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Milk and dairy products made from grass-fed cows are hitting grocery store shelves. Adding a grazing component is not only a consumer-friendly approach, it is also a viable economic one for many dairy farmers today.
One hundred percent grass-fed milk is a relatively new – or at least re-emerging – focus for dairy farmers in the U.S. Unlike certified organic dairy practices, no grain is allowed to be fed, so these cows make milk from pasture alone.
According to economic data gathered from 60 Maryland dairies between 1995-2009, grazing dairies posted a higher per-cow profit than confinement dairies – $156 more per cow. The farms surveyed included 20 grazing-based and 40 confined-milking herds.
As automated and voluntary milking systems, more commonly referred to as robots, surge in popularity, so does the interest in using such technology in a grazing-based dairy operation.
Although it is common knowledge the dairy industry is tough right now, it is still possible to pursue the idea of having a dairy operation. Financial officer Ron Bula said even though cash flow can be tight, there are still opportunities for those looking to start up.
In the current dairy industry, many times when we think of the “typical” dairy farm, images come to mind of freestall barns or drylots, mixing wagons and commodity barns, huge piles of silage and stack after stack of hay.
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