Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience was organic dairy farms that are currently or transitioning to feeding only grass or legume based fedstocks to their livestock. The estimated number in the United States is approximately 450 farms. The majority of these farms are "certified" grass-fed and sell their milk to major processors including Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, and Horizon. A smaller fraction that are not feeding grain process and sell their own milk into this specialty market. The secondary audience are agricultural support industry including certifiers, crop consultants, nutritionists, vets, bankers, and other stakeholders that work with grass-fed or organic dairy operations. Changes/Problems:Restrictions on travel and other work-related activities in 2020due to the COVID pandemic resulted in on-farm data collection being delayed for one year. Originally scheduled for 2020, on-farm data collection and projects were shifted to start in 2021 and into 2022. In addition, outreach was minimized and contained more virtual offerings than anticipated in 2020 and 2021. A no-cost extension was received to complete all deliverables that were delayed due to the pandemic. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the project period there were several opportunites for training and professional development of faculty, staff, and students. There were 2 students, 1 post doctorate researchers, 3 staff, and 1 faculty member to receice certification in descriptive sensory analysis. Sensory training and certification of descriptive sensory analysis was held at UVM at two locations, St. Albans, VT and Burlington, VT. These highly trained and calibrated human instruments weredid not only support the current grant work but are also positioned to support federally funded work in the dairy industry for years to come, including recently awarded work on artisan cheese, sustainable cheese packaging, and new grass-fed dairy projects. Two staff were trained by Dr. Larry Tranel (Iowa State University) on the DairyTRANS software package. This software is used for dinancial benchmarking on dairy farms in the midwest. The program has always been used with organic dairies but not with grass-fed orgnaic dairies. The software program will assist the project team with collection of standardized data that can be compared with other dairy operations. In addition, it will create a unique set of benchmarks specific to organic grass-fed dairies. One technical staff attended a workshop hosted by NRCS to learn how to develop and design a rotationa Grazing Plan. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Field Days, Farm Tours, and Winter Conferences - In the Northeast, the project team hosted annual winter conferences, research station field days, and farm tours to share results from our research projects, and foster peer learning and networking among farmers, end-users, and educators. Project team members also attended organic conferences throughout the U.S. to share the information with a broader audience. Individual events and attendance are outlined in annual reports.Since the start of the project in 2018, grass-fed dairy research and education was shared at 30 in-person events to 3,315 farmers and agricultural stakeholders. Webinars and Online Course -During the pandemic in-person educational and outreach events were prohibited so online webinars were an excellent option to continue our education and delivery of research to farmers and stakeholders. Virtual extension programs, conferences, and courses were developed and hosted throughout the project period.The webinars were also recorded and posted online through the UVM YouTube Channel for future viewing by stakeholders. Individual events have been listed in progress reports.Through this project anonline Grass-Fed Production Coursecurriculum was developed, hosted, and stored on the Extension Foundation Online Campus.The course is free and made publicly available through the Extension Foundation Online Campus (https://campus.extension.org/course/view.php?id=2287). The course was advertised through our blog (134 subscribers), Facebook (1500 followers), Twitter (310 followers), Instagram (1105 followers), and on our website (https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2023%20Events/Grass%20Fed%20Courses/Grass_Fed_Dairy_Production_Course_Flyer_FINAL2.pdf).Since the start of the project in 2018, grass-fed dairy research and education was shared through 18 webinars, virtual events, and online courses with812farmers and agricultural stakeholders. Factsheets, & Research Reports - Factsheets and annual research reports were created and posted online at University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils site (uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil). Research reports summarized yearly field trial results and were distributed to farmers through events and online. There were 20 farmer friendly research reports developed and share with the farming community. Factsheets summarizing the National Grass-Fed Survey, Cost of Production Study for Grass-Fed, and Grass-Fed Milk Sensory were developed and shared online and at outreach events. Finally a Grass-Fed Dairy Production Guide was completed and used to teach the online course as well as shared as a resource with stakeholders. Nile, M., Darby, H., Ziegler. S. Flack, S., Brito, A., Snider, M. 2020.Grass-Fed Dairy Farm Production Practices and Demographics in the US.University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/GrassFed_Dairy_Survey_ResultsFarmer_Brief_12_2019.pdf Desrochers, R., Darby, H., and S. Ziegler. 2019. Evaluating the Sensory Characteristics of Organic Grassfed Milk. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/Articles_and_Factsheets/EvaluationSensoryCharacteristicsInGrassFedMilk_Nov2020_FINAL.pdf (accessed 16 Dec. 2020) Darby, H. 2021. Cost of Production on Grass-fed Dairy Farms in the Northeast. St. Albans, https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/Articles_and_Factsheets/2018-2020_COP_Report_1_Cost_of_Grassfed_Production.pdf (accessed 7-Oct. 2021). Desrochers, R., Darby, H., and S. Ziegler. 2021. Lots of variability in grassfed milk; Study: taste and aroma differ greatly in both farm and supermarket samples. Graze magazine. Jan 2021. University of Vermont Extension. (2023). A Farmer's Guide to Grass-fed Dairy Production. Burlington,Vermont: University of Vermont Extension. Available from: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/grass-fed-dairy. Citations for manuscripts, abstracts, and poster sessions/presentations -Research information and results from this project were shared at professional conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and as abstracts. Almeida, K. V. Mitigation strategies to reduce the environmental impact from ruminants. 7th National Symposium of Biotechnology and Animal Production, State University of Maringa, webinar, 2023. Almeida, K. V. Using the Integrated farm system model (IFSM) to estimate the environmental performance of dairy farms. Cost - Cow - Consumer Summer Retreat, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY, 2023. Snider, M., Ziegler, S., Darby, H., Soder, K., Brito, A., Beidler, B., . . . Niles, M. (2021). An overview of organic, grassfed dairy farm management and factors related to higher milk production. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-9. doi:10.1017/S1742170521000284 Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of grassfed dairy management practices and producer perceptions on milk production in the United States. 2020 NE ARPAS Graduate Student Research Contest. Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of research needs and management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. ADSA 2020 Annual Meeting. Miriam A Snider, Jacqueline M Johnson, Sara E Ziegler, Heather M Darby, Sabrina L Greenwood, 180 Effects of Forage Mixtures on Rumen Fermentation Parameters as Assessed by Continuous Culture, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 99, Issue Supplement_3, November 2021, Page 97, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab235.174 Miriam A Snider, Bharath K Mulakala, Ashley W Driemel, Sara E Ziegler, Heather M Darby, Kathy J Soder, Andre F Brito, Sabrina L Greenwood, 191 Evaluation of Diverse Cool-Season Grass Mixtures with red Clover on Ruminal Fermentation in Continuous Culture, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 100, Issue Supplement_3, October 2022, Page 86, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac247.168 Farmer Discussion Groups Farmer Discussion groups were initiated in Vermont as a response to the growing market for organic grass-fed milk. The number of new farms making the transition to grass-fed production were seeking opportunities to share information with others, create and manage changes on their farms, and also for opportunities to socialize with like minded farmers. Two groups were in initiated in fall 2019 in northern Vermont at the request of farmers. Conversation topics ranged from what is reasonable to expect for milk production levels, feeding, cropping, grazing management and how to plan for winter feeding.Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 it was necessary to stop holding these meetings in person. To foster these groups and provide support through the difficult situation, the meetings were transitioned to the Zoom online platform which still allowed farmers without computers to join via phone. There were 5 virtual discussion groups held in 2020, 4 in 2021, and 4 in 2022.Each meeting had a loose agenda of timely topics to discuss and check in with one another about as well as open time for any topic of interest to be discussed. It also became a way for organizations offering services or other aide to farmers given the COVID-19 pandemic, a way to communicate with often hard to reach communities. These discussion groups were reported in annual progress reports. Only the 2020 group discussions were recorded. Grass-Fed Dairy Virtual Farmer Discussion Groups, Apr 7, 8, May 13, Jun 24, Jul 1, Aug 28, Dec 11, 2020, 7-part discussion series, virtual event, 88 attendees, https://www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/conferences-events-current-and-past What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Through thisproject research we helped to identify barriers, challenges and opportunities for farmers that are grass-fed or looking to transition to grass-fed production. Current production practices, levels of knowledge, and needs of grass-fed dairy producers were assessed via a national survey (164 responses). The average grass-fed dairy in the U.S. manages 49 crossbred cows on 219 acres. Annual milk production averages 9,305 lbs. A subset of farms participated in a benchmarking program in which surveys were completed detailing milk production, rations, and costs. The average total cost of production (n = 64) was $49.95, well above the milk price for over 2/3 of the participating farms. Lower cost of production was associated with higher milk production, purchasing more forage as opposed to growing it on the farm, raising fewer replacement animals, and not purchasing energy supplements. Grass-fed dairy research and education was shared at 30 in-person and 18 virtualevents to 4,127 stakeholders from 22 states, Quebec, and Ontario. There were 20 farmer research reports, 3 factsheets, an online course, and a production guide developed and shared online and at outreach events.A final project survey was sent to farmer participants to assess the outcomes and impacts of this OREI funded project. There were 223 surveys mailed directly to farmers and we received 79 responses. The survey indicated that 78% of respondents have used information from this project to make management decisions on their farm. Farmers indicated the information was gained primarily through in-person events (63%), online webinars/courses (18%), and written materials (21%). Of the information produced 85% of the farmers indicated that the cost of production, soil fertility, and forage management information was the most useful to their operation. As a result, 50% of the respondents experienced increased economic viability, 38% increased milk quality, 13% increased milk production, and 13% increased reproductive performance. Objective 1:Understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementing benchmarking on farms throughout the U.S. As more dairies consider transitioning to this production system, it is important to understand the costs of producing 100% grass-fed milk. To establish a cost of production benchmark for grass-fed dairies, financial data were collected on an average of 21 organic grass-fed dairies annually from 2018-2020. The herd size ranged from 32 to 220 milking cows with an average of 61 cows per farm. Farms were managing an average of 338 acres (5.66 acres/mature cow). Farms shipped an average of 525,211 lbs of milk per year. Milk production averaged 8,784 lbs per cow per year. The average pay pricewas $38.43 but ranged from $29.13 to $46.18 per cwt of milk sold. Gross farm income averaged $226,575 from milk sales plus an additional $27,044 of other income. Average total cost per cwt eq. across all farms was $49.95, and the average pay price per cwt of milk sold was $38.43. Objective 2:Understand nutrient cycling dynamics and the subsequent impacts on crop, soil, and animal production and health. Whole farm nutrient balances were evaluated on 2 organic farms, 2 grass-fed farms with purchased fertility, and 2 grass-fed farms with no purchased fertility. The organic dairies were feeding grain and buying some forage and were found to beoperating in a slight nutrient excess, with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) accumulating each year. The grass-fed dairy required more than double the acreage to feed a similar number of cows. Since there are no grain imports, poultry manure is brought on for fertility. The level of exported nutrients exceeded the nutrients coming on to the farm. In the third example, grass-fed farms did not import poultry manure and all nutrients were in a deficit. Eliminating the import of grain nutrients in a grass-fed system without a clear plan to maintain soil fertility led to depleted soil nutrient levels. We also focused on estimating the environmental performance of organic-certified grass-fed (OGF) in the Northeast US using the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) version 4.6 (Rotz et al., 2018). Simulations revealed that Low-cost farms demonstrated lower green water use (33% vs. 67%), lower energy use (41% vs. 59%), and lower nitrogen loss (61% vs. 39%) compared to High-cost farms. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the Low-cost group emitted 366,418kg of CO2eq/year compared to244,242 kg ofCO2eq/year for theHigh-cost group. ?Objective 3:Investigate the impacts of soil and forage management on nutrient cycling, forage production, forage quality, and farm economics. Variety evaluations of perennial and annual forages (warm and cool season) took place yearly at the research farm. Pernnial grass species and varieties that had high yields and digestible fiber per acre were identified and shared with farmers. Warm and cool season annuals were also shown to provide more dry matter and higher levels of digestible fiber (energy) in the shoulder seasons of pasture. Through this information, we evaluated rumen fermentation metrics of red clover + orchardgrass harvested at first and second cuttings, and further investigated the impacts of dietary apple cider vinegar (ACV) supplementation in combination with first cut forages on fermentation metrics using two in vitro batch culture experiments. In Experiment 1, tubes were supplemented with either 1) 50% red clover + 50% orchardgrass harvested at first cut (CUT 1) or 2) 50% red clover + 50% orchardgrass harvested at second cut (CUT 2). In Experiment 2, tubes received either 1) CUT 1 substrate only or 2) CUT 1 substrate + ACV. Tubes receiving CUT 1 produced more methane (CH4 ) and had higher DM (dry matter) disappearance and mean pH compared with those receiving CUT 2. Fermentation metrics of CUT 1 tubes were not affected by ACV. Fermentation metrics of mixed forage diets were compared using dual-flow continuous culture fermenters. Four diets were mixed (on a DM-basis) to include 40% red clover plus: 1) 60% orchardgrass (OG); 2) 30% orchardgrass + 30% meadow fescue (MF); 3) 20% orchardgrass + 20% meadow fescue + 20% Kentucky bluegrass (KYBG); or 4) 15% orchardgrass + 15% meadow fescue + 15% Kentucky bluegrass + 15% perennial ryegrass (PRG). Diets including 20% Kentucky bluegrass were more digestible but produced higher amounts of CH4 . Other forages, such as perennial ryegrass and meadow fescue, may be just as nutritionally beneficial as Kentucky bluegrass with the additional advantage of decreased CH4 emissions. Objective 4:Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. One of the goals of the research was to gain a better understanding of the sensory quality of grassfed milk, and which factors at the farm level influence the presence and intensity of milk aroma and flavor characteristics preferred by consumers. A panel of trained tasters used this approach to evaluate organic grassfed milk products purchased at supermarkets and grocery stores. In total, the trained tasters evaluated 35 milk samples representing the spring and fall seasons, three major milk companies, and three regions of the U.S. Through the process we learned that grassfed milk aroma and flavor vary between regions,seasons, and between milk companies. The project team evaluated the aroma and flavor of grassfed milk samples collected from 31 farms in VT/NY. We identified a range of sensory qualities collected on grassfed farms similar to the supermarket samples. These findings are encouraging, as they indicate a possible opportunity for improvement by linking on-farm factors to grassfed milk sensory quality. Objective 5:Strengthen knowledge, skills, and networks among farmers, processors, and technical service providers. See section below on "how have the results been disseminated to communities of interest".
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Almeida, K. V. Mitigation strategies to reduce the environmental impact from ruminants. 7th National Symposium of Biotechnology and Animal Production, State University of Maringa, webinar, 2023.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Almeida, K. V. Using the Integrated farm system model (IFSM) to estimate the environmental performance of dairy farms. Cost Cow Consumer Summer Retreat, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY, 2023.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. Best strategies during times of high grain prices and unstable climate. Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance Annual Conference. 29-30 August, 2022. Middlebury, VT.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Summer Annual Variety Trial: https://legacy.drup2.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/2022_Summer_Annual_VT_Report_Final.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Summer Annual Seeding Rate Trial: https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/2022_Summer_Annual_Seeding_Rate_Report_Final.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Perennial Grass Variety Trial: https://legacy.drup2.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/2022_Perennial_Grass_VT_Report_Final.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Fall Annual Forages: https://legacy.drup2.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/2022_Fall_Annual_Forages_Report_Final.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Influence of Cutting Height on Forage Quality and Productivity: https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/Influence_of_cutting_height_on_forage_quality_and_productivity_final.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Darby, H., Ziegler, S., Krezinski, I. and R. Malone. 2020. Forage Oat Seeding Rate Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2020%20Research%20Reports/2020_Forage_Oat_Seeding_Rate_Report.pdf (accessed 7 Dec 2021).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Darby, H., Ziegler, S., and Krezinski, I. 2020. Summer Annual Variety Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2020%20Research%20Reports/2020_Summer_Annual_VT_Report_Final.pdf (accessed 7 Dec 2021)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. and Ziegler, S. 2022. 2022 Legume Variety Trial: https://legacy.drup2.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2022%20Research%20Reports/2022_Legume_VT_Report_Final.pdf
|
Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during the reporting period was organic dairy farms that are currently or transitioning to feeding only grass or legume based fedstocks to their livestock. The estimated number in the United States is approximately 450 farms. The majority of these farms are "certified" grass-fed and sell their milk to major processors including Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, and Horizon. A smaller fraction that arenot feeding grain process and sell their own milk into this specialty market. Changes/Problems:Consumer panels have been delayed due to ongoing concerns with COVID and flu. Panels were completed at the end of 2022 and final data analysis can now be completed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the reporting period one thesis, one conference proceeding, and 7 farmer-friendly research reportswere created. The research bulletins have been posted online, made available in print at limited in-person outreach events, and have been shared through farmer publications (i.e., NODPA newsletter). An Organic Dairy Webinar Series was held in February/March of 2022. Results from several of the project objectives were shared with over 130 attendees. The webinars were recorded and posted on the UVM YouTube site and have had 1,213 views since posting.In addition, a summer workshop series highlighted pasture and forage research on working organic and grass-fed dairies. There were 199 attendees at workshops. Three farmer advisory board/discussion group meetings were held in 2022. At these meetings, results from multiple aspects of this project were shared and discussed with advisors and advisors were encouraged to provide feedback on project design and implementation. Concerns and questions related to grass-fed production were addressed by project collaborators and participating farms. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next year we will begin to wrap-up final phases of the research and outreach deliverables for the project. lWe are work with farmers to collect 2022financial data to further add to our cost of production data set. The work to evaluate emissions, production, and economic viability of grass-fed dairy using theIntegrated Farming System Model will be completed in winter of 2023. There is a goal to publish a peer-reviewed article from this work. On-farm data collection to understand MUN dynamics will be finished in April of 2023. The data will be analyzed, results reported in a peer-reviewed publication and extension bulletin. Consumer testing of grass-fed milk was completed in 2022 and the analysis of the data collected associated with the evaluation of the on-farm milk samples to understand connections between farm management, sensory characteristics, and consumer preference will be completed in the winter of 2023. The grass-fed production online course will be held in January/February of 2023. The course will include 7classes and resources including a grass-fed production guide.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementing benchmarking on farms in throughout the U.S. Data from three years (66 farm years total) were analyzed and summarized via various outreach channels. Two webinars summarizing the current production data from the benchmarking program and cost of production data were held during the winter of 2022. The webinars were recorded and posted to the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program's YouTube channel. Cost of production data were also shared with a farmer group organized by Organic Valley in October. Three grass-fed farmer discussion groups were held virtually in 2022 to help address increasing feed costs and interest and opportunities in transitioning to 100% grass-fed management. Throughout the year, cost of production data were collected on approximately 8 farms for 2021. Data collection will continue through early 2023. Farmer participants are still utilizing the online benchmarking program and continue to receive monthly surveys and reports. Objective 2.1-Calculate farm-level nutrient balances, production efficiency, and economic impact Whole farm nutrient balances were completed for four farms in 2022 with a minimum of four additional farms in progress which will continue into 2023.In these examples an organic dairy is feeding grain and buying forage to support the farm's operations. Exports from this farm are primarily from milk but also some from cull cows, and compost sales. The farm is operating in a slight nutrient excess with N, P, and K accumulating each year.If we compare this to a grass-fed dairy more than double the acreage is required to feed a similar number of cows. Being grass-fed there is no grain imports, but fertility is brought on to the farm in the form of poultry manure. The quantity of imported nutrients is low and nearly all from the poultry manure. The level of exported nutrients begin to exceed the nutrients coming on to the farm.In the last example, a grass-fed farm in not importing poultry manure to fertilize and all nutrients are at a deficit. When evaluating whole farm nutrient balances, these types of imbalances can be helpful at times (to draw down high soil P as an example) but long-term drawn down of nutrients is harmful to production. Evaluation whole farm nutrient balances will be critical to monitor and balance nutrient flows on the farm. Two fertilizer trials were conducted on farms in 2022, one on pasture and one on a field that is used for both hay and pasture depending on the time of year and weather conditions. Pre- and post-fertilizer yields were measured and quality samples collected for analysis. Analysis will be completed this winter. Farm simulations and management scenarios using IFSM: Data from the participant dairies including survey information on grazing management, current feeding strategies, housing and manure management systems, dairy breed, amounts of stored feeds being fed, farm size, number of animals, and farm machinery and equipment have beenused to calibrate the IFSM and generate the "average grass-fed farm" according to Hoshide et al. (2011) and Dutreuil et al. (2014). This "average farm" will be used in all simulations moving forward. Simulations will be completed in 2023 and a paper submitted for publication. Objective 2.2- Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion Monthly farm data was collected on 5 farms in NY and VT during the grazing season of 2022 (May-September/October). In-person farm visits were conducted within 3 days of monthly DHIA milk tests. Farms were selected based on herd average MUN over the last 1-2 grazing seasons and geographical location. Data collected included: herd demographics (herd size, breed composition, reproductive management, predominant pasture forage species, pasture management), DHIA milk (yield, fat, protein, MUN, SCC) and reproductive data (calving interval, days open, breedings to conception), feed (pasture plus any supplemental feeds), pasture species composition, and water quality and availability. Weather data was collected from local weather stations. Once monthly data collections will continue through the winter (until April 2023) to compare with the grazing season. Data from the first grazing season across the 5 farms are being compiled for initial analysis. Objective 3: Investigate the impacts of soil management on nutrient cycling, forage production, forage quality, and farm economics. We evaluated rumen fermentation metrics of red clover + orchardgrass harvested at first and second cuttings, and further investigated the impacts of dietary apple cider vinegar (ACV) supplementation in combination with first cut forages on fermentation metrics using two in vitro batch culture experiments (Objective 2). In Experiment 1, tubes were supplemented with either 1) 50% red clover + 50% orchardgrass harvested at first cut (CUT 1) or 2) 50% red clover + 50% orchardgrass harvested at second cut (CUT 2). In Experiment 2, tubes received either 1) CUT 1 substrate only or 2) CUT 1 substrate + ACV. Tubes receiving CUT 1 produced more methane (CH4) and had higher DM (dry matter) disappearance and mean pH compared with those receiving CUT 2. Fermentation metrics of CUT 1 tubes were not affected by ACV. Ultimately, this trial confirmed that forage cut, and chemical profile, is a more impactful variable driving rumen function. Fermentation metrics of mixed forage diets were compared using dual-flow continuous culture fermenters. Chapter 4 focused on forage diversity using cool-season forages. Four diets were mixed (on a DM-basis) to include 40% red clover plus: 1) 60% orchardgrass (OG); 2) 30% orchardgrass + 30% meadow fescue (MF); 3) 20% orchardgrass + 20% meadow fescue + 20% Kentucky bluegrass (KYBG); or 4) 15% orchardgrass + 15% meadow fescue + 15% Kentucky bluegrass + 15% perennial ryegrass (PRG). Diets including 20% Kentucky bluegrass were more digestible but produced higher amounts of CH4. Other forages, such as perennial ryegrass and meadow fescue, may be just as nutritionally beneficial as Kentucky bluegrass with the additional advantage of decreased CH4 emissions. Experiments focused on warm-season annual (WSA) inclusion, complemented by a simple cost analysis. Dietary treatments (on a DM-basis) included 1) 50% orchardgrass + 50% alfalfa (OG-ALF); 2) 25% orchardgrass + 25% alfalfa + 50% red clover (RC); 3) 25% orchardgrass + 25% alfalfa + 50% pearl millet (MIL); and 4) 25% orchardgrass + 25% alfalfa + 50% sorghum x sudangrass (SUD). Diets with WSA showed marked decreases in CH4 output but were similar in digestibility to other diets.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H., Ziegler, S., Krezinski, I. and R. Malone. 2020. Cool Season Annual Forages Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2020%20Research%20Reports/2020_Cool_season_annual_forages_report_final.pdf (accessed 07 Mar 2022).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby, H. Ziegler, S., Davidson, C., Krezinski, I. and R. Malone. 2020. Perennial Grass Variety Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2020%20Research%20Reports/2020_Perennial_Grass_VT_Report_Final.pdf (accessed 07 Mar 2022).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby. H., Ziegler, S., Davidson, C., Krezinski, I., and Sizen, M. 2021. Summer Annual Variety Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Research%20Rpts/2021_Summer_Annual_VT_Report.pdf
(accessed 9 Dec 2022)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby. H., Ziegler, S., Davidson, C., and Krezinski, I. 2021. Summer Annual Mixtures Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Research%20Rpts/2021_Summer_Annual_Mixture_Report_Final.pdf
(accessed 9 Dec 2022)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby. H., Ziegler, S., Davidson, C., and Krezinski, I. 2021. Perennial Grass Variety Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Research%20Rpts/2021_Perennial_Grass_VT_Report_Final.pdf
(accessed 9 Dec 2022)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby. H., Ziegler, S., Bruce, J., Davidson, C., and Krezinski, I. 2021. Perennial Grass Stockpiling Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Research%20Rpts/2021_Perennial_Grass_Stockpiling_Report_Final.pdf
(accessed 9 Dec 2022)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Darby. H., Ziegler, S., Krezinski, I. and S. Sullivan. 2021. Fall Forage Oat Seeding Rate Trial. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. St. Albans, VT. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Research%20Rpts/2021_Forage_Oat_Seeding_Rate_Report_Final.pdf (accessed 16 Mar 2022).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Miriam A Snider, Bharath K Mulakala, Ashley W Driemel, Sara E Ziegler, Heather M Darby, Kathy J Soder, Andre F Brito, Sabrina L Greenwood, 191 Evaluation of Diverse Cool-Season Grass Mixtures with red Clover on Ruminal Fermentation in Continuous Culture, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 100, Issue Supplement_3, October 2022, Page 86, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac247.168
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Miriam A Snider, Jacqueline M Johnson, Sara E Ziegler, Heather M Darby, Sabrina L Greenwood, 180 Effects of Forage Mixtures on Rumen Fermentation Parameters as Assessed by Continuous Culture, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 99, Issue Supplement_3, November 2021, Page 97, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab235.174
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Snider, M. 2022. EVALUATION OF FORAGE ENERGETICS AND IMPLICATIONS TO PASTURE-BASED DAIRY CATTLE IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. University of Vermont.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during the reporting period was organic dairy farms that feed only grass or legume based fedstocks totheir livestock. The estimated number in the United States is approximately 450 farms. The majority of these farms are "certified" grass-fed and sell their milk to major processors including Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, and Horizon. A smaller fraction were not feeding grain but were not selling their milk into this specialty market. Changes/Problems:Restrictions on travel and other work-related activities in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic resulted in on-farm data collection being delayed for one year. Originally scheduled for 2020, on-farm data collection is just being completed now and will be summarized in 2022. In addition, outreach was minimized and contained more virtual offerings than anticipated. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided numerous opportunities for training and professional development including: Sensory training and certification of descriptive sensory analysis at UVM at two locations, St. Albans, VT and Burlington, VT. This highly trained and calibrated human instrument is not only supporting the remaining work on this grant, they are positioned to support federally funded work in the dairy industry for years to come, including recently awarded work on artisan cheese. Sensory workshops at the Vermont Organic Dairy Conferences, hosted by UVM, in both 2020 and 2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the reporting period one peer-reviewed article and three research bulletins were created. The research bulletins have been posted online, made available in print at limited in-person outreach events, and have been shared through farmer publications (i.e., Graze magazine). An Organic Dairy Webinar Series was held in March of 2021. Results from several of the project objectives were shared with over 150 attendees. In addition, a fall workshop was held to highlight forage research and to host consumer milk panels. There were over 125 attendees at the fall workshop. Lastly, 3 presentations were given at professional meetings in 2021. Two farmer advisory board meetings were held in 2021 (April and December). At these meetings, results from multiple aspects of this project were shared and discussed with advisors and advisors were encouraged to provide feedback on project design and implementation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next year we will launch the production benchmarking program nationwide and will continue to make necessary improvements to the system to meet farmer needs and allow for continuation of the program beyond the term of this project. We will also work with farmers to collect 2021 financial data to further add to our cost of production data set. We will continue on-farm data collection understand MUN dynamics throughout the winter and grazing seasons. We will also implement on-farm fertility management projects with 2-3 farms to better understand the return on investment in soil health and fertility in grass-fed systems. We will also complete consumer testing of grass-fed milk and will complete analysis of the data collected associated with the evaluation of the on-farm milk samples to understand connections between farm management, sensory characteristics, and consumer preference. We will develop 3 webinars, 2 videos, and a grass-fed production guide that will be shared with the farming community through multiple outreach avenues and networks. Finally, we will work to collate the knowledge and data gained through this project to develop an online grass-fed dairy management curriculum. We plan to complete the innovative consumer research in milk aroma and flavor of 100% grass-fed milk. Once completed, we plan to correlate the objective descriptive sensory data that we have generated, and collected from the participating farms, to identify opportunities to share with local farmers on actions they can take to improve the aroma and flavor quality of their milk. The MUN On-Farm Study will be continues as well as final development of the IFSM model simulations for grass-fed dairy. We will then implement an outreach program that includes sensory training to educate farmers on the results of this study and actions they can take to be more successful in the market.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementing benchmarking on farms throughout the U.S. In order to prepare for a national launch of the monthly production benchmarking program, significant upgrades to the online data management system were made. A subset of approximately 8 farms were added to the program throughout 2021 to help test the new features. Final updates are in progress and should be completed by the end of the year allowing for the national release to be made in early 2022. Financial data for the 2020 tax year on 21 farms around the Northeast were collected. These data were combined with data for the 2018 and 2019 and a bulletin summarizing the three years of data was published online (https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/Articles_and_Factsheets/2018-2020_COP_Report_1_Cost_of_Grassfed_Production.pdf) and made available in print at in-person outreach events attended by project team members. Objective 2.Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion After being delayed by one year due to pandemic restrictions on travel, twice-monthly farm data was collected on 5 farms in NY and VT during the grazing season of 2021 (May-September/October). In-person farm visits were conducted within 3 days of monthly DHIA milk tests. Farms were selected based on herd average MUN over the last 1-2 grazing seasons and geographical location. Data collected included: herd demographics (herd size, breed composition, reproductive management, predominant pasture forage species, pasture management), DHIA milk (yield, fat, protein, MUN, SCC) and reproductive data (calving interval, days open, breedings to conception), feed (pasture plus any supplemental feeds), pasture species composition, and water quality and availability. Weather data was collected from local weather stations. Monthly data collections continue through the winter to compare with the grazing season. Data from the first grazing season across the 5 farms are being compiled for initial analysis. To date, we have finished some farm simulations and comparisons of production systems to better calibrate the IFSM before its final setup. The model refinement is based on input information from a survey made with 190 farmers, along with discussions and meetings (online and in-person) with other members of the team. The main idea is to come up with scenarios that could better describe a real dairy farm situation. For now, we have run simulations for grass-fed dairy farms and observed potential limitations of the software regarding a grain purchase that was suggested by the IFSM as an adjustment of energy supply to the animals. There are some improvements regarding this grain purchase, which, as we know, is not allowed in grass-fed dairies. Initial simulations suggested a purchase of 125 tons of grain to supplement 50 lactating cows, producing 93000 lb./cow/year in 220 acres of land. After some adjustments, such as increasing the importation of manure to fertilize the grazing area, we could observe a reduction in the total of grain. The next step is to find out additional approaches that could not only reduce to zero the grain purchase, but also maintain the average farm characteristics as close as possible to a real grass-fed dairy farm. Objective 3: Investigate the impacts of soil management on nutrient cycling, forage production, forage quality, and farm economics. Comparison of forage maturity and supplementation with apple cider vinegar using in vitro batch culture. Project complete with ongoing analysis; in this project, we compared immature forages (orchardgrass and red clover) to mature mixtures of orchardgrass and red clover. Based on these results, immature forages had a greater energetic content and were used in the second sub-experiment. The second experiment consisted of supplementing immature orchardgrass-red clover mixtures with apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar was chosen as a supplement as previous survey research has shown that grass-based dairy producers are using it as an energetic supplement although research is lacking. We are still analyzing, and awaiting results, for samples pertaining to water soluble carbohydrates, digestibility, proteomics, VFAs, and IVDMD. Evaluation of fermentation kinetics and energetics of forage mixtures for pasture-based dairy cattle in continuous culture fermenters. Project complete with ongoing analysis; in this project, we compared the impact of diverse forage mixtures containing legumes or warm season annuals with a binary forage mixture on rumen kinetics. We utilized a continuous culture system in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Results have shown that there are no differences between VFAs nor pH amongst treatments. However, methane production was greatest from fermenters fed the binary forage mixture. This indicates that energy utilization is not as efficient when utilizing a less diverse forage mixture. However, as everything is not fully analyzed yet, we should be cautious with interpretation. Evaluation of increased cool-season grass inclusion with red clover on grazing dairy cattle performance parameters in continuous culture fermenters. Project complete with ongoing analysis; in this project, we evaluated the impact of increasing cool season grass inclusion in diets with a steady inclusion of red clover. Similar to project 2, we utilized a continuous culture system in a 4 x 4 Latin square. pH did not differ amongst treatments; however, acetate production was greater in fermenters fed mixtures containing Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Propionate production was also less in fermenters fed the same forage mixtures. Butyrate production was less prolific in fermenters that just received an orchardgrass - red clover production. Methane production was greatest for fermenters that were supplemented with Kentucky bluegrass. However, fermenters that received Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass had the lowest methane output, which needs to be further investigated. Objective 4:Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. Objective 4.2-Assessing grass-fed milk from participating farms We have completed the sample collection and sensory analysis of raw milk samples from participating farms. We used a Kleen-Flo 2-gallon home pasteurizer to process each sample to ensure the health and safety of our tasters. We confirmed the consistency of the pasteurization process prior to processing the actual samples included in this study. The sensory effects on the milk from pasteurization were minimal and consistent, allowing us to effectively compare the sensory quality of milk samples processed from different farms. The raw milk samples that were collected and assessed by the UVM trained descriptive sensory analysis panel included: 71 total raw milk sample from 34 different farms; 56 that were from farms that were 100% grass-fed 15 that were from farms that were organic The type of data that was collected at the same time as the raw milk samples were collected included the following: Date and time of sample collection Temperature Milkings Odors assessed by a trained panelist, including barn, parlor, and milkhouse odors Vents Cow data Pasture DMI Annuals Annual DMI Supplemental Feed (baleage and dry hay) Energy sources (Molassis and grains) Milk system (Tie stall, parlor, and robot) Pre-dip and Post-dip materials Equipment and tank sanitizers Ketosis and Mastitis Somatic cell count Other data The data is currently being analyzed and indicate: Differences in milk sensory quality between feeding seasons (summer vs, winter) Differences in milk sensory quality between farms producing 100% grass-fed milk Differences in milk sensory quality between farms producing organic milk and those producing 100% grass-fed milk
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Johnson, J.M., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M, and Greenwood, S.L. 2021. Effects of forage mixtures on rumen fermentation parameters as assessed by continuous culture. 2021 ASAS-CSAS-SSASAS Annual Meeting and Trade Show, Louisville, KY. Division: Oral Presentation Forages & Pastures II
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Johnson, J.M., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M, and Greenwood, S.L. 2021. Impact of forage mixtures on rumen energetics and performance as assessed by continuous culture. 2021 University of Vermont Student Research Conference
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Johnson, J.M., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M, and Greenwood, S.L. 2021. Impact of pasture-based diets on rumen performance as assessed by continuous culture. 2021 Northeast ASAS-ADSA Virtual Meeting
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Desrochers, R., Darby, H., and S. Ziegler (2021). Lots of variability in grassfed milk; Study: taste and aroma differ greatly in both farm and supermarket samples. Graze magazine. Jan 2021.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snider, M., Ziegler, S., Darby, H., Soder, K., Brito, A., Beidler, B., . . . Niles, M. (2021). An overview of organic, grassfed dairy farm management and factors related to higher milk production. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-9. doi:10.1017/S1742170521000284
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Ziegler, S., S. Flack, and H. Darby. 2020. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/Articles_and_Factsheets/2018-2020_COP_Report_1_Cost_of_Grassfed_Production.pdf
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during the reporting period was organic dairy farms that feed only grass or legume based fedstocks totheir livestock. The estimated number in the United States is approximately 450 farms. The majority of these farms are"certified" grass-fed and sell their milk to major processors including Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, and Horizon. A smaller fraction were not feeding grain but were not selling their milk into this specialty market. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the timeline of the project. On-farm research to complete objective 3.2 and 4.3 could not because of pandemic restrictions. Currently we are planning to begin these objectives during the summer of 2021. It is likely a project extension will be needed to complete these objectives. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student, two technical staff and 2 co-PI scientists attended the Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Conference. One graduate student and 2 co-PI scientists attended 2 professional meetings in the topical area of Animal Science. Two technical staff attended the Prograssive conference in PA. This conference is farmer organized, focused on grazing-based livestock systems, and heavily attended by the Plain community. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A vital component of this project is to strengthen the connections and collective skillsets among organic grass-fed farmers, processors, and advisors throughout the U.S. A number of events were hosted and attended in late 2019 and early 2020, however, due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic many events were cancelled or held virtually. The advisory board met twice through conference calls during this reporting period. In the first meeting we discussed the topic of whole farm nutrient balancing and our questions and concerns around this balance on grass-fed farms and its potential negative repercussions. Farmers discussed these issues with us and provided feedback on our proposed methodology for collecting this information from farms. Following the meeting, all members were sent data collection sheets in order to collect the necessary information from their farms to calculate their whole farm nutrient balance. Two farms have completed this process. Also at this meeting, we discussed our benchmarking program's online data entry system. Development of the system was intended to allow for the national expansion of the program. Since we needed to ensure the platform functioned adequately prior to national release, we asked the advisory board members who had grass-fed dairy farms to join the program if they were able and interested. This would not only provide them with valuable information for their own farms but would also help us test the system and continue to make improvements. Objective 5.2 - Building knowledge and skills Field Days, Farm Tours, and Winter Conferences - In the Northeast, we will host annual winter conferences, research- station field days, and farm tours to share results from our research projects, and foster peer learning and networking among farmers, end-users, and educators. Project team members will also attend organic conferences throughout the U.S. to share the information with a broader audience. Northeast Pasture Consortium Annual Meeting. Fairlee, VT. January 15th, 2020. Grass-fed benchmarking program farmer meeting. Oriskany, NY. February 12th, 2020. 12 attendees. Prograssive Conference. Canastota, NY. February 26th, 2020. 2020 Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference. Randolph, VT. March 11th, 2020. 103 attendees. University of Vermont Virtual Student Research Conference. April 15th, 2020. Recording available at https://voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/14162040/87124916/80257906 2020 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. Virtual. June 22-24, 2020. Virtual Field Day- perennial and annual forages. August 7th, 2020. 2020 Northeast ARPAS Student Research Competition (held in conjunction with the Penn State Dairy Nutrition Workshop). Virtual. November 11-12th, 2020. Citations for manuscripts, abstracts, and poster sessions/presentations: Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of grassfed dairy management practices and producer perceptions on milk production in the United States. 2020 NE ARPAS Graduate Student Research Contest. Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of research needs and management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. ADSA 2020 Annual Meeting. Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B.,Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of research needs and management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. 2020 University of Vermont Student Research Conference. Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Survey of production management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. 2020 10th Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference. Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Survey of production management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. Northeast Pasture Consortium and Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference. Factsheets, Webinars, Research Reports - Factsheets and webinars will be developed to address critical grass-fed topics as well as highlighting results from our research program. Factsheets will be published by eOrganic to eXtension.org. In addition, annual research reports will be posted online at University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils site (uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil). Dairy Fat-What's in it for the consumer? Webinar. Online. May, 27th, 2020. FACT grazing webinar. Virtual & recorded for online access. February 4th, 2020. FACT grazing webinar. Virtual & recorded for online access. February 18th, 2020. FACT grazing webinar. Virtual & recorded for online access. March 3rd, 2020. Grazing and grass-based livestock webinar. Virtual & recorded for online access. September 22nd, 2020. Research reports 2019 Cool Season Annual Forage Mixtures Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2019_Cool_Season_Annuals.pdf 2019 Legume Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2019_Legume_VT_Report.pdf 2019 Summer Annual Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2019_Summer_Annual_VT_Report.pdf Reports summarizing trials conducted in 2020 will be posted on the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils site once complete. Farmer Discussion groups were initiated in Vermont in fall 2019 at the request of farmers. Two main groups were formed that were farmer led and each determined their own meeting agendas and schedule. Unfortunately, as the COVID-19 pandemic developed it was necessary to stop holding these meetings in person. To foster these groups and provide support through the difficult situation, the meetings were transitioned to the Zoom online platform which still allowed farmers without computers to join via phone. Throughout this reporting period, 5 virtual discussion groups were held. The meetings attracted both long-term and newly transitioned grass-fed farmers as well as organic producers, technical service providers, and others. Each meeting had a loose agenda of timely topics to discuss and check in with one another about as well as open time for any topic of interest to be discussed. It also became a way for organizations offering services or other aide to farmers given the COVID-19 pandemic, a way to communicate with often hard to reach communities. Several other organizations have also expressed interest in creating discussion groups since attending these meetings and seeing their value. We will continue to hold these discussion groups virtually as long as is necessary until they can be held safely in person again. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group Zoom Tutorial. March 31st, 2020. 2 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. April 7th, 2020. 20 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. May 13th, 2020. 12 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. June 24th, 2020. 12 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. July 22nd, 2020. 10 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. August 28th, 2020. 12 attendees. Virtual Farmer Discussion Group. November 6th, 2020. 17 attendees. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1.2-Expand the reach of the benchmarking program across the country In year 1, we began work on a user-friendly web-based version of the benchmarking program. This version will allow farms in other states to gain access to benchmarking tools where resources for grass-fed research and technical support may be more limited. The new online benchmark was anticipated to be launched in early 2020, however, it was delayed and will be ready for full deployment in early 2021. We expect at least 20 new farms outside the region to adopt the Benchmark Program. Objective 2.1- Calculate farm-level nutrient balances, production efficiency, and economic impact 5-10 farms participating in the benchmarking programs will provide another year of data for the whole farm nutrient balance calculation. The information will also be used in the Integrated Farming Systems Model to calculate resource use, production efficiency, environmental impacts, production costs, and net return. These tools will help our team identify sources of nutrient imbalances and opportunities to correct them ultimately impacting crop or animal productivity and farm economics. Objective 2.2 - Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion Data collection was intended to being in early 2020 but was delayed due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to now begin data collection to establish a baseline in early 2021 and continue through the grazing season of 2021. Farms will be required to be on regular DHIA testing, with either low (< 10 mg/DL) or high (> 13 mg/DL) MUN during the grazing season. At the first visit, data on farm management practices including milking/feeding/turnout intervals, pasture management strategy, predominant pasture species, herd size and breed composition, reproductive management will be collected. Farms will be visited monthly during the non-grazing season and twice monthly during the grazing season. At each visit, feed (pasture plus any supplemental feeds) will be sampled and information on diet composition, pasture management, and reproductive and other cow info will be collected. One of the monthly visits will occur as close to the farm's DHIA test as is feasible (e.g. no more than 3 d prior or 4 d after). Correlations and relationships between MUN and other management factors (e.g., reproductive efficiency) will be made to develop benchmarks for feeding and pasture management strategies to maintain MUN within recommended levels to optimize animal health and productivity. Objective 3.1 - Identify forages with high levels of metabolizable energy to overcome energy and intake limitations on grass-fed Perennial Forages: A research experiment was initiated to identify the grass and legumes species that are most adapted to organic forage production. Trials were established in the spring and fall of 2019 on certified organic fields at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. The plots were evaluated during the 2020 season and will continue to be in the 2021 season, generating much-needed practical information on the adaptation of grass and/legume species and cultivar choice on nutritional quality and quality as well as other important parameters including stand establishment, winter survival, dry matter production, growing season length, and resistance to pests. Annual Forages: Warm and cool season annual species and variety trials will be continued in 2021 to help identify species and varieties that perform optimally in terms of yield and quality for use in a grass-fed herd. The batch culture experiment has been completed. During the next year, we plan on processing samples, analyzing data, and developing a manuscript from this experiment. The aim is to develop a few abstracts from this data and complete the manuscript for journal submission by summer - fall 2021. The first fermenter experiment (4x4 Latin square) was completed in early-October 2020. Currently, data is being analyzed and samples are being processed. VFA samples are going to Miner Institute for mass spectrometry analysis. Dry matter will be going out soon for nutrient analysis. Ammonia and N15 data are currently being generated and should hopefully be done by January. From this data, we hope to generate 2 -3 abstracts and complete a manuscript for journal submission by summer 2021. Methane was collected and analyzed from this experiment. During the summer of 2020, around 2500 pounds of forages were collected for an upcoming 6x6 Latin square fermenter project. This project will entail the use of 9 different grass and legume types with the hopes of determining energetics and ruminant digestion kinetics. We plan on collecting for (at least): VFAs Methane N15 & ammonia Dry matter/ nutrient analysis pH and temperature (continuous) Fermenters should be fed around 131 g DM (if forages are around 20% DM) for 6 10-day periods. The first 7 days serve as an adaptation period with the final 3 days being the collection period. The plan is to start this project in March 2021 with a projected end date of June 2021 (accounting for a few failed runs). Data will be processed and analyzed by the end of November 2021. The goal is to develop a manuscript that can be submitted to a journal sometime in 2022. Objective 3.2- Evaluate yield, quality, and financial implications of soil fertility management strategies Organic and grass-fed dairy producers often import minimal nutrients onto their farms and therefore rely on manure nutrients to supply nutrition to their crops. With only on-farm forages and minerals being fed to cows, manure nutrients may not be able to fully support the crop requirements, especially in terms of micronutrients. Starting in year 3 of the project, Darby and her team members will identify at least 2 farms per year participating in the benchmarking program that are interested and able to host an on-farm fertility trial. Once participants are determined team members will visit the farms to choose a trial site and to collect soil tests from the area. Fertility strategies will be implemented in plots 15.3m x 15.3m including 1) fertilizing to crop uptake, 2) fertilizing to soil test nutrient recommendations, and 3) follow the farmer's current fertility regime. Fertility treatments will be implemented in spring or fall depending on the operation. The crop yield and quality response will be measured. To determine yield, forage samples will be collected in 5 random locations throughout each treatment area by cutting 1m2 area to ground height. Clipped forage will be weighed and subsample dried to determine dry matter content and calculate yield. Dried samples will be analyzed via NIRS procedures previously described to determine forage quality. For each of the implemented fertility strategies on participating farms, a financial assessment will be completed. The analysis will include determining the costs of the amendments used, costs associated with the applications of the amendments, and costs or benefits associated with changes in feed yield or quality due to the fertility strategy. Changes in feed yield and quality will be used to project changes in milk production and the associated financial costs or benefits. This information will allow farmers to calculate a more accurate cost of production value for grass-fed operations specifically. Current estimates do not necessarily reflect the costs incurred if soils are properly maintained. Objective 4: Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. During the upcoming year we expect to complete the following: • Second replication of the sampling and descriptive sensory analysis of milk samples from participating farms as described in • Innovative consumer research and the development of the sensory quality index for grass-fed milk as described in
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementing benchmarking on farms throughout the U.S. In 2019, a comprehensive mail survey was developed, which was sent to grass-fed dairy farmers across the United States. A total of 351 farmers were sent the survey and 47% responded. A two-page factsheet summarizing the results of the survey was distributed to the farmers who received the original survey in January 2020. A manuscript and four abstracts were developed from some of the results of the grass-fed dairy survey. The abstract from this manuscript was accepted for consideration for a special issue of Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems relating to the state of organic agriculture since 1990. Objective 1.1-Expand the data collected and participants in the current benchmarking program: Currently there are 16 farms participating in the grass-fed benchmarking program in NY, NH, VA, and VT. These farms fill out monthly surveys that include: 1) info from the final milk check for the month (e.g. milk pounds, components, base price, etc.); 2) herd inventory; 3) ration information including pounds of forage fed and any additional feeds or amendments; 4) grazing allocation and management; and 5) stored forage production, purchases, or sales. In 2020, an online benchmarking program as created to allow further expansion of the benchmarking tool to a broader audience. Over 30 grass-fed dairy farms in 4 states were visited in 2019 to begin the pilot project to create the "first-ever" grass-fed financial benchmark. These visits were to collect 2018 farm financial data, test the financial assessment tool, receive feedback from farmers on the process, and begin establishing benchmarks on costs. Of the farms that participated with their 2018 data, average herd size is 62 cows with a range from 28 to 200 cows. They have 312 acres on average, which is 5.8 acres per mature cow. Milk production per cow per year averaged 8860 lbs but the range was from 4041 to 14293. During 2020, cost of production data have been collected on 20 farms in 3 states and up to 10 more intended. Once these data are completed they will be compiled, analyzed, and summarized to be shared via a variety of outreach avenues. Objective 2.2- Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion: Milk urea nitrogen can be used as an indicator of protein status and efficiency of nitrogen use by ruminants. In winter 2019, four commercial grazing farms were identified from existing farm contacts to participate in the trial. Two farms with low MUN and 2 with high MUN, paired by feeding strategy (e.g. molasses supplementation), were identified. In early 2020, we completed the initial planning phase of this objective identifying the participating farms, finalizing protocols, and obtaining necessary materials. However, the data collection would require project staff to travel between states, completing multiple farm visits within a few days of one another which was not possible given the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time. Because we were planning two distinct sampling periods covering both winter and summer, we have planned to revisit this data collection in the winter of 2020-2021 in hopes that the conditions will have improved enough to complete this work safely. Objective 3.1- Identify forages with high levels of metabolizable energy to overcome energy and intake limitations on grass-fed: Unusually hot and dry conditions across the region throughout the growing season impacted the establishment and growth of both the perennial legume and grass trials planted in the fall of 2019. Slow growth allowed weeds to establish and further compete with the legumes. Throughout the season, the stand was mowed periodically to manage this weed pressure and encourage the legumes, however, no yield or quality measures could be taken from that trial this year. The perennial grass stand was evaluated for establishment in the late fall of 2019 and reassessed in the early spring 2020. Many plots did not adequately establish and were replanted. Through the season, plots that were harvestable and reflective of a pure stand of the intended species were harvested for yield and quality. A total of four harvests were able to be taken this season. In the fall, all plots were also assessed for disease incidence and severity. We anticipate that the trial will be sufficiently established to collect yield and quality from all plots in 2021. Despite these challenges, the trial has already proven exceptionally useful. The severe drought conditions that persisted through the season appeared to dramatically impact some of the species and varieties in the trial while others were impacted much less significantly. We are still in the process of compiling all the data collected, analyzing quality samples, and analyzing the data statistically but will be developing outreach materials from these data when available. Variety trials of 15 summer annual grasses and 11 cool season annual species were established in the summer of 2020. Despite the summer annual species being suited to hot weather, the drought conditions impacted establishment, slowed growth, and slowed regrowth following harvest. Of the 15 varieties planted, only 6 were harvestable. These six varieties were all sudangrasses or sorghum x sudangrasses; none of the millets or mixtures with annual ryegrass or other species could produce harvestable biomass under the drought conditions. The 6 harvestable varieties were harvested twice during the season and produced record yields, some reaching close to 6 tons of dry matter per acre. We are still in the process of compiling the data, analyzing quality samples, and analyzing the data statistically. However, when this is completed we will share the results through various outreach avenues. Objective 4: Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. Objective 4.2 -Assessing grass-fed milk from participating farms. The first round of sample collection and evaluation from participating farms was completed. A total of 26 samples of raw grass-fed milk were collected from 24 farms across NY and VT. Another 5 samples of raw organic milk were collected from 5 farms in VT. At the time the sample was collected, data relating to farm management practices that are suspected to relate to milk sensory characteristics were also collected. These data included supplemental feed sources, pasture intake, milking procedures, sanitizers, ventilation, etc. All samples were pasteurized using a Kleen-Flo benchtop pasteurizer. After pasteurization, the samples were analyzed by the trained sensory panel using the sensory ballot developed by Tufts University. Each participating farm received a summary of the results found on their farm and how that compared to the group average and range. We were able to detect differences in several of the sensory attributes both between organic and grass-fed samples and within the grass-fed samples. We are still in the process of correlating the management data collected to the sensory evaluation data to better understand which practices may be influencing these attributes. We anticipate collecting and analyzing another round of samples in early 2021 pending any restrictions given the evolving pandemic. We are also planning and preparing necessary documentation and protocols needed to complete the consumer testing in Objective 4.3. We are hopeful that we will be able to complete that objective in 2021.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B.,Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of grassfed dairy management practices and producer perceptions on milk production in the United States. Nov 11-12, 2020 NE ARPAS Graduate Student Research Contest.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Evaluation of research needs and management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. 22-24 June, 2020 ADSA Annual Virtual Meeting.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Snider, M.A., Ziegler, S.E., Darby, H.M., Soder, K.J., Brito, A.F., Flack, S., Beidler, B., Greenwood, S.L., and Niles, M.T. 2020. Survey of production management practices on organic, grass-fed dairy farms in the United States. Northeast Pasture Consortium and Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference. 15 & 16 Jan, 2020. Fairlee, VT.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Darby, H. and S. Ziegler. 2019. Summer Annual Variety Trial. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2019_Summer_Annual_VT_Report.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Darby, H. and S. Ziegler. 2019. Legume Variety Trial. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2019_Legume_VT_Report.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Darby, H. and S. Ziegler. 2019. Cool Season Annual Forage Mixtures Trial. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2019_Cool_Season_Annuals.pdf
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during the reporting period was organic dairy farms that feed only grass or legume based fedstocks to their livestock. The estimated number in the United States is approximately 450 farms. The majority of these farms are "certified" grass-fed and sell their milk to major processors including Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, and Horizon. A smaller fraction were not feeding grain but were not selling their milk into this specialty market. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two staff were trained by Dr. Larry Tranel (Iowa State University) on the DairyTRANS software package. This software is used for dinancial benchmarking on dairy farms in the midwest. The program has always been used with organic dairies but not with grass-fed orgnaic dairies. The software program will assist the project team with collection of standardized data that can be compared with other dairy operations. In addition, it will create a unique set of benchmarks specific t orgnaic grass-fed dairies. Three technical staff and 1 scientist were trained as sensory analysists by Roy Desrochers to assist with consumer testing. One technical staff attended a workshop hosted by NRCS to learn how to develop and design a rotationa Grazing Plan. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Objective 5: Strengthen knowledge, skills, and networks among farmers, processors, and technical service providers. A vital component of this project is to strengthen the connections and collective skillsets among organic grass-fed farmers, processors, and advisors throughout the U.S. A Farmer Advisory Board was established with the purpose of ensuring that the research and outreach conducted through the project remain relevant, useful and implementable information for the grass-fed dairy industry. There are 10 farmers that serve on the board and all grass-fed dairy farmers with representation from the Northeast, Central and Northwest regions of the US. The board is tasked with the following: - providing feedback on benchmarking data collection methods and questions to streamline the process and increase adoption nationwide - provide feedback on benchmarking outputs to ensure that the most useful and relevant data is reported back to participating farmers - provide feedback on financial metrics and to ensure that the most useful information is reported back to the grass-fed farming community - working with the researchers to design and implement on-farm research projects -providing feedback on outreach efforts developed from the research data to ensure that the information is readily accessible to a wide audience in the grass-fed dairy industry. The advisory group met 6 times through conference calls as the research team was prioritizing research and designing benchmarking and grass-fed survey materials. Farmers contributed ideas of research topics and directions. The importance of high quality forage production led to suggestions for varietal testing with focus on palatability, nutritional qualities, and fatty acid content. The group also highlighted topic of soil health and expressed interest in quantifying the benefits that are experienced through improvements in grazing and the grass-fed dairy model. The possibility of implementing a broad on-farm monitoring for soil health parameters was brought forward to the research team. The impacts of management on MUN levels in grass-fed herds was another topic of interest. There was a recognition that in order for grass milk producers to thrive the marketplace must be fully aware of the benefits of purchasing their products. There were many conversations that this research must continue to qualify the flavors, nutritional benefits, and ecological impacts to consumers. There were opportunities for the advisory board to provide specific feedback to researchers before implementation of forage trials including varietal trials, and the lab fermenter trials. The group was asked for input at all stages of the survey that went out to grass-fed dairy producers nation-wide. The results and preliminary reports were discussed with the group in efforts to make the broader reporting effective and to prioritize the outreach. Objective 5.2 - Building knowledge and skills We will work with our key collaborators and take a co-learning approach to generate new information related to their production and profitability questions. We also will use a variety of methods to share the information produced from our research trials and highlight accomplished grass-fed farmers and their practices. Field Days, Farm Tours, and Winter Conferences - In the Northeast, we will host annual winter conferences, research-station field days, and farm tours to share results from our research projects, and foster peer learning and networking among farmers, end-users, and educators. Project team members will also attend organic conferences throughout the U.S. to share the information with a broader audience. Grass-fed dairy: opportunities and challenges webinar. Online. December 12, 2018. 66 live attendees and 1135 recording views. Meeting with GFM farmer participants. Oriskany, NY. February 5th, 2019. 18 attendees. Northern Indiana Grazing Conference. Shipshewana, IN. February 1-2, 2019. 320 attendees. Canada Organic Growers Conference. Cornwall, Ontario. Feburary 23rd, 2019. 58 attendees. ProGrassive NY Grass-fed Dairy Conference. Waterloo, NY. February 27th, 2019. 350 attendees. NY Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference. NY. March 2019. 100+ attendees. Appalachian Grazing Conference. Morgantown, WV. March 8-9, 2019. 350 attendess. VT Organic Dairy Producer's Conference. Randolph, VT. March 14th, 2019. 114 attendees. Grazing workshop. Brussels, Ontario. April 10th, 2019. 400+ attendees. Organic Grass-fed Dairy Standards Webinar. April 16th, 2019. 129 live attendees. 130+ recording views. Grass-fed dairy production and land reclamation workshop. Constable, NY. July 11th, 2019. 26 attendees. Northwest Crops and Soils Program Annual Field Day. Alburgh, VT. July 25th, 2019. 237 attendees. Grass-fed dairy production systems workshop. Charlotte, VT. August 8th, 2019. 20 attendees. Overcoming dairy production challenges workshop. Walpole, NH. August 12th, 2019. 23 attendees. Climate resiliency and pasture management workshop. Westfield, VT. August 27th, 2019. 35 attendees. Grass-fed dairy and forage production workshop. Highgate, VT. August 28th, 2019. 30 attendees. Factsheets, Webinars, Research Reports - Factsheets and webinars will be developed to address critical grass-fed topics as well as highlighting results from our research program. Factsheets will be published by eOrganic to eXtension.org. In addition, annual research reports will be posted online at University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils site (uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil). Grass-fed dairy: opportunities and challenges webinar. Online. December 12, 2018. 66 live attendees and 1135 recording views. Organic Grass-fed Dairy Standards Webinar. April 16th, 2019. 129 live attendees. 130+ recording views. Research reports 2018 Cool Season Annual Forage Mixtures Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Cool_season_annual_forages_Report.pdf 2018 Legume Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Legume_VT_Report.pdf 2018 Summer Annual Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Summer_Annual_VT_Report.pdf Reports summarizing trials conducted in 2019 will be posted on the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils site once complete. Farmer Discussion groups were initiated in Vermont as a response to the growing market for organic grass-fed milk. The number of new farms making the transition to grass-fed production were seeking opportunities to share information with others, create and manage changes on their farms, and also for opportunities to socialize with like minded farmers. It seems that both new and established farms benefit from meeting periodically to learn and share together. This is particularly true for grass-fed production where much of the production is best learned through farmer-farmer interaction. Two groups were in initiated in fall 2019 in northern Vermont at the request of farmers. Participants included some who had been doing grass-fed production for years to others that were just transitioning. Conversation topics ranged from what is reasonable to expect for milk production levels, feeding, cropping, grazing management and how to plan for winter feeding. In addition there was much sharing, positive social exchanges and mutual support. These groups plan to continue to meet at least quarterly and will rotate venues from farm to farm in the future. Each group is farmer led and will determine their own meeting agenda and schedule in the future year. There are two other discussion groups forming for the same purpose in other regions in Vermont. While most of the farmers involved are grass-fed the format is flexible enough to include other farmers interested in learning more about grazing related topics What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1.2-Expand the reach of the benchmarking program across the country In year 1, we began work on a user-friendly web-based version of the benchmarking program. This version will allow farms in other states to gain access to benchmarking tools where resources for grass-fed research and technical support may be more limited. The new online benchmark will be launched in early 2020. We expect at least 20 new farms outside the region to adopt the Benchmark Program. Over 30 grass-fed dairy farms in 4 states will be visited in 2020 to collect 2019 farm financial data. This will give us a larger pool of participating farmers, and 2 years of cost data to allow a higher level of accuracy of the financial benchmarking program. Objective 2 - Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion Data collection will begin in Jan/Feb 2020 to establish a baseline prior to start of grazing and continue through 2021. Farms will be required to be on regular DHIA testing, with either low (< 10 mg/DL) or high (> 13 mg/DL) MUN during the grazing season. At the first visit, data on farm management practices including milking/feeding/turnout intervals, pasture management strategy, predominant pasture species, herd size and breed composition, reproductive management will be collected. Farms will be visited monthly during the non-grazing season and twice monthly during the grazing season. At each visit, feed (pasture plus any supplemental feeds) will be sampled and information on diet composition, pasture management, and reproductive and other cow info will be collected. One of the monthly visits will occur as close to the farm's DHIA test as is feasible (e.g. no more than 3 d prior or 4 d after). Correlations and relationships between MUN and other management factors (e.g., reproductive efficiency) will be made to develop benchmarks for feeding and pasture management strategies to maintain MUN within recommended levels to optimize animal health and productivity. Organic and grass-fed dairy producers often import minimal nutrients onto their farms and therefore rely on manure nutrients to supply nutrition to their crops. With only on-farm forages and minerals being fed to cows, manure nutrients may not be able to fully support the crop requirements, especially in terms of micronutrients. Starting in year 2 of the project, Darby and her team members will identify at least 2 farms per year participating in the benchmarking program that are interested and able to host an on-farm fertility trial. Once participants are determined team members will visit the farms to choose a trial site and to collect soil tests from the area. Fertility strategies will be implemented in plots 15.3m x 15.3m including 1) fertilizing to crop uptake, 2) fertilizing to soil test nutrient recommendations, and 3) follow the farmer's current fertility regime. Fertility treatments will be implemented in spring or fall depending on the operation. The crop yield and quality response will be measured. To determine yield, forage samples will be collected in 5 random locations throughout each treatment area by cutting 1m2 area to ground height. Clipped forage will be weighed and subsample dried to determine dry matter content and calculate yield. Dried samples will be analyzed via NIRS procedures previously described to determine forage quality. For each of the implemented fertility strategies on participating farms, a financial assessment will be completed. The analysis will include determining the costs of the amendments used, costs associated with the applications of the amendments, and costs or benefits associated with changes in feed yield or quality due to the fertility strategy. Changes in feed yield and quality will be used to project changes in milk production and the associated financial costs or benefits. This information will allow farmers to calculate a more accurate cost of production value for grass-fed operations specifically. Current estimates do not necessarily reflect the costs incurred if soils are properly maintained. Objective 3 - Identify forages with high levels of metabolizable energy to overcome energy and intake limitations on grass-fed Perennial Forages: A research experiment was initiated to identify the grass and legumes species that are most adapted to organic forage production. Trials were established in the spring of 2019 on certified organic fields at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. These plots will be monitored over tthe next season to generate much-needed practical information on the adaptation of grass and/legume species and cultivar choice on nutritional quality and quality as well as other important parameters including stand establishment, winter survival, dry matter production, growing season length, and resistance to pests. Four to five experiments have been designed around forage materials collected and farmer data collected from the grass-fed dairy survey. The first two experiments that are currently ongoing are batch culture experiments; the purpose of the first experiment is to determine whether immature forage mixtures (orchardgrass + red clover) or mature forages mixtures (orchardgrass + red clover) have a better energetic profile (water soluble carbohydrates, microbial protein, ammonia nitrogen). Culture tubes (15 mL) are supplemented with a 50:50 mixture of immature or mature forage mixtures. Rumen fluid is collected from ruminally cannulated cattle at the Paul Miller Research Farm, South Burlington, VT. Rumen fluid buffer, reducing solution, and collected rumen fluid are added to culture tubes with substrate and incubated on a Techne for 39ºC. Tubes are continuously infused with carbon dioxide and gently agitated. Described conditions are used to mimic the rumen environment. Fractions collected are water soluble carbohydrates, bacterial 15N fractions, volatile fatty acids, ammonia nitrogen, and samples for proteomic analysis. Collection tubes and substrate are held aside for in vitro dry matter disappearance analysis. Based on the results of this study, the second study, using the same conditions, will be focused on apple cider vinegar supplementation. Treatments will most likely be a 50:50 immature orchardgrass and red clover mixture with and without organic apple cider vinegar supplementation. While the two batch culture experiments are slated to be completed by January, an experiment using the in vitro continuous culture fermenters has also been designed. Using the parameters described above, in a 6 x 6 Latin Square design, fermenters will be supplemented with various grass and legume mixtures (based on the previously described collected forages) or with a monoculture of grass to determine the rumen fermentation dynamics, energetic profiles, and methane production of forages mixtures versus a monoculture. Proposed treatments include a control of 100% orchardgrass, and mixtures of orchardgrass with millet, sudangrass, red clover, and alfalfa. Forages were grown as monoculture but will be hand mixed to create a 50:50 orchardgrass: experimental forage ratio. Measurements of interest include pH, feed analysis before and after incubation, volatile fatty acid profiles, ammonia nitrogen, methane output, microbial protein with 15N, and possibly samples for proteomic analysis. This experiment should begin in January 2020 and will be the basis for future experiments. Objective 4: Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. During the upcoming year we expect to complete the following: First replication of the sampling and descriptive sensory analysis of milk samples from participating farms as described in Objective 4.2 Innovative consumer research and the development of the sensory quality index for grass-fed milk as described in Objective 4.3
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementing benchmarking on farms throughout the U.S. A comprehensive mail survey was developed in consultation with the team and outside industry advisors, which was sent to grass-fed dairy farmers across the United States in winter 2019. The survey utilized the Dillman tailored design method, an accepted best practice for mail surveys, which first sent a postcard announcing the first, a first copy of the survey with a letter from the team, a reminder postcard if not returned, and a final survey to those that didn't return the first survey. A mail survey was utilized because a significant proportion of the grass-fed dairy producers in the United States were thought to be part of the Plain community (an assumption we confirmed). A total of 351 farmers were sent the survey and 47% responded. The survey data was entered through the Center for Rural Studies at UVM, and data has been analyzed to create an overview descriptive statistics report, detailing the results of all of the questions. Using this analysis, the team has developed a two-page survey fact sheet about the respondents, average profiles of grass-fed dairy producers in the US, production, and knowledge strengths and gaps, which will be sent back to all 351 farmers who received the original mail survey in December 2019. In addition, a first draft of a manuscript detailing the characteristics of US grass-fed dairy producers and their farms is in preparation, with additional manuscripts in planning. Objective 1.1-Expand the data collected and participants in the current benchmarking program: Currently there are 13 farms participating in the grass-fed benchmarking program in NY and VT. These farms fill out monthly surveys that include: 1) info from the final milk check for the month (e.g. milk pounds, components, base price, etc.); 2) herd inventory; 3) ration information including pounds of forage fed and any additional feeds or amendments; 4) grazing allocation and management; and 5) stored forage production, purchases, or sales. Each month farmers receive a report which summarizes the data they had reported the previous month on their own farm and also shows how their farm compared to all other participating farms that month. Over 30 grass-fed dairy farms in 4 states were visited in 2019 to begin the pilot project to create the "first-ever" grass-fed financial benchmark. These visits were to collect 2018 farm financial data, test the financial assessment tool, receive feedback from farmers on the process, and begin establishing benchmarks on costs. Farmers participating receive a report back on their own farm during the visit, providing them with immediately helpful information for their own farm management. This winter, based on farmer feedback on the data collection tool and results, additional edits will be made prior to beginning to collect 2019 farm financial data. This will give us a larger pool of participating farmers, and 2 years of cost data to allow a higher level of accuracy. Of the farms that participated with their 2018 data, average herd size is 62 cows with a range from 28 to 200 cows. They have 312 acres on average, which is 5.8 acres per mature cow. Milk production per cow per year averaged 8860 lbs but the range was from 4041 to 14293. Objective 2.2- Evaluate milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of productive efficiency, microbial protein efficiency, and environmental N excretion: Milk urea nitrogen can be used as an indicator of protein status and efficiency of nitrogen use by ruminants. In winter 2019, four commercial grazing farms were identified from existing farm contacts to participate in the trial. Two farms with low MUN and 2 with high MUN, paired by feeding strategy (e.g. molasses supplementation), were identified. A literature review has been completed on factors affecting milk urea nitrogen in dairy cows. We also reviewed existing data from farms currently on benchmarking study completed to identify potential farms for MUN study. We also developed protocol for data collection for the MUN objective starting in 2020. Objective 3.1- Identify forages with high levels of metabolizable energy to overcome energy and intake limitations on grass-fed: Research experiments were initiated to identify the grass and legumes species that are most adapted to organic forage production. Trials were established on certified organic fields at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. Yield, quality, persistence, and insect damage were measured on 20 varieties of 4 perennial legume species across three cuttings in 2019. A late summer seeding of perennial cool season grasses was established in the fall of 2019. The experimental design for both projects was a randomized complete block with 5 replicates. Cool wet spring conditions allowed the legumes to produce an approximate 2 tons of dry matter per acre in their first year of establishment. Red clover produced the highest yields followed by alfalfa, white clover, and birdsfoot trefoil. Quality analysis is being completed. Perennial grass stand establishment was evaluated in the late fall and yields to be measured in 2020. Summer annual grasses such as sudangrass, millet, and sorghum, as well as brassicas such as turnips and radishes, can be used in the Northeast to provide additional stored feed or grazing throughout the year. Variety trials were initiated at Borderview Research Farm containing 15 varieties of summer annuals and 5 varieties of brassica species. Although statistical analyses have yet to be performed for these data, there appear to be differences between species and varieties in terms of total yield and distribution over harvest times. The highest yielding variety was Wonderleaf millet which produced over 3.5 tons of dry matter per acre. The next highest yielding millet was the variety Exceed which only produced just over 2.5 tons per acre. Of the brassica varieties the hybrid T-Raptor produced the highest yields of 1.88 tons ac-1. As of December 2019, approximately 1000 lbs forage dry matter (alfalfa, red clover, sudangrass, millet, and orchardgrass) have been grown and harvested from Borderview Research Farm located in Alburgh, VT for batch and continuous fermentation culture experiments. Experiments will be conducted in 2020. Objective 4: Develop an understanding of market demands and potential for grass-fed market growth and expansion. In year 1, we have completed Objective 4.1. We collected market samples of various leading brands of 100% grass-fed milk from locations across the United States including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Ohio, Colorado, and California. We used the trained and certified descriptive sensory analysis panel at Tufts University to assess the samples using Profile Attribute Analysis (PAA). The outputs from the objective descriptive sensory analysis panel provide a detailed description of the range in flavor available to consumers in the grass-fed milk category. It also provides the needed data to design and execute the consumer testing in Objective 4.3, which will occur in the upcoming year. Lastly, the sensory ballot developed in Objective 4.1 will be used to assess milk samples from participating farms during the upcoming year as described in Objective 4.2.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/GrassFed_Dairy_Survey_ResultsFarmer_Brief_12_2019.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
2018 Cool Season Annual Forage Mixtures Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Cool_season_annual_forages_Report.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
2018 Legume Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Legume_VT_Report.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
2018 Summer Annual Variety Trial. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/2018_Summer_Annual_VT_Report.pdf
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