Research Goals at the KBS Dairy

Creation of a pasture-based research facility at KBS provide a unique facility for conducting basic research on applied questions.

Facility design allows flexibility for addressing a range of questions from short-term to long-term that are important to farmers in the region.

The facility provides an excellent venue for education and outreach programs that will demonstrate how integration of ecological, social and economic principles are important to the establishment of a sustainable agricultural production system that is an alternative to the large, often corporate, farm model.

Refocusing the KBS Dairy to a pasture-based system promotes research on a number of topics relevant to agricultural, ecological, evolutionary, social/economic sciences.

We have identified four broad areas of research that could serve as foci for this development at the KBS Dairy Farm.  These areas were identified because they could:

(1) build on existing research strengths at MSU,

(2) provide opportunities for greater integration across disciplines,

(3) be relevant to the development of models for sustainable agriculture production,

(4) provide farmers/practitioners with the information they need to make informed decisions on the development and management of their farms.

Proposed Research Focus Areas and Example Research Questions

• Pasture production.
  • What combinations of species and grazing practices influence the quality and composition of pastures?
  • How does water/irrigation/precipitation influence sustainability of pasture production? Nutrient losses? Animal production?
  • How do other species (weeds, birds, mammals, insects, microbes etc) respond to variation in grazing practices and pasture composition?

• Nutrient management/cycling in grazed pastures.
  • How are nutrients used throughout the whole system by animals fed grain and grass, the LFL and LTER, and what are the byproducts of the system?
  • How do other non-nutrient components such as carbon dioxide and ammonia get utilized in the system?

• Animal Health and Welfare.
  • How does a grazing system affect the longevity, health and behavior of animals?
  • Do grazing systems influence the transmission of diseases (epizootic and other)?
  • What traits (genetic) influence the production, health and welfare of animals in grazed systems?

• Economic, Social, and Food System.
  • How does food quality (milk, cheese, and other) change when animals are raised under different systems?
  • What ecosystem services (indirect and direct) are provided by a pasture-based dairy system?
  • What supply chains are affected (or will affect) the marketing of pasture-based dairy products?
  • What are impediments or enablers of these types of systems playing a significant role in the overall food overall food