POULTRY
Poultry farming
- Beck-Chenoweth, H. Free-range
poultry production & marketing: A guide to raising, processing,
and marketing premium quality chicken, turkey & eggs.
Back Forty Books, Creola, Ohio, 1997.
- This manual gives all the details
on how to raise, process and market free-range poultry and egg
products. The information given is based on several production
models put forth by other farmers and by the author himself,
who is a full-time farmer in southeastern Ohio, living in an
income-sharing community dedicated to living a simple life in
harmony with nature. Herman Beck-Chenoweth produces hay, beef
and dairy cows, vegetables, poultry, eggs and furniture. His
birds are started in barns and are moved to pasture at 4-6 weeks.
They are kept in skid houses, range around the skids, and are
moved to fresh pasture in general every three to four weeks.
"Our goal, is to give our birds the best life they could
have, honor that life by consistently producing the best tasting,
cleanest, healthiest meat or eggs we can, all the while improving
our soil. If we can do all that AND make a reasonable return
for our efforts, we are satisfied."
-
- Beck-Chenoweth, H. Free-range,
pastured poultry, chicken tractor--What's the difference? In:
Free-Range Poultry. Web Site. Free-Range Poultry Production
and Marketing, Creola, Ohio, 2001.
FULL-TEXT
- Today there are three leading
systems for producing poultry outdoors on pasture with significant
differences between the systems. "Free-Range is a
non-confinement system that uses a perimeter fence to deter predators.
A variation of this system, known as DayRange, uses an Electronet
portable fence to keep the birds safe from dogs and coyotes during
daylight hours. The large-scale access to pasture combined with
the low stocking rate (400 chickens or 100 turkeys per acre)
allows the birds plenty of area to exercise and deposit manure.
- Pastured Poultry, as researched and taught by Virginia farmer,
Joel Salatin, is a confinement system with a grass floor, using
portable pens approximately 8 x 10 feet in size. The pens, each
containing about 80 chickens, are moved by hand and must be moved
twice daily.
A third system, the Chicken Tractor was developed by Andy
Lee and is a useful system for raising 50 or so birds for home
use. By placing these pens in the garden, soil is tilled and
manure can be placed exactly where desired. This is not a commercial
sized system, and is also a confinement system. A recent refinement
of the Chicken Tractor is the addition of a pop-hole door to
allow the birds to range at least part of the day."
Beck-Chenoweth, H. Free-Range Poultry. Web Site. Free-Range
Poultry Production and Marketing, Creola, Ohio, 2001.
WEB SITE
- Free-range essentials and a production
budget are given. The three systems of producing poultry outdoors
on pasture are compared.
Berton, V. and Mudd, D. Profitable Poultry: Raising
Birds on Pasture. USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network
(SAN), Washington, DC, 2001.
FULL-TEXT
- This bulletin features farmer experiences plus the latest
research in a new "how-to" guide to raising chickens
and turkeys using pens, movable fencing and pastures. With examples
from farms from all over the country it touches on the system's
many opportunities to improve profits, environment and rural
family life. Poultry system options, many of them outdoors, that
raise chickens for greater profit with less environmental impact
and better conditions for the birds, are examined and alternative
poultry systems such as pastured poultry pens, day range, yarding,
chicken tractor and free-range are described. The bulletin also
covers potential for profit, production basics, environmental
benefits, quality of life and marketing options. This document
provides an excellent comprehensive overview of alternative poultry
farming with many color photos.
-
- Bowman, G. 'This is real chicken'
: Iowa farm women forge links with thankful consumers. The
New Farm; 15(6), Sept/Oct 1993.
- The members of Homestead Pride
Poultry Cooperative raise chickens on non-medicated feed in existing
outbuildings that give the birds plenty of room to run. Farm-raised
broilers are a viable alternative, when costs are kept low by
selling directly to consumers. Co-op members do everything except
hatching chicks and processing.
-
- Buckels, C.G. Midwest poultry producers share success
stories. Small Farm Today;30-32, May 2003.
- Tim and Julie Walker raise pastured poultry (turkeys and
chickens) at Greystone Farm in Fayette, Missouri. The birds all
roam outside, protected by fenced pastures and portable shelters.
Pastured poultry pens did not work on uneven ground, so the Walkers
adapted another system which combines open range and pasture
with portable shelters. The Walkers move the shelter three times
per week so the chickens have access to fresh grass. The chickens
range inside the electrified netting fence where they are protected
from predators. Their turkeys are free-range birds, but they
are penned up at night in a roosting shelter. The Walkers have
built a new hen house with a waste-lime floor with mulch on top
and nest boxes down the center. For this hen house, instead of
using a portable shelter system, the Walkers are creating eight
paddocks which the chickens can enter through hinged doors called
pop holes on sides of the hen house. This permanent building
with runs is much more effective on their hilly uneven ground.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Large-Scale
Pastured Poultry Farming in the U.S. Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 2001.
FULL-TEXT
- Results of a survey involving 9 producers raising at least
4,000 pastured chickens per year across the U.S. First all nine
raised their chickens in 10' by 12' pens, moving them at least
once a day. Five of the producers switched to a day range system
to reduce labor. The chickens are allowed free range inside a
fenced paddock during the day and are enclosed in a weather-tight
and predator-proof shelter at night. The greenhouse-type buildings
that house the chickens are moved about once a week and electrified
netting is moved daily around the greenhouse to rotate pastures.
Questions relating to labor, marketing and income are addressed.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Pastured
poultry study addresses broad range of issues. Center for
Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison,
WI, 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- This research brief is a summary of the pastured poultry
study. 'Five diversified farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota are
providing the data for the study. Diane Kaufmann, a pastured
poultry farmer from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and one of the
producers participating in the study, says: "I see the pastured
poultry model as a farming method that requires low investment,
with labor that can be provided by almost anyone, and provides
a healthy life for the bird and the person who consumes it."
-
- Cicero, K. Homes on the range:
Portable poultry pens are proliferating. The New Farm;
17(4):13, May/June 1995.
- Tips for building portable pens
for pasturing poultry.
-
- Cramer, C. Pastured poultry resources
. In: Cramer, C., Sustainable Farming Connection: Where
farmers find and share information. Web site. Committee
for Sustainable Farm Publishing, © 1997.
WEB
SITE
- This page lists various resources:
a pasture poultry discussion group to share tips with other pasture
poultry producers; a quarterly newsletter published by the American
Pastured Poultry Producers Association, sharing information on
production practices, processing equipment, marketing, legal
issues, and more; books, guides and information packages, press
releases, new equipment, and additional sites.
Plamondon, R. Range Poultry Housing. ATTRA (Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), Fayetteville, Ark., Apr.
1999.
FULL-TEXT
- Pastured poultry field pens: In this system, birds are housed in a field
pen that is moved daily to fresh pasture. Seventy-five to one
hundred chicks (two to four weeks old) are placed in 10'x12'x2'pens.
Since the pen is floorless, the birds are able to forage on plants,
seeds, insects, and worms in addition to their concentrate feed.
Water must be provided. Some producers use a field pen, yet open
it during the day to give the chickens free range. Others provide
access to a portable corral. It may not be necessary to move
the field pen daily if this method is used.
Free-range colony housing: In this production system,
birds are housed at night for protection and released during
the day. Housing can be more substantial than a field pen since
it is not moved daily by handthe housing is towed (by tractor,
pick-up, or horse) every week or so to prevent wear on the pasture.
Beck-Chenoweth uses a shelter on skids enclosed with chicken
wire with litter-covered floors, tarp-covered gable roofs, and
doors on both ends. The only fencing required is perimeter fencing
to deter daytime predators such as dogs.
Semi-fixed or fixed housing: The traditional "yard
and coop" system is one that most people are familiar with.
If stocking density is low and birds are allowed to roam freely
during the day, this can be a simple system.
Fanatico, A. Sustainable Poultry: Production Overview.
ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), Fayetteville,
Ark., March 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "This publication provides information on raising
poultry on pasture, including descriptions of production systems
and facilities, as well as detailed nuts-and-bolts information."
The following operations are described:
semi-intensive (chickens
in semi-intensive operations are raised in non-moveable buildings
with access to outdoor grazing in pens that are used in rotation.)
"yard and coop"
(Some producers let chickens, mainly layers, roam the farm at
will, shutting them up at night to protect against predators.)
field pen: pastured
poultry (Broilers are pastured in floorless pens, which are moved
daily to fresh pasture.)
net range or day range
(Net-range uses portable net fencing around a house
to make multiple yards.)
free-range ("Free-range"
refers to operations using non-contained access to pasture and
moveable housing such as the eggmobile or skids.)
colony production system
(uses multiple small roosting houses scattered on pasture)
Most of these models feature access to pasture but with modifications.
-
- Fanatico, A., compiler. Pastured
Poultry: A Heifer Project International Case Study Booklet.
National Center for Appropriate Technology, Little Rock, AR,
2000.
FULL-TEXT
- This booklet summarizes the experiences
of 35 Southern farm families who from 1996-1999 participated
in a project titled "Integrating Pastured Poultry into the
Farming Systems of Limited Resource Farmers." Introduction
to pastured poultry, farmers' experiences and guidelines on how
to raise poultry on pasture are available on the site. Highlighted
are brooding, pen construction, weather, pasture management,
feeding, mortality, processing, marketing, labor and earnings,
and quality of life.
-
- Geissal, D. Free-range poultry.
Small Farm Today; 13(3):20-21, June 1996.
- The organic or natural market
is an ideal niche for small farmers. Consumers are becoming concerned
about the lack of a normal llife for factory birds, or the way
chickens are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. Birds,
and eggs from birds raised on pasture, free of antibiotics and
hormones can be sold at a premium price. The author gives advice
on how to start chickens on pasture. She has solved the predator
problem by having Great Pyrenees dogs on the farm.
-
- Klober, K. Sustainable poultry
for pasture. Small Farm Today; 15(2):21-22, Apr/May 1998.
- The author suggests developping
one's own strain of broilers for pasture, using crosses of two
different pure breeds, rather than using the Cornish-X broiler
that is a high performance bird, whose needs are not being met
on pastureland. A purebred breeding flock to produce home-raised
broilers can be begun on nearly any small farm. Suggestions and
advice are given.
Kuit, A.R., Ehlhardt,
D.A., and Blokhuis, H.J., eds. Alternative improved housing
systems for poultry: Proceedings of a seminar in the Community
programme for the coordination of agricultural research, held
at the Spelderholt Centre for Poultry Research and Extension,
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Netherlands, Directorate
of Agricultural Research, Beekbergen, 17 and 18 May 1988.
Commission of the European Communities. Office for Official Publications
of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 1989.
- The seminar primarily makes an
inventory and a comparison of the housing systems that have been
developed in European countries, as a result of consumer concern
about the well-being of poultry. The seminar focuses on animal
welfare research, inventory of systems developed, welfare and
utilization of space in new housing systems, zootechnical and
economical aspects of alternative housing systems for poultry.
-
- Lee, A. and Foreman, P. Day Range Poultry: Every Chicken
Owner's Guide to Grazing Gardens and Improving Pastures.
Good Earth Publications, Buena Vista, VA, 2001.
- Information about raising poultry on pasture from egg
to processing. "In the day range system, the poultry are
sheltered at night in mini-barns or portable units that have
floors with deep bedding. The floor and bedding that keep the
birds warm and dry during wet and cold weather. The birds are
protected from predators and weather, and allowed to graze in
the daytime inside temporary paddocks that are fenced with portable,
electric poultry netting. The netting keeps the poultry in, and
the predators out... The area for poultry to graze is moved regularly
by repositioning the poultry netting. This eliminates over-grazing,
and gives the poultry continual access to fresh, growing pasture."
-
- Nick, J. Getting started with pastured chickens. Part
I; Part
II; Part
III. The New Farm, 2005.
- PART I: Or... how 6 chickens became 300
in just a year, and launched an organic egg business for two
novices. Chock full of resources, links, hard-earned lessons
and practical advice for novice poultry people.
PART II: Down to the details. From housing options to
choosing a breed to organic certification to picking out a proud
papa, Jean covers the first series of decisions you'll need to
make as you launch head-first into raising our feathered friends.
PART III: In her third and final installment, Jean Nick
outlines the basics of watering and feeding. She also tells you
how to set up nest boxes, manage the chickens in winter and even
how to insure your chickens get their essential dust bath.
-
- Riddle, J. Alpine chicken tour. The New Farm (Web Site).
Rodale Institute, 2003.
FULL-TEXT
- "A photo tour of a Swiss organic poultry farm, with
a detailed look at innovative production techniques": 'None
of Mr. Dieters laying hens are de-beaked. Pecking is prevented
through a variety of strategies. The house and outdoor areas
are subdivided into units of 500 birds. There are equal numbers
of brown and white breeds, breaking up the pecking order. There
are a few roosters in each flock. Birds are given plenty of space,
both indoors and out. They are provided with a variety of roosts
and activities to satisfy their natural behavior. They are provided
a balanced ration, ensuring that they have plenty of protein.
The building is well ventilated, with excellent air quality.'
-
- Salatin, J. Pastured poultry
profits. Polyface, Swoope, Va., © 1993.
- "In this book a proven production
model is described, which is capable of producing an income from
a small acreage equal or superior to that of most off-farm jobs.
Salatin keeps his broilers in 2 foot tall pens that are moved
over fresh grass every morning and his layers free-range around
a portable hen house called an eggmobile. The book gives details
about getting started, choosing a breed, starting the chicks,
ration, the pasture, processing, problems, marketing, possibilities.
"Pasturing allows chickens to be grown without damaging
substances. Out on pasture, with fresh air, sunshine, green material
and wholesome feed, broilers will outperform their factory counterparts
in every way. ... They will possess a superior taste. That makes
them easy to sell and easy to eat. It allows competitive production
costs, all the while producing a more nutritious, clean product."
Not only are his chickens healthier but they are also happier.
"The long term benefits for society are greater because
we are treating our animals better. But we don't do it for business
reasons. We do it because it's right." says Salatin.
-
- Thear, K. Free-Range Poultry.
Farming Press, 1997, 2nd ed.
- Practical and comprehensive guide
to the free-range management of chickens. Every aspect of poultry
husbandry is covered, including non-intensive systems, both small
scale and larger scale; chapters on equipment, land management,
breeds, nutrition, egg quality, table poultry, breeding, rearing,
health, and marketing.
-
- Traupman, M. Profitable poultry
on pasture. The New Farm; 12(4):20, 23, May/June 1990.
FULL-TEXT
- Broiler and layers follow beef
cattle in this rotation. On Salatin's Polyface Farm, 50 head
of beef graze pasture first. Controlled by portable electric
fences, the cattle leave a trail of manure and 4 to 5 inches
of grass stubble in their wake. Four days after the cattle chow
down on the grass, the chickens are put on that pasture to clean
up after them. Both the layers and broilers love to pick through
fresh manure for insects, and undigested food particles. Salatin
keeps his broilers in movable pens and his layers free-range
around a portable hen house called an eggmobile. Pasturing has
cut Salatin's feed expenses up to an estimated 60 percent on
layers and 30 percent on broilers. Also, the boilers reach market
weight two weeks earlier than normal.
Marketing
- Fanatico, A. and Born, H. Label Rouge: Pasture-Based
Poultry Production in France. ATTRA (Appropriate Technology
Transfer for Rural Areas), Fayetteville, Ark., Nov. 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "Pasture-raised poultry is increasingly popular in
the U.S. American farmers and small companies can benefit from
studying the French Label Rouge program. Started as a grassroots
movement and now commanding 30% of the French poultry market,
it has helped boost incomes for small farmers... This program
provides premium products to consumers, increases farmer income,
and strengthens rural development. It consists of many regional
producer-oriented alliances, called filieres, which produce and
market their own branded products under a common label. A third-party
certification program ensures that strict standards are being
followed." All birds have access to range and their feed
is non-medicated. See one example at http://www.fermiers-landais.fr/anglais/elevage.htm
-
- Good Natured Family Farms
- A Cooperative in central and
southeast Kansas and west central Missouri, selling all natural
beef, now also sell eggs. To qualify for membership, a producer
must be a small family farm, raise hens free ranged without hormones
or subtherapeutic antibiotics.
-
- NC SARE Office. Pastured poultry,
co-op style. Field Notes. NC SARE Quarterly Fact Sheet; May
1999.
FULL-TEXT
- Nebraska farmer David Bosle got
inspired by Joel Salatin's book on how to raise chickens naturally
on pasture, but he expanded on Salatin's example by buying and
processing birds cooperatively with other Nebraska producers.
This fact sheet profiles Bosle's model. His system "mirrors
Salatin's in supporting local economies, clean environments,
profitable farms and satisfied poultry consumers. But Bosle's
collective enterprise adds a cost-share twist while meeting a
high demand for pastured poultry." "There is a huge,
untapped market for pastured poultry in Nebraska", says
Cris Carusi, executive director of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture
Society." Lots of people remember what farm-raised chicken
tastes like, and they jump at the chance to serve that kind of
quality to their families."
-
- Organic Valley Family of Farms.
Web Site. 1999-2002
WEB
SITE
- Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative
members number over 190 small to mid sized family farms in 10
states. The purpose of CROPP Cooperative is to give market support
for sustainable agricultural practices that are beneficial to
the environment thus providing consumers with quality products.
All animals must receive adequate access to fresh air and sunlight.
Cattle are pastured in certified organic fields, chickens are
free roaming with outdoor access, and hogs are not confined and
are allowed to pasture. Livestock is considered an essential
component of a healthy sustainable agricultural system. Careful
handling of waste material recycles nutrients back to the earth
to grow the grasses and feed while protecting natural waterways.
Hormones, like rBGH, or antibiotics are never used in production.
The products are certified organic by Oregon Tilth.
Back
to table of contents
CATTLE
Dairy farming, Beef farming |
|
Farmers' experience and Farms' profiles
- Acres USA staff. Reinventing dairy: Organics and innovation
give consumers real milk. Acres USA; 34(5):8-9, May 2004.
WEB SITE
- The focal farm for this report, Organic Pastures Dairy
Company, is California's first certified pasture-grazed raw-milk
dairy. Mark McAfee created a dairy unlike any other in North
America. One of its features is a mobile milking barn. It is
mobile enough to reach docking spots that exempt cows from long
walks to a milking barn from whichever pasture they happen to
be grazing that day. The unit weighs a little more than a Cadillac
car, has its own chiller, milk pump, generator, everything required
to keep the milk pure and fresh. "We do not ever have pathogens
in our milk." This is quite unusual for raw milk producers.
'What's happening here?" "when you stop giving your
cows antibiotics, you stop killing off the beneficial bacteria
that reside in the rumen and intestine. As a result you stop
causing the physiological stresses that produce pathogens,"
was McAfee's response. "Our customers refuse to drink pasteurized
milk because of the fact that none of the enzymes are alive,"
McAfee said.
-
- Bowman, G. Pasture proving ground: this grazier puts tools
and techniques to the test. The New Farm; 16(4):19-20,
22, 24-25, May/June 1994.
FULL-TEXT
- Ed Rits from Honey Grove, Pennsylvania rotated pastures
when he was a dairyman, but he didn't see the potential of intensively
managed grass until he switched to raising beef cattle. He learnt
to manage his land resource and started farmer-to-farmer consulting
work to help farmers get started with grazing. In this article
he gives advice to beginning farmers. He thinks it is important
for farmers to help each other. Unless you meet with others
who are going in the same direction, you lose enthusiasm, because
you think you are the only one doing it.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. An organic
dairying overview from the Krusenbaum farm studies. Center
for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison,
WI, 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- The Krusenbaums have been working to make low-input organic
dairy farming a viable, profitable alternative to conventional
dairying. They have fully adopted intensive rotational grazing
from May through October. In the winter, the animals are fed
round bale silage on pasture. The Krusenbaums have also made
another big switch in herd management by moving to seasonal dairying.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Why make
the transition to grazing. Wisconsin farmers share their perspectives.
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison,
Madison, WI, 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- In 1994 and 1995, CIAS conducted case studies with six
Wisconsin dairy farming families who've adopted management intensive
rotational grazing practices. This is a summary of their reasons
for grazing, their sources of management information, their advice
to beginning graziers, and how they got started.
-
- Cramer, C. 'Grass farming' beats
corn and keeps 800 milkers productive and profitable. The
New Farm; 12(6):10-16, Sept/Oct 1990.
FULL-TEXT
- Charles Opitz's herd perennially
ranks among the largest two of three in the state of Wisconsin.
Seven to eight months of the year, intensively grazed pastures
supply the bulk of the feed for his 600 to 800 milkers and 1,200
dry stock and heifers. "Grass farming solves 99 percent
of the problems LISA (low-input sustainable agriculture) is trying
to deal with. It not only stops erosion and silting, but it also
eliminates 99 percent of the herbicides and insecticides."
he says. Early spring management is critical.
-
- Cramer, C. Pastures beat BGH!
Farmers, consumers and rural communities all win with rotational
grazing, says this new study. The New Farm; 13(5):18-20,
22, July/Aug. 1991.
FULL-TEXT
- "With rotational grazing,
cows harvest their own high-quality feed from intensively managed
pastures near milking facilities. Fencing is used to parcel out
forage in small sections (called paddocks). Cows are moved to
fresh forage at its nutritional peak as often as twice a day.
Surplus forage is harvested for winter feed, deferred for grazing
later in the season, or stockpiled in the field for early spring
grazing. Less grain and fewer supplements need to be grown or
bought, fed and then hauled away as manure. Fresh air and exercise
help keep cows healthy. The benefits of pasture are low-cost
fee; healthy cows; less pollution; low costs for equipment, energy
and facilities; less labor; profitable for small and large herds;
inspires consumer confidence as opposed to BGH with high-cost
rations; stressed cows; pollution potential from cropping, manure
storage; high costs for equipment, energy and facilities; labor
to inject cows, manage herd health; risky for small farms; consumers
are skeptical."
-
- Cramer, C. Put water where you
want it: a mobile tank increases your pasture-management options.
The New Farm; 16(4):55, May/June 1994.
FULL-TEXT
- Mike Reicherst from New Hampton,
Iowa built a mobile waterer and mineral feeder for his 72 stockers
for less that $900. "I wanted a simple, portable system
that can handle a lot of animals without having to refill it
very often."
-
- Emmick, D.L. ABCs of rotational
grazing. The New Farm; 13(5):16-28, July/Aug 1991.
FULL-TEXT
- A grazing specialist answers
beginning grass farmers' most-asked questions.
-
- Forgey, D. and Forgey, H. How-to
advice from Indiana's pioneering seasonal dairy grazier. In:
Cramer, C., Sustainable Farming Connection: Where farmers
find and share information. Web site. Committee for Sustainable
Farm Publishing, ©
1997.
FULL-TEXT
- "David and Helen Forgey
run a 150-cow dairy in Logansport, Ind. David was one of the
first in his area to adopt rotational grazing, and soon converted
his herd to seasonal breeding, freshening in spring to take advantage
of peak pasture production. He's shared his experiences with
graziers at meetings and conferences around the country."
The following full-text articles can be found on this site: The
Why's and How's of Seasonal Dairying; Grazing
Basics; How
Plants Grow; Managing
Drought; Coping
With Heat And Humidity; Water
for the Grazing System; Winter
Feeding Under a Breakwire; Keep
It Simple; and more.
- Grassfarmer.com. Cove Mt. Farm. American Farmland
Trust, 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- "Cove Mt. Farm, the American Farmland Trust's grass-based
dairy in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, is now in its second
year of operation; 90-100 cows are rotationally grazed on 200
acres of pasture and milked in New Zealand-style herringbone
"swing" parlor. AFT uses the facility as a demonstration
site to help other farmers and landowners learn about the economic
and environmental benefits of grass-based livestock management
systems.
-
- Grassfarmer.com. Ti-Lin Holsteins- Titus and Linda
Martin's grass-based dairy operation located in Fayetteville,
Pennsylvania. A virtual farm tour. American Farmland Trust,
1998.
FULL-TEXT
- "Titus and Linda Martin operate Ti-Lin Holsteins
in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. They have been farming there since
1988 on 123 rented acres. The Martins began grazing in 1993 and
today the farm has 60 acres of pasture, 30 acres of alfalfa and
33 acres of corn."
-
- Hawkins, S. and Huntrods, R. Getting Water From Here
to There - True Stories . Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana,
2001.
FULL-TEXT
- "Delivering clean water in the needed volume per
day to Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) systems can be a challenge.
Each situation should be analyzed to determine which methods
of pumping and delivery could be used to insure that water is
not a limiting factor during grazing." Tips and examples
of farms are given.
-
- Kleinschmit, M. and Kilde, R.S. Can Smaller Be Better?
A Comparison of Grass-Based and Conventional Dairy Farming .
Center for Rural Affairs//North Central Initiative for Small
Farm Profitability, Lincoln, NE, 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "Making a change from a conventional dairy to a management
intensive grass-based one lets this Nebraska farmer run a profitable
operation milking 90 cows. This manageably-sized farm provides
a viable alternative to the large-scale confinement model."
-
- Liebhardt, W.C. Farmer experience
with rotational grazing: A case study approach. In: Liebhardt,
W.C., ed. The dairy debate: Consequences of bovine
growth hormone and rotational grazing technologies. University
of California. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program, Davis, CA, pp. 131-188, © 1993.
- Case studies are presented that document the use of rotational
grazing on actual working farms, primarily in the upper midwestern
and northeastern United States. The documentation and analysis
of these farms show that this method reduces the cost/price squeeze
felt by many dairy farmers, and in some cases increases production
and reduces farmer labor while protecting the environment, and
it helps make dairy operations "a lot more fun." For
some farmers, the system of rotational grazing has done the following:
increased production up to 66%; decreased feed cost per hundredweight
(cwt) by as much as 36%; saved up to $18 per cow per month in
grazing season, $270 per year per cow in some cases; cut costs
and allowed bigger profits in difficult years by trimming feed
and machinery operating expenses; increased days in milk production
by as much as 15 %; reduced labor costs; increased herd health;
improved lifestyle, to name only a few.
-
- McCartney, D. and McCartney,
L. McCartney's Grass-Based Dairy Operation. Planning and Managing
a Seasonal Dairy. Grassfarmer.com, 1999.
FULL-TEXT
[scroll
down]
- "Despite the challenges
of becoming and staying a seasonal dairy operation, we feel the
effort has been very much worth the benefits gained. Every thing
on our farm has a season, a beginning and an end. The busy spring
workload of all the cows fresh and all the calves on milk only
lasts for 6 to 8 weeks and it's over, no more calves for the
rest of the year. The focus of the breeding season only lasts
for a few weeks, and it's overno more cows to breed. Our schedule
becomes more predictable; the cows work for us, not us working
for them. While there are periods of very long days and hard
work, there are also extended periods of time when the workload
is very light. A thirty-hour workweek is not impossible in the
late summer months and the two months off during the winter is
a welcome and needed break." Tips are given on: 1) Group
Calf Rearing ; 2) Breeding Management ; 3) Field Crop Planning;
4) Financial Management.
-
- McNamara, K. Their cows do the
harvesting. That keeps costs low and production high. The
New Farm; 12(6):22-23, Sept/Oct 1990.
FULL-TEXT
- Located in the hills of southwestern
Wisconsin, Dan and Jeanne Patenaude's farm has 73 acres 27 tillable,
20 in permanent pasture and the rest wooded. At the heart of
its operation is an intensive rotational grazing system which
has developed over a period of years. Dan is now using movable
fencing to create paddocks as needed. The size of the paddock
is determined by the number of animals and the condition of the
forage. His milk cows are given fresh pastures after one or two
milkings; after they leave, dry cows and heifers are put into
the same paddock to clean up. The moving of the fence is light
work and usually a pleasant chore.
Meudt, J., Bobbe, J., and
Dietmann, P., compilers. The grass in greener: Dairy graziers
tell their stories. Wisconsin Rural Development Center, Mt.
Horeb, Wis., 1995.
- These are the stories of Wisconsin
and Minnesota farmers who turned to intensive rotational grazing.
The farmers share what they have learned and can pass on to others.
As one farmer puts it: "Grazing made farming fun again."
They give advice on grasses and feeding, breeds, pasture management
and efficient use of forage, transition to seasonal milking,
building parlors to cut milking time, turning organic. They share
the many benefits they have experienced in their own words. "The
efficient use of forage is the primary benefit of grazing. The
cow is perfectly willing to do the harvesting and spread manure
for less cost than it takes with machinery. There is tremendous
amount of joy in driving out of the yard at 7:30 in the evening
and seeing our herd of Jerseys in the pasture. That's what life
is. You' re not going to get rich doing this, so you sure better
enjoy it," says Mike Cannell from Cazenovia, Wis. Excerpt
online: Farmers
and researchers find common ground with faith and patience.
-
- Miller, L. Grass-based dairies hold promise for southern
Iowa producers. Leopold Letter; 15(2) Summer 2003.
FULL-TEXT
- "A Leopold Center-funded project that followed 15
young or beginning dairy operators over the past two years shows
promise for grass-based dairies in southern Iowa as well as economic
benefits for rural communities."
-
- Miller, L. Rotational grazing:
Options keep farm running when water doesn't. Leopold Letter;
12(2) Summer 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- 'Bradford grazes 500 cows on
about 1,300 acres, and raises corn on 150 acres for feed. Nearly
160 acres has been divided into smaller paddocks for a rotational
grazing system in which livestock are moved every four to five
days, depending on forage growth. "It's amazing that in
the dry years you are ahead with rotational grazing because this
system is easier on forage," Bradford explained. "By
moving livestock every few days, the plants get the rest and
recovery they need, which really helps plant viability."'
-
- Moonstone Farm. Natural Beef.
Web Site. Land Stewardship Project.
WEB
SITE
- "Since 1992 cattle at Moonstone
have been selected from a hardy, crossbred lineage and raised
on our "salad bar" pastures. During the grazing season
they are moved onto fresh forages every few days to insure optimum
nutrition and animal health. Our animals are raised without growth
promotants, hormone implants, antibiotics or medicated feeds.
"
-
- Shafer, D. Natural grazing Super-natural
benefits: 'Modern prairie' boosts pasture production. The
New Farm; 14(4):14-16, 18-20, May/June 1992.
FULL-TEXT
- David Schafer and Alice Dobbs
from Trenton, Mo. converted their cropland to pasture in the
mid-eighties, and started managing their livestock and forages
more like the prairie ecosystem that once grew there. "The
difference has been a leap in biodiversity (especially legumes
and other desirable species), a longer grazing season and thicker
forage stands. Healthier forages have improved soil structure
and water retention, reducing erosion and making our farm less
susceptible to drought. Our livestock are healthier and happier
too. We have 70 purebred Gelbvieh cows and run up to 40 stockers
and 300 sheep on about 350 acres of pasture. That's about 50
percent more stock than we carried before we subdivided pastures
and intensified our management."
-
- Shirley, C. Less milk, more profit:
Organic feed and rotational grazing keep this dairy green. The
New Farm; 13(6):13-17, Sept/Oct. 1991.
FULL-TEXT
- By relying on rotational grazing,
seasonal milking and feeds grown without purchased herbicides
or fertilizers, Carl Pulvermacher figures cost reductions will
offset lower production. He milks 55 cows in south-west Wisconsin
on his 220-acre dairy, which became certified-organic in '88.
For six months of the year, the milking herd is out foraging.
In mid-April, they start rotating through alfalfa/bluegrass/orchardgrass
pasture divided into 16 paddocks. Portable polywire lets Pulvermacher
move the herd to the next paddock in 5 to 10 minutes.
-
- Trantham, T. Twelve Aprils
Dairying. Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education Program (SARE), 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- "Tom Trantham listens to
cows. He's been listening and watching them ever since the day
they broke out of their pasture and changed his life. It was
April, 1989, and the Trantham dairy was going broke fast. Then
one day the milkers pushed through the confinement feeding area
into a seven-acre field full of natural lush April growth--lamb's
quarters, rye grass, a little clover and fescue. At the next
milk pickup there was a two-pound average increase per cow. At
92 cows, that was 184 extra pounds from grazing a field that
had been scheduled for chemical burndown and planting in sorghum
for silage. Thinking maybe the cows were trying to tell him something,
Tom opened all the gates on his farm and began experimenting
with grazing." This on-line manual gives an outline of his
grazing program and addresses the most often asked questions
about his system.
-
- Welsh, R. Rotational grazing:
A farm profile. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture; 8(1):35-45,
1996.
- Kevin and Lisa Engelbert from
New York State have implemented rotational grazing on their dairy
farm to improve sustainability. Kevin and Lisa depend on 52 acres
of intensively grazed pasture as the primary feed source for
the cows. They also plant 95 acres of alfalfa to supplement the
pasture and provide feed for the winter months. The profile provides
an overview of the farm. Details are given on pasture management,
fencing, water management, economics of the switch to rotational
grazing, economic comparison before and after transition to rotational
grazing.
-
- Winsten, J.R. and Petrucci, B.T.
Seasonal dairy grazing: A viable alternative for the 21st century.
A case study of six successful dairy farms using seasonal calving
and management-intensive grazing. Grassfarmer.Com . American
Farmland Trust, Washington, DC, pp. October 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- "Over the last decade a
promising alternative to large-scale confinement dairies has
emerged that is being adopted by farmers in many parts of the
United States. Seasonal dairy grazing is a production system
that utilizes management-intensive grazing (MIG) in conjunction
with a spring calving schedule. The fundamental idea is to match
the nutrient requirements of the dairy herd with the growth cycle
of pasture forages. With seasonal dairy grazing, operating and
overhead costs can be kept quite low, and well within the means
of most farmers. Dairy grazing, when combined with a seasonal
calving schedule, has the potential to become a very powerful
tool for farmland protection and the revitalization of rural
communities in many regions of the United States. In an attempt
to increase recognition for seasonal dairy grazing as a viable
expansion alternative for farmers in the northeast and Midwest
states, this report contains actual detailed information describing
six farms that successfully use the system."
Guides and Research Papers
- AWI staff. AWI's standards for cattle and sheep put other
criteria out to pasture. AWI Quarterly; 54(1):6, 2005 .
FULL-TEXT
- AWI's standards for cattle ensure cattle can graze, exercise,
access shade and rest at will and prohibit them from being restrained
in close quarters on bare ground without shade or wind breaks,
hot-iron branded, implanted with hormones, treated routinely
with antibiotics or fed a high-grain diet or questionable feed
ingredients.
-
- Beaver, J.M. and Olson, B.E. Winter range use by cattle
of different ages in southwestern Montana. Applied Animal
Behaviour Science; 51(1-2):1-13, 1997.
- "During two winters, we compared the use of winter
range by young (3-year-old) cattle that had no experience on
winter range with mature (7- to 8-year-old) cattle that had experience
on winter range. The 3-year-old cattle used unprotected areas
more frequently than the 7- to 8-year-old cattle, and were in
areas where the standard operative temperature was below their
lower critical temperature more often than the older cattle.
When grazing in unprotected areas, 7- to 8-year-old cattle used
areas with higher standing crops than what was available, on
average, in those areas. The 3-year-old cattle lost more backfat
and weight than the older cattle. Apparently, 3-year-old cattle
were less efficient at using the pasture's forage and thermal
resources than 7- to 8-year-old cattle, and were presumably cold-stressed
more often."
-
- Beetz, A. Grass-based and
seasonal dairying. ATTRA, Fayetteville, Ark., Dec. 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- Grass-based dairies differ from
confinement dairies because cows harvest their own feed, reducing
the need for costly supplemental feed and other purchased supplies.
Such dairies use skilled management and controlled rotational
grazing. It is a challenge to offer dairy quality forages for
the entire grazing season and supplement this forage diet for
optimal milk production and profitability. Some graziers are
taking the next step to seasonal dairying. They choose to dry
off the whole herd at once, thus earning a vacation from all
milking. However, management is even more difficult in such a
system. Many graziers report improved health when cows are on
pasture most of the year. Special equipment for fencing and water
systems has been developed and is increasingly available. Additional
resources are listed.
-
- Beetz, A.E. Rotational grazing. ATTRA (Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), April 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- "A profitable livestock operation can be built around
animals harvesting their own feed. The livestock are moved to
the forage during its peak production periods. Producers learn
to manage the pasture as an important crop in itself; the animals
provide a way to market it. Reduced feed and equipment costs
and improved animal health will result from choosing a species
well-suited to existing pasture and environmental conditions."
This publication discusses various aspects of MIRG (Management
Intensive Rotational Grazing) including choosing a grazing system;
making the change; fencing and water systems; managing forage
growth; seasonal adjustments; additional information sources;
and a list of online discussion groups.
-
- Beetz, A. Sustainable Pasture
Management. ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural
Areas), Fayetteville, Ark., Oct. 2001.
FULL-TEXT
- This publication offers information
on renovating pastures vs. establishing new ones; planning and
goal-setting; choosing a grazing system; managing fertility;
changes in the plant community; conserved forages vs. grazing;
trees in pasture systems; managing weeds; maintaining the pasture.
-
- Booth, G. It's far deeper than machinery: Intensive rotational
grazing on the Molitor Farm. Greenbook 1999. Energy and Sustainable
Agriculture Program. Minnesota Department of Agriculture,
St. Paul, Minn., pp. 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- "On conventional dairy farms, farmers produce forage
for their cows. Commercial fertilizers and herbicides help produce
the feed. But with intensive rotational grazing (IRG), inputs
are reduced. Cattle are rotated between relatively small paddocks,
naturally controlling weeds and fertilizing with manure. Molitor
lets the cows make hay for half the year, leaving him time to
put up quality feed for the remaining half year, as well as concentrate
on other projects. It's a matter of matching feed and practices
to the animals, Molitor says. 'Have confidence in the grass.
If you're going to do it, believe in it.'"
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Dairy grazing
can provide good financial return. Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- Financial success is possible for operations set up as
management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) dairy farms and
for confinement dairy farms that transition to grazing. But managing
farm resources efficiently is the key to top financial performance
on MIRG dairy farms, just like on confinement dairies.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Livestock
production and marketing. Web site. Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 2000.
WEB SITE
- The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)
is a small sustainable agriculture research center at UW-Madison.
Overview of livestock programs: The grazing dairy systems program
emphasizes economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable,
grass-based farming systems. Furthermore, CIAS is conducting
a three year investigation of the potential contribution of pastured
poultry systems to small and mid-size farms in the upper Midwest.
-
- Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems . Milk production
and quality of pastured cows rival confinement feeding. Center
for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), UW-Madison, Madison,
WI, 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- "Pastured Holstein cows are as productive as their
haylage-fed counterparts in an Arlington Agricultural Research
Station study. The study is comparing milk production and fat
and protein composition in intensive, rotational grazing systems
and a conventional stored-feeding system. Researchers are also
evaluating yield, quality and persistence of forages on pure
alfalfa and mixed grass/legume pastures." Overview of the
project is presented.
-
- Campbell, D. The economic and
social viability of rural communities: BGH vs. rotational grazing.
In: Liebhardt, W.C., ed. The dairy debate: Consequences
of bovine growth hormone and rotational grazing technologies.
University of California.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Davis,
CA, pp. 277-316,
©1993.
- This paper considers the implications
of rBH and rotational grazing for the economic and social viability
of rural communities. It examines the impact of these technologies
on animal health, food safety, the environment and consumers.
"There are good reasons for farmers and society to consider
other alternatives to bGH. The evidence reviewed here strongly
suggests that policies supporting bGH threaten the economic and
social fortunes of family farms and rural communities, particularly
in certain dairy-dependent areas of the Midwest. By contrast,
there is growing evidence that rotational grazing may be economically
competitive for dairy farmers and more beneficial for rural communities....Advocates
of community-based economic development strategies are often
dismissed as naive or utopian. But which is more utopian: a strategy
that enriches a few corporations but leaves the public footing
the bill and communities in decline, or a strategy that builds
on the strengths of existing communities to provide greater rural
self-reliance and less dependence on purchases inputs and government
subsidies?... In the final analysis, the issue posed by bGH is
not merely what it will do to rural communities, but what kind
of community we wish to be."
-
- Dorsey, J., Dansingburg, J.,
and Ness, R. Managed grazing as an alternative manure management
strategy. Managing manure in harmony with the environment
and society. Proceedings of a conference held Feb. 10-12, 1998
at Ames, Iowa; 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- "Managed grazing, also called
rotational grazing or management intensive grazing, is a method
of milk and meat production that utilizes the natural ability
of cattle and other livestock to harvest their own feed directly
from pastures, spreading their own manure on the same fields
as they graze. Managed grazing systems utilize from a few to
several dozen fenced-in paddocks to confine livestock to a restricted
area for a limited length of time, usually a few hours to several
days. Farmers attempt to design their system of paddocks to balance
several key factors including the amount and quality of forage
available, the number and type of animals, and nutritional needs.
In 1993 several farm families making the transition to managed
grazing asked the Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project (LSP)
and the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)
to help them develop methods for monitoring the impacts of managed
grazing systems."
Fanatico, A., Morrow,
R., and Wells, A. Sustainable beef production. ATTRA,
Fayetteville, Ark., Aug. 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- Sustainable beef production uses
a whole-system approach of resource management to meet the goals
of the ranch. Optimizing the use of pasture while reducing feed
grain and harvested forage lowers inputs and is ecologically
sound. A rotational grazing system results in more efficient
use of pasture. Since pastured livestock harvest the feed themselves,
inputs of machinery and energy are reduced because there is less
need to harvest mechanically. Less capital is needed, since pasture,
animals, fences, water, and management are the main inputs. Sustainable
beef production emphasizes alternative health practices to keep
animals healthy and costs low.
-
- Great Lakes Grazing Network.
Web Site.
WEB SITE
- "The network is a coalition
of farmers, researchers, extensionists, resource agency staff,
environmentalists and others organized locally in their Great
Lakes region states or province to support and promote managed
grazing systems for livestock production. The focus is on systems
that are practical and profitable for farmers and that also protect
and improve the environment. Organized by the Wisconsin Rural
Development Center (WRDC) in 1993, the network is a collaborative
effort of working groups from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Representatives
from each group coordinate grazing-based activities; share research,
education, training, policy, and outreach efforts; and develop
policies supportive of grazing-based farming systems within the
Great Lakes region."
Great Lakes International Grazing Conference Proceedings.
Shipshewana, Indiana, 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- A variety of topics on grazing
based farming are available in this proceedings publication,
including dairy, beef, sheep, horse grass-based farming, alternative
marketing and getting starting in grazing.
-
- Hamilton, T. and Potter, B. 'Twas
The Night Before Christmas And The Cattle Were Grazing'.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA),
Guelph, Ontario, 2001.
FULL-TEXT
- Some recent projects have shown
that we may be able to significantly extend the grazing season
in an area with a humid, temperate climate. Using the technique
of "stockpiling", with common perennial forages, the
grazing season has been extended into mid December. Stockpiling
refers to the practice whereby a forage stand is harvested (by
animal or machine) in mid summer, and then allowed to regrow
into the fall season. After grazing on conventionally managed
pastures is finished, cattle are turned into the stockpiled standing
forage. The main objective of this management practice is to
maximize the number of days that cattle are able to continue
grazing. Our experience has shown that stockpile grazing with
dry beef cows looks very promising, at least during fall seasons
with favourable weather conditions.
-
- Johnson, T. Economics of Grass-Based Dairying.
ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), Fayetteville,
Ark., March 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "The management of grass-based dairy operations is
different from that of conventional dairies. Grazing should not
be considered as an option to make up for poor management of
a conventional dairy. Relative to time spent managing conventional
row crops, graziers spend more of their time monitoring and managing
grass. While many successful graziers do grow corn silage and
other crops for harvest or feed when pasture may be unavailable
or limited, their focus is still on maximizing forage production
for harvest by cows. Grazing managers spend more time observing
and planning the next step to take than do many conventional
dairy managers, whose time is spent primarily on operating machinery,
making repairs, and feeding cows. Most graziers, as their experience
and knowledge of the productivity of available resources expands,
will increase the grazing season to maximize the number of days
the cows are meeting their intake needs on pasture."
- Liebhardt, W.C., ed. The dairy
debate: Consequences of bovine growth hormone and rotational
grazing technologies. University of California. Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program, Davis, CA, ©1993.
- Dairy farmers are faced with
the choice of whether or not to use synthetic bovine growth hormone
(bGH) in milk production. Yet, they are told that they must use
this genetically engineered growth hormone to remain competitive.
Many think they have little or no choice. This publication throws
light on factors that farmers and consumers should consider in
making decisions about bGH; offers an alternative, rotational
grazing; and presents case studies that document the use of this
pasture management system on actual working farms. Rotational
grazing increases profitability by reducing feed costs and other
dairy inputs. It improves herd health, soil, air and water quality,
poses no risks to human health, improves the quality of life
for farmers and helps maintain the profitability of small to
mid-sized family dairies, while bGH does the opposite.
-
- Loeffler, B. et al. Knee
Deep in Grass: A survey of twenty-nine grazing operations in
Minnesota. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture//Communication
and Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota
Extension Service, St. Paul, MN, 1996.
FULL-TEXT
- "This report was written
to introduce dairy farmers considering management intensive grazing
(MIG) to the types of production and business management strategies
presently used on 29 Minnesota dairy grazing farms. This report
also provides information about the effects of MIG on farm family
quality of life and the types of equipment in operation on these
farms. Dairy farmers who have adopted MIG will be able to compare
their operations to those of study respondents. It can be helpful
for graziers who wish to modify day-to-day activities and develop
long-range strategies for their operations."
-
- Murphy, W.M. and Kunkel, J.R.
Sustainable agriculture: Controlled grazing vs. confinement feeding
of dairy cows. In: Liebhardt, W.C., ed. The
dairy debate: Consequences of bovine growth hormone and rotational
grazing technologies. University of California. Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program, Davis, CA, pp. 113-130, ©1993.
- "When measured against the
goals of sustainable agriculture profitability, better quality
of life and improved landscape feeding dairy cows on pasture
wins in all three areas as an alternative to year-round confinement
feeding... The advantages to agricultural communities are clear:
More farms are likely to stay in business due to higher profitability,
more farm children may go into farming because it is perceived
as a desirable occupation again, the rural landscape will be
better maintained and rural communities will be rejuvenated."
Pasture dairying does not only improve the quality of life for
the farmer but also for the animals.
-
- Salatin, J. Salad Bar Beef.
Polyface Farms, Swoope, Va., 1995.
- Method of raising livestock on
pasture. Grass-fed (salad bar) beef can be excellent, if done
correctly, and commands a high market price. How-to book explains
the why, how, and who of small-scale, organic livestock management.
"Despite today's low cattle prices you can make a good profit
with a small beef cattle operation. This book will show you how.
Joel's Salad Bar Beef prototype as described is a financially
better suited prototype for 95 percent of the cow-calf producers
in the United States than the sale of commodity calves or yearlings.
However, this is not just a 'how-to' book. It is also a book
of philosophy, feelings and beliefs."
-
- Wilder, J.R. An upbeat look at
government policies and proposals involving cattle and sustainable
agriculture. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture; 4(2):81-98,
1993.
- "Cattle producers find themselves
under pressure from society's demands for leaner beef and lower-fat
dairy products, less soil erosion, cleaner water, and farm animal
well-being. Given increased public concern about livestock production
practices, Congress should elevate livestock issues to the same
level of importance as plant crops in federal sustainable agriculture
programs. By creating incentives and removing barriers and penalties
in the ASCS feed grain price support program, the milk price
support program, and the grazing permit program, respectively,
Congress could encourage many farmers to adopt sustainable livestock
management practices."
Marketing
- Good
Natured Family Farms
- The All-Natural Beef Producers
Cooperative comprises 15 active members in central and southeast
Kansas and west central Missouri. To qualify for membership,
a producer must be a small family farm, raise cattle free ranged
on open grassland without growth hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics.
-
- Earles, R. and Fanatico, A. Alternative
Beef Marketing. ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for
Rural Areas), Fayetteville, Ark., May 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- "This publication explores
marketing alternatives for small-scale cattle ranchers who would
like to add value to the beef they produce. It discusses methods
for adding value, alternative marketing strategies, including
niche markets for "natural," lean, and organic beef.
Production considerations for pasture-finished beef are given
special attention. A section on direct marketing focuses on connecting
with consumers and developing a product. Processing and legal
issues are also covered." See also Alternative
Meat Marketing.
-
- Ervin's Natural Beef Is Predator-Friendly.
Web Site. Safford,
AZ.
WEB
SITE
- "At Ervin's Natural Beef
we're trying an experiment. We're betting that consumers are
willing to pay a little more for their beef if it's produced
without killing predators. Even though a lot of our ranchers
are in the wolf reintroduction area, they have agreed not to
kill any predators. Every day our ranchers face coyotes, bobcats,
bears, jaguars, mountain lions, and now wolves. But we prefer
to utilize proactive and non-lethal means to control predators.
Moving the herd frequently, and increased contact both by humans
and our cattle dogs has profound effect."
-
- Gegner, L. Value-Added Dairy Options. ATTRA (Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), Fayetteville, Ark., Aug.
2001.
FULL-TEXT
- "Dairy farmers can add value to their milk by processing
and marketing their own products, such as cheeses, yogurt, butter,
ice cream, and farm-bottled milk. Many consumers are willing
to pay a premium for locally produced, high-quality, farmstead
dairy products; organic certification may further enhance the
market potential."
-
- Heavrin, M. and Kilde, R.S. Bruegman Grass-Based Dairy:
Simply a Better Product . Center for Rural Affairs//North
Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability, Lincoln, NE,
2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "A family-based initiative to market milk and dairy
products directly to health-conscious consumers shares equipment
and costs to move toward their goal."
-
- Heavrin, M. and Kilde, R.S. Small Farm Cooperative:
Quality and Innovation . Center for Rural Affairs//North
Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability, Lincoln, NE,
2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "Small Farms Cooperative is a marketing organization
made up of thirty small- and medium-sized farms and ranches.
The group came together for the first time in June 1999, and
has since formed into a marketing cooperative that markets their
products with their Nebraska Natural Products label. It offers
"natural" meat products raised to humane standards
with environmentally sound production practices. These products
include beef, pork, bison, sheep and poultry products sold under
their NNP label".
-
- Kleinschmit, M. and Kilde, R.S. Buttering Up Your Customers:
Direct-Market Dairy Products Keep Profits on the Farm. Center
for Rural Affairs//North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability,
Lincoln, NE, 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "A group of grass-based dairy farmers in southeastern
Minnesota decide to set their price by marketing and distributing
premium quality, specialty dairy products themselves. "
-
- Miller, L. FROM THE FIELD: David, Diane and Dresden Petty.
Family combines cattle with conservation. Leopold Letter;
15(2) Summer 2003.
FULL-TEXT
- "David Petty has taken what might be considered a
negative situation farming along river bottom ground and turned
it into an environmental plus, as well as a profitable and productive
agricultural operation."
-
- Miller, L. She tries to connect
farmers, researchers, retailers and regulators: Kansas beef producer
uses proactive approach. Leopold Letter; 12(2) Summer
2000.
FULL-TEXT
- Diana Endicott runs a 400-acre
certified organic farm in eastern Kansas with her husband, Gary.
They market their all-natural beef in supermarkets through a
producers' cooperative, the All-Natural Beef Producers Cooperative,
that Diana helped organize three years ago, comprising 15 active
members in central and southeast Kansas and west central Missouri.
To qualify for membership, a producer must be a small family
farm, raise cattle free-ranged on open grassland without growth
hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics.
-
- NC SARE Office. Cooperatively
producing and marketing all natural beef. Field Notes. NC
SARE Quarterly Fact Sheet; Aug. 1999.
FULL-TEXT
- This fact sheet profiles Kansas
ranchers Diana and Gary Endicott' farm and Diana's efforts at
organizing a farmer cooperative. Diana and Gary grow greenhouse
vegetables, grain and hay and run a small cow/calf operation
in southeast Kansas on their 400-acre certified organic Rainbow
Farms. In 1997, Diana and area farmers formed a closed cooperative
to ensure quality and consistency in their beef. Ten producers
joined the "All Natural Beef Cooperative" to sell through
the grocery chain under the "Nature's Premium All Natural
Beef" label. The co-op added 10 members since then. To qualify
for membership, ranchers must raise cattle without growth hormones
or sub-therapeutic antibiotics, on a "small family farm"
where family income is primarily generated from the operation
and the family members are actively involved in labor. Animals
are free-ranged. Their most important vision remains keeping
the small farm viable.
-
- Nader, G. Natural Beef: Consumer
acceptability, market development, and economics. UC SAREP 1996-97
research and education report. University of California Cooperative
Extension, UC-Davis, 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- This project provided insight
into the viability of grass-fed beef marketing in California.
Consumer surveys and focus groups indicated an interest in products
that were not implanted with hormones or given antibiotics. Case
studies of California ranches selling grass-fed beef raised
without hormones or antibiotics are presented.
-
- Phillips, S. Red meat can be
green. High Country News; 30(2) 1998.
FULL-TEXT
- Ranchers Jim Winder and Will
Holder of New Mexico, have teamed up with the nonprofit Defenders
of Wildlife and are developing a seal-of-approval so that beef
coming from ranchers who avoid killing predators will stand out
in stores. Rather than killing predators such as wolves and coyotes,
these producers train their cattle to stick together. Their methods
include training cows to group around hay and conditioning them
to bunch up at the sound of a whistle. Winder and Holder hope
that the Wolf Country Beef program will demonstrate that ranchers
can live with wolves and still make money.
-
- Sechrist, P. and Sechrist, R.
The ups and downs of direct-marketing beef. In: McDermott,
M., ed. Future Farms: New Ideas for Family Farms and
Rural Communities. Conference Proceedings. February 8 and 9,
2000. Metro Tech, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Kerr Center
for Sustainable Agriculture, Poteau, Oklahoma, pp. 33, 2000.
FULL-TEXT
- The following summary of direct
marketing guidelines was presented :" I. Make sure marketing
is consistent with your goals, personally and professionally.
II. Select and define your market. III. Get your product ready
for market. IV. Develop a marketing plan. IV. Flexibility &
Adaptation: Be prepared to change your marketing strategies or
things like your product packaging to better fit the market need."
-
- Sechrist, R. and Sechrist, P. Organic, grass-fed beef
and chicken: Management and markets. Future Farms 2002: A
Supermarket of Ideas. Conference Proceedings . The Kerr Center
for Sustainable Agriculture, Poteau, Oklahoma, pp. 46-47, 2002.
FULL-TEXT
- "We decided to build a business based upon our values.
For us that meant a meat product that was healthy for consumers
and a production method that enhanced our ecological system.
The decision to do this was derived from our practice of holistic
management.... It was this process that lead to our decision
to go organic and then to build a marketing business around that...
Organic livestock production became the easiest part of this
experience. The real challenge one we underestimated is marketing."
Some hints about direct marketing are given and issues to be
addressed.
-
- Hayhurst, C. Got
organic milk? The natural dairy business is going mainstream.
E-Magazine; 3 p., May-June 2000.
- "The boom in the popularity of organic dairy is not
due entirely to rBGH (or the lack thereof). A significant motivator
is consumers' concern for the environment and, in many cases,
animal welfare... Many dairy farmers, some of whom were raised
on conventional agriculture, are finding that going organic is
one way to ensure their products stay in demand and receive a
fair price. 'The organic niche is proving a viable solution to
help keep rural communities and small farmers economically and
socially healthy."
See also Organic
Valley
See also Niman
Ranch
SMALL
RUMINANTS
DIVERSIFIED, SUSTAINABLE, LIVESTOCK FARMING
Back
to table of contents
*