1. SARE Grassfed Dairy Research Project
Starting Fall 2016
Will include dairy farms in the Northeast feeding 100% forage rations
Fay Benson – Cornell NY Small Dairy
Heather Darby – University of VT Extension
Sarah Flack – Sarah Flack Consulting

2. Overview parts of the project
Initial Survey sent to 140+ Farms (83 surveys received) (Thank you to CROPP/Organic Valley and Maple Hill Creamery for help mailing out the surveys!)
Second Survey to farms willing to participate (39 surveys received)
22 farms are now providing monthly data (as of august 2017)
Research trials on high energy forage crops
Project leaders will be sharing information with farmers, milk buyers and service providers

3. Initial survey – 83 farms Average number of years dairy farming 22
Average years organic 8.5 (longest 29 years)
Average years grass-fed 3.7 (longest 20 years)
Average number of cows 46 (range is micro dairy farms to over 200 head)
16 seasonal dairy farms, 9 semi seasonal

4. Initial survey – 83 farms Average 318 total owned & rented acres
Of farms that do not report sales or purchase of any forages, 5.6 acres per cow is average number of total harvested and grazed land per cow.
20 grow some annual crops for harvest or grazing with an average of 8 acres

5. Initial survey – 83 farms
As of fall 2016, 10 still feeding some grain to young stock
50 feed an energy supplement at least occasionally
Very wide range of milk production. Self reported average is 9761 lbs/cow/yr
Range is just over 6,000/cow to 14,000

6. Second survey -39 farms
Farms feed milk for as little as 2 months to over 10
7 feed milk 3 months or less
13 feed milk 4 to 5 months
10 feed milk 6 to 7 months
5 feed milk 8 to 10 months or longer
9 herds raise calves on dams
7 herds raise calves on nurse cows
23 raise them using some combination of individual bottles and group feeders
18 report they are raising all heifer calves

7. Second survey -39 farms Calving intervals – self reported:
16 herds report 12 to 14 months
11 herds report 14 to 16 months
10 herds report 12 months
2 farms milk once/day. Others milk once/day during late lactation (seasonal herds) or at certain times of year.

8. Second survey -39 farms 4 farms send heifers off farm (custom grazing)
11 buying or selling some forage
33 do intensive or holistic planned grazing
4 have a simple rotational grazing system
2 farms have little or no rotation/continuous grazing

9. Monthly Data Collection
Farmers send in a monthly survey
Receive a check AND a summary report of their own data and other monthly participants