Royal Dairy LLC has been owned and operated by Austin Allred since 2015.

In 2017, Royal Dairy installed an energy-efficient water treatment system (Biofiltro BIDA System), transforming the dairy’s wastewater into irrigation-grade water and producing a profitable by-product: high-quality worm castings. Using the system, Royal Dairy recycles 200,000 gallons of water per day with average removal ratings of 97 percent total suspended solids, 93 percent total nitrogen and 90 percent total phosphorous. The dairy is now able to properly dispose of and manage 100 percent of its effluent on 300 acres.

The system is an open-top structure consisting of a layer of wood shavings, river cobble, geotextiles and drainage basins. An irrigation system delivers wastewater, which percolates down through the medias, thereby providing physical filtration. Biological filtration is also provided as the wood shavings are inoculated with an industry-specific mix of worms, microbes and bacteria. The worms burrow through the media in search of larger solids, aerate the media and create new channels for the water to travel through. As the worms digest, they excrete more microbes and bacteria, all of which work together to form a symbiotic and beneficial relationship as a “biofilm,” a robust layer of billions of colonies of microbes and bacteria that grows across all system medias, and captures, retains and digests contaminants.

Austin, his wife, Camille, and two children, Porter, 4, and Adeline, 2, recognize the importance of telling their story to consumers, especially on social media. From videos on Facebook and engaging photos on Instagram, the whole family helps to tell their farming story.