help cut down on emissions. Different sources of corn used in dairy feed can impact the carbon footprint, with South Dakota corn being better than grain from other places like Iowa.