Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Events: We have organized stakeholder focus groups, a seminar series, visits to organic dairy research programs throughout the US, and planning team meetings. Planning team members participated in site visits were organic dairy research is being conducted. In September 2010, 2 team members visited with Dr. Cindy Daley at the organic dairy at California State University, Chico in Chico, California. In May 2011, 4 team members visited with Dr. Andre Brito and colleagues from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, and in August 2011, 4 team members visited with Dr. Steve Washburn at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. A seminar series was conducted during 2011 at various locations around Minnesota and was planned to facilitate planning team education and public outreach. The first seminar, "Requirements for Organic Dairy and Livestock in the United States", was presented in January 2011 by Mr. Jim Riddle, University of Minnesota's Organic outreach coordinator on the University of Minnesota-St. Paul campus and 45 people attended. In March 2011, Dr. Hue Karreman, an internationally recognized organic dairy veterinarian from Pennsylvania, presented a seminar, "Organic Dairy Cattle Health and Well Being" in Rochester, MN, where 65 people attended. Dr. Stacey Hamilton, University of Missouri Extension Dairy Specialist, presented a seminar in May 2011 at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN entitled "Measure, Monitor, and Manage: The 3 M's of Pasture Management, and 20 people attended. In July and August 2011, the last two seminars were presented on the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus. Dr. Kathleen Delate, Organic Crops Specialist at Iowa State University, presented "The Integration of Livestock Components in Organic Systems" Regulatory Necessity and System Essential", and Dr. Bob Parsons, Extension Economist at the University of Vermont, presented "The Economics of Organic Dairy Farming". For both seminars, over 30 people attended these events. Short planning team meetings were also convened after the seminars to discuss the needs of the organic dairy sector in the Midwest. Activities: Dairy producer focus groups were conducted around the state during 2011. Over 40 organic dairy producers from Minnesota attended these focus groups. The focus group purpose was to identify key issues in organic dairy production. Focus groups were organized in conjunction with two seminar series presentations. During the focus group interviews, we were able to identify numerous key issues affecting organic dairy producers. Products: Data from dairy producer focus groups was gathered that will help strengthen the organic dairy research and extension program at the University of Minnesota. Collaborative relationships with other organic dairy research institutions were established through the organic dairy site visits. Dissemination: Results of the organic dairy site visits and dairy producer focus group meetings will be shared with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force, and organic dairy producers in Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS: Brad Heins organized the organic dairy site visits, dairy producer focus groups, seminars, and traveled to all sites with the project planning team. Roger Moon and James Paulson also traveled to the organic dairy research sites to visit with researchers at other universities. The project directors (Brad Heins and Marcia Endres) organized and facilitated the dairy producer focus groups. Members of the planning team that traveled to the focus group meetings include Brad Heins, Marcia Endres, Mary Raeth-Knight, Roger Moon, Meg Moynihan, James Paulson, Amy Rager, and Sharon Weyers. Organic Valley provided mailings to producers to inform them of the date and time of the focus group meetings. Through organic dairy site visits, contacts were made with Dr. Cindy Daley (CSU-Chico), Dr. Andre Brito (UNH), and Dr. Steve Washburn (NCSU). Graduate students in the University of Minnesota's Department of Animal Science participated in dairy producer focus groups and attended the organic dairy seminars. Organic dairy producers in Minnesota provided information on key issues related to organic dairy production that will be used to further develop an integrated research and extension proposal. TARGET AUDIENCES: The main target audience for the project was organic dairy producers in Minnesota and the Midwest. Organic dairy personnel and veterinarians, as well as the general public, are target audiences for the project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The objective of the planning grant was to identify the needs of the organic dairy sector and to develop a research and extension proposal for future submission to the Organic Research and Extension Initiative competitive grant program. The organic dairy site visits succeeded in establishing relationships, collaborations, and coordination with other University research institutions involved in organic dairy research. We conducted seminars that would provide for a range of activities (i.e. organic dairy cropping systems, cow health, and economics) that relate to organic dairy production systems. The seminar series provided an opportunity for the public, as well as researchers, to learn about the key issues related to organic dairy production. Over 150 people attended the five seminars organized by the planning team. The focus groups provided an opportunity for dairy producers to discuss current challenges and opportunities for organic dairy production in the Minnesota and the Midwest. Dairy producer's identified animal health, mastitis, improving forage quantity and quality from pastures, and profitability of organic dairy farming as the most important issues for organic dairy systems. Furthermore, planning team meetings assisted in identifying the needs of the organic dairy sector in the Midwest. The results gathered from the site visits, seminar series, focus group meetings, and planning meetings with translate into the development of an integrated research and extension proposal that will be submitted to NIFA. Scientists and stakeholders will continue to work together to identify organic producer challenges and concerns and this dialogue will provide the foundation for creating proposals that address these concerns and provide information needed to establish system-based organic best management practices. Producer focus group meetings will continue. The planning team will continue to have organizational meetings to identify the needs of the organic dairy sector in the future.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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