Knee Deep in Grass
A survey of twenty-nine grazing
operations in Minnesota
Brian Loeffler
Helene Murray
Dennis G. Johnson
Earl I. Fuller
Brian Loeffler, Department of Applied Economics
Helene Murray, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
Dennis G. Johnson, West Central Experiment Station
Earl I. Fuller, Department of Applied Economics
We sincerely thank the twenty-nine participating dairy farmers and families who offered their time, insights and farm data to this project. Without their candid cooperation this study would not have been possible. Our appreciation is also extended to members of the Sustainable Dairy Farming Team for their on-going efforts in grazing research and education. We gratefully acknowledge the Minnesota Extension Service, USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program and Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture for funding support.
Audrey Arner- Beef Farmer and Holistic Management Coordinator, Land Stewardship Project
Jim Barbour - Weed Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Soils Lab - Morris
Hugh Chester-Jones- Dairy Scientist, U of MN Southern Experiment Station
Sam Evans- Soil Scientist, U of MN West Central Experiment Station
Frank Forcella - Weed Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Soils Lab - Morris
Dan French - Dairy Farmer, Dodge Center, MN
Earl Fuller - Farm Economist, U of MN
Alvaro Garcia - Graduate Student, Department of Dairy Science, U of MN
Dennis Johnson - Dairy Scientist and Dairy Team Project Coordinator,
U of MN West Central Experiment Station
Gary Lemme - Director, U of MN West Central Experiment Station
Jim Linn - Dairy Nutritionist, U of MN
Brian Loeffler - Graduate Student, Department of Applied Economics,
U of MN
David Minar - Dairy Farmer, New Prague, MN
Neal Martin - Agronomist, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics,
U of MN
Joe Molitor - Dairy Farmer, St. Cloud, MN
Helene Murray - Coordinator, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable
Agriculture (MISA)
Alan Olness - Soil Scientist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Soils Lab - Morris
Bill Olsen - Veterinarian, U of MN
Carmen Pangrac - Dairy Farmer, Lewiston, MN
Dale Pangrac - Dairy Farmer, Lewiston, MN
Ed Radermacher - Beef Farmer, Bellingham, MN
Mike Rupprecht - Beef Farmer, Lewiston, MN
Michael Russelle - Soil Scientist, Agriculture Research Service,
U of MN St. Paul Campus
Dennis Warnes - Agronomist, U of MN West Central Experiment Station
Lyle Westrom - Dairy Scientist, U of MN - Crookston
Bartlett, Ben. 1991. Controlled Grazing: Balancing Forages, Livestock & Management. East Lansing, MI. (Extension Bulletin E-2288.)
Briggs, Rodney. 1955. Start a Ration-a-Day Grazing Plan: Strip Grazing or Daily Rotational Grazing. Agronomy No. 1. University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service, St. Paul, MN.
Census of Agriculture. 1992. Bureau of Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Dornbush, Calvin. 1989. Some points on potential Economies of Size Curves for Southeastern Minnesota Dairy Farms. St. Paul, MN. Master's thesis.
Gerrish, J.R., Brown, J.R., Peterson, P.R. 1994. Impacts of Grazing Cattle on Distribution of Soil Minerals. In: Grazing Reference Materials Manual. Cooperative Extension Division, University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Hammond, Jerome. 1994. The Changing Structure of Minnesota Milk Production: A Case for Optimism. Unpublished.
Johnson, Dennis. 1994. Dairy Production Systems Suited to Management Intensive Grazing. In: 19th Annual Forage Conference Proceedings. Winona, MN, Riverport Inn, January 20-21. Minnesota Forage and Grassland Council. pp. 42-47.
Johnson, Dennis. 1995. Personal communication.
Liebhardt, William. 1993. The Dairy Debate: Consequences of Bovine Growth Hormone and Rotational Grazing Technologies. Davis, CA; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program; University of California Printing Services.
Linn, Jim. 1994. Supplemental Nutrient Needs of Dairy Cattle on Pasture. In: Grazing Reference Materials Manual, Cooperative Extension Division, University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Looker, Dan. 1995. The Milk Meisters. Successful Farming, (August) Vol. 93, No. 8. Des Moines, IA. Meridith Corporation.
Lotterman, Edward. 1995. Ninth District Dairying Faces Dramatic Change. Fedgazette, (January) Vol. 7, No. 1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Rust, J.W., C.C. Sheaffer, V.R. Eidman, R.D. Moon, R.D. Mathison. 1995.
Intensive Rotational Grazing For Dairy Cattle Feeding. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Vol. 10, No. 4.
Undersander, Dan. 1994. Management Under Intensive Grazing. In: 19th Annual Minnesota Forage Conference Proceedings, Winona, Minnesota.
University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1991.
Forage Mixtures for Wisconsin. F.C. 12.9.1. Agronomy Department, University of Wisconsin Extension.
- Minnesota Extension Service publications:
- Order # AG-FO-6166 Birdsfoot Trefoil for Grazing and Harvested Forage $1.50
- Order # AG-FO-2637 Forage Quality Tests and Interpretations $1.50
- Order # AG-BU-6693 Knee Deep in Grass: A Survey of 29 Grazing
Operations in Minnesota $5.00
- Order # AG-FO-6145 Pastures for Profit: A Guide to Rotational Grazing $3.50
Prices do not include shipping. Minnesota residents/businesses add 7% sales tax. To order call the Extension Store at 612/624-4900 or 1-800-876-8636
- Find more Minnesota Extension Service information on the World Wide Web.
- http://www.mes.umn.edu/
-
MISA (the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture) is a unique Partnership between the University of Minnesota's College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences and the Sustainers' Coalition, a group of individuals and community-based non-profit organizations. MISA brings together the agricultural and University communities to develop and promote sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond. To this end, MISA supports development of interdisciplinary research and education teams. The Sustainable Dairy Team, a MISA-supported team, provided the basis for the work reported in Knee Deep in Grass.
The Minnesota Extension Service, the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) and the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program are pleased to provide funding to support the publication of Knee Deep in Grass.
- For More information about sustainable agriculture in Minnesota, please contact MISA:
- Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
University of Minnesota
411 Borlaug Hall
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 612/625-8235 or 1-800-909-6472
FAX: 612/625-1268
Email: misamail@gold.tc.umn.edu
Web:
http://www.centers.agri.umn.edu/misa/
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