Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:We engaged organic dairy farmers, extension educators, milk processors, veterinarians, and dairy nutritionists in the Northeast and Midwest through7 focus group interviews, 2 regional surveys, and 2 workshops. Approximately 250 organic dairy farmers participated in our focus groups, surveys, and workshops. Changes/Problems:Project activities were developed as planned. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our planning grant was developed to document farmers' perspectives regarding best strategies to maximize the use of forage resources to improve farm profitability. However, we did provide educational opportunities to farmers and extension educators during our 2 workshops. We presented research data relevant to our planning network and provided farmers, extension educators, and industry personnel the opportunity to learn about forage crop systems, soil health, pasture management, and dairy nutrition. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from our focus groups and surveys have been disseminated in workshops, field days, scientific and farmer-oriented conferences, classrooms, and University online media and Extension websites. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Impact: Milk production has been one of the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the United States, yet rising feed costs and volatile milk prices have created new challenges for dairy farmers in the Northeast and Midwest. Specifically, organic dairy farmers are searching for alternative feeding strategies, including reducing or even eliminating grains from dairy rations to enhance farm profitability. Through 7 focus group interviews, 2 regional surveys, and 2 workshops our planning grant team brought together organic dairy farmers, scientists, extension educators, graduate and undergraduate students, and industry personnel (e.g., dairy nutritionists, veterinarians, milk processors employees) to voice their perspectives regarding organic milk production practices that maximize profitable forage use resources. Approximately 250 organic dairy farmers who participated in our focus groups, surveys, and workshops agree that managing positive feedbacks to optimize forage nutritive value and soil health on organic dairy farms through increased legume proportion and persistence in pasture swards, as well as improved forage energy:protein balance and nitrogen utilization are critical research and extension needs that must be addressed. These results are currently being used by our team in workshops, field days, and presentations in scientific and farmer-oriented conferences to educate farmers and allied industry about success and constraints to produce organic milk relying of high-forage or no-grain diets. We also empowered organic dairy farmers by developing and submitting grant proposals to OREI and ORG programs addressing their extension and research needs. Objective 1: Develop an in-depth understanding of the research and extension needs of organic dairy farmers from the NE and MW considering or currently using diverse forage crop communities to improve soil and forage quality, and farm profitability, via focus group meetings. A total of 7 focus group interviews were conducted in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, New York, and Wisconsin. Approximately 80 organic dairy farmers attended our group meetings and voiced their perspectives regarding research and extension needs to capitalize on forage-based resources to optimize the profitability of milk production in the Northeast and Midwest. Several topics emerged from this rich discussion including research to address pasture establishment and renovation, incorporation of annual and alternative forage crops, soil fertility, grazing management, increased proportion of legumes in pasture and hayfields, and increased energy:nitrogen ratio in forage crops used for pasture and stored feeds (e.g., hay, silage, baleage). Objective 2: Prioritize research and extension needs identified in the focus groups with a broader population of farmers via survey methods. We conducted 2 surveys targeting organic dairy farmers who are using only forage resources (pasture and conserved forages) to produce organic milk. "Grass milk" is an emerging niche market for organic dairy farmers and there is a growing number of dairies making the transition from grain use to forage-only diets. The Northeast survey targeted organic dairy farmers from Vermont and New York and the Midwest survey targeted Wisconsin organic dairies. In the Northeast our team collaborated with Sarah Flack (private dairy consultant), Heather Darby (University of Vermont), and Fay Benson (Cornell University) develop and release the survey instrument, while in the Midwest (i.e., Wisconsin) we collaborated with Organic Valley. Even though we are still analyzing our survey results, preliminary data from the Northeast showed an average farm size of 319 acres, 20 out of 79 farmers grow some annual crops for harvest or grazing, 41 out of 79 farmers feed an energy supplement at least occasionally, 66% farmers do intensive grazing, 15% farmers have a more simple rotational system, and 19% farmers do little or no rotation/continuous grazing. Survey results are key to prioritize research and extension needs in the Northeast and Midwest and we will soon complete our survey analyses to incorporate in educational events and grant proposals. Objective 3: Verify and validate the priorities with team members and stakeholders, and begin a planning process for conducting integrated soil-forage-dairy research and extension programs via follow-up workshops. Our team conducted 2 workshops with the first being held in Madison (WI) and the second in Durham (NH). We brought together approximately 30 attendees including organic dairy farmers, scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, extension educators, and industry personnel (dairy consultants and nutritionists, milk processors employees, veterinarians). Based on the focus group and survey results, the workshops were done to streamline research topics for in-depth assessment and discussions to be used or not in grant proposals according to team expertise and farmers' priorities. Objective 4: Submit integrated proposal(s) to address the prioritized organic research and extension needs under the guidance of the Research and Extension Advisory Panel. To date our team submitted 2 integrated grant proposals to both ORG and OREI programs. The grant proposal titled "Developing advanced perennial legume-grass mixtures harvested as stored feeds to improve herd productivity and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in organic dairies in the Northeast" (PI Andre Brito) was funded by the ORG program and activities are developing. The grant proposal "Managing positive feedbacks to optimize forage nutritive value and soil health on organic dairy farms" (PI Richard Smith) was submitted to the OREI program last year and despite not being recommended for funding, it was well received by the review panel who considered the proposal very good. Our team are encouraged by this positive review and will resubmit the grant proposal this coming funding cycle. We will continue pursuing other funding sources as well.
Publications
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