The Pasture Dairy Center (PDC) at the Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station was developed to support rural community revitalization through pasture-based dairy production. The PDC takes a 'field to fork' approach, working across the food system, to provide Michigan dairy farmers with options that enhance farm sustainability and profitability, identify and implement strategies for supply chain development, and build markets.

To encourage creativity and promote development of Michigan's rural economy the PDC established a Cooperator Farmer Contract program to help fund on-farm, farmer driven research, demonstration, and outreach projects.

In 2009 three Cooperator Farmer Contracts were awarded for a one year project in the area of Pasture and Dairy Management.  In 2010 dairy farmers were able to submit proposals in two areas Pasture and Dairy Management and Dairy Processing and Marketing. Twelve proposals were submitted in 2010 and four selected for funding.

2010 Cooperator Farmer Contract Projects

Project Title: Develop and Implement Internet Marketing and Sales for Cowslip Creamery, LLC

Farmer Cooperator: Barbara Jenness and Karen Lubbers, Grand Rapids Michigan

Project Summary:Cowslip Creamery is a new creamery scheduled to open April 2010.  The creamery will produce raw milk alpine-style cheese using milk from grass fed Jersey cows at the Lubbers Family Farm.  Development of a marketing plan and market is critical to the establishment of any new buiseness.  Cowslip Creamery will hire a local company to develop an internet marketing program for the creamery.  The internet marketing program will include the design and development of a website, blog, e-mail newsletter template with mailing list and internet sales program for the artisan creamery.

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Project Title: Utilizing Typical Rural Property for Development of a CSA Dairy

Farmer Cooperator:Julie Kolpack, Ontonagon, MI

Project Summary: This project will demonstrate to Michigan residents how a CSA grazing dairy can provide them with a supplemental income source.  It will serve as a base line for future entropeneurs and as a trial site for new innovative approaches to CSA grazing dairy farms on a small scale.  This method makes it easy to legally start small and grow if you choose to do so.  It will be an added source of income as well as a local healthy supply of dairy in each community it is in.

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Project Title: Use of Frost and No-till Seeding of Clover or Plantain to Improve Forage Quality in Dairy Pastures 

Farmer Cooperator: Seth Rondeau; Spruce, MI

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Project Title: Forage Species Evaluation for Low-Input Grazing Dairy Systems

Farmer Cooperator: Seth Rondeau; Spruce, MI

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2009 Cooperator Farmer Contract Projects

Project Title: Supplemental Feeding of Dairy Cows Pastured on Grass

Farmer Cooperator: Howard Straub; St. Johns, MI

Project Summary: The goal of this project is to increase fat-corrected milk yield during the pasture season by supplementing pasture with coarsely cracked corn and soy hulls in addition to the 8 pounds/head/day of fine ground corn that has been fed in the previous two years. An economic assessment of feeding supplemental concentrate to pastured cattle was performed.

Project Management: Dairy cows were supplemented with more sl owly degradable energy sources, cracked corn and soy hulls, in addition to their normal 8 pounds of ground corn during the pasture season. The project took place at Triple H Farms between May 10, 2009 and October 1, 2009. The farm owner oversaw the project by making sure the correct amount of feed was delivered.

Rations were formulated based on cow performance, body condition, pasture condition, and clipped pasture samples. Historically, cows have been supplemented with 8 pounds of fine ground corn grain. For the current project, it was hypothesized that adding 1-2 pounds/head/day of coarsely cracked corn and 1-2 pounds/head/day of soy hulls in combination with fine ground corn will slow rumen fermentation and provide optimal microbe production by aligning the digestion of energy (starch and digestible fiber) and protein (pasture). Cows were worked up to 2 pounds/head/day of cracked corn and 2 pounds/head/day of soy hulls during peak production (total 12 pounds/head/day of concentrate) and decrease the supplementation amount as cows pass peak yield and begin gaining body condition. Diets were also adjusted based on pasture quality as determined by routine pasture sampling.

We expected to show that supplementation of pastures may lead to greater milk production and more profit per animal and profit per acre. Data from the 2009 grazing period was compared to the previous two years' data when only corn was fed to cows. All three years' data were evaluated using the Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary.

Project Outcomes: Feeding additional concentrate in 2009 increased milk yield 3.4%, total butterfat 7.0%, and total protein 3.6% over the average of 2007 and 2008 production levels. Percent milk protein was not affected by concentrate supplementation while percent butterfat increased from 3.96% in 2007 and 2008 to 4.1% in 2009.

The modest increase in milk yield from feeding additional concentrate resulted in a positive economic return over the added feed costs. As milk prices rise providing small amounts of concentrate appears to be a profitable way to increase net farm income for pasture dairies.

Project Title: Forage Species and Variety Trial for Dairy Pastures

Farmer Cooperator: Doug and Molly Covert; Hudson, MI

Project Summary: The ideal forage variety/species or species mix varies with different soil type, weather factors, and management practices. The purpose of this project was to evaluate 21 different forage varieties, species, and mixes for a variety of economically important traits (palatability, drought resistance, milk production, and forage yield).

Project Management: Twenty-one forage plots were established in an approximately 4 acre pasture in the spring of 2009.  Plots were established by killing existing growth (2 applications of Credit-Extra), disking the soil, and broadcast seeding each plot.  Plots were planted in strips running from the top to bottom of a hill, this was done because soil characteristics varied from top (sandy soil) to bottom (heavy loam) of the hill.  Forage plots included single species plots of cool-season and warm-season grasses and legumes (Tetraploid Rye, Meadow Bromegrass, Orchardgrass, Timothy, Red Clover, White Clover, and Sudangrass) and mixed species plots containing a variety of cool-season grasses and legumes.  A complete list of forage species and plot layout can be downloaded here.

Following plot establishment forage plots were grazed periodically during the grazing season, begining August 1, 2009. Cattle had access to multiple plots, allowing them to select their preferred forage varieties (this was done to determine the relative palatability of the forages). In addition to estimating forage variety/species palatability; forage plots were also scored based on drought tolerance, milk yield while cattle were grazing plots, and forage yield.  Each forage plot was assigned a value from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) for each of the four traits (palatability, drought tolerance, milk yield, and forage yield). Plots will be maintained in the coming years to evaluate stand persistence and performance of the forage species and mixes.

Project Outcomes: Scores for each of the four characteristics of the twenty-one forage plots input costs for seeds and plot preperation can be downloaded here. In general Timothy and Red Clover plots were judged to be more palatable than other plots, however, all plots recieved good scores for palatability. Mixed species plots and Orchardgrass plots were scored higher for drought tolerance. Tetrapploid Rye and Clover plots tended to recieve higher scores for milk production. Tetraploid Rye and Orchardgrass recieved higher scores for forage yield.

A pasture walk was held at the Covert farm in September 2009 to discuss lessons learned with this project; twelve people attended the pasture walk.

Project Title: Managing Cool- and Warm-Season Pastures for Dairy Grazing With Little or No Grain Supplementation.

Farmer Cooperator: Seth Rondeau; Spruce, MI

Project Summary: In the spring 2009 pastures were planted to sorghum, corn, triticale-peas-ryegrass, or oats-peas-turnips for grazing lactating dairy cattle during the summer and fall with little or no supplemental grain while still maintaining an acceptable level of milk production.  A cool, wet spring and summer growing season resulted in low forage production and minor changes to the original management plan.

Project Management: Forty acres were available for grazing approximately 60 lactating cows; cows were mostly Holsteins with some Jerseys and cross-bred cattle making up the rest of the herd.  Pasture planting dates and grazing experiences:

• Ten acres of oats-peas-turnips were planted in mid-April.  About 2.5 weeks after planting, the turnips and oats began to emerge.  This pasture was grazed in late-June, poor growing conditions only allowed about 4 days of grazing for the herd.  Forage regrowth on these pastures was grazed later in the season.
• Ten acres of triticale-peas-ryegrass were planted May 25th.  These pastures were about eight inches tall by the end of June when they were first grazed.
• Six acres of corn was planted on June 19th.  By the end of June corn was about 1 to 2 inches tall.  Corn was grazed in September by sub-dividing the pasture into sections with temporary fence that would allow about 3 days of grazing.  Pasture was sub-divided to reduce trampling and wasting of the corn.  Sizing paddocks for about 3 days of grazing was a compromize between reducing trampling and labor required for setting up temporary fence.  The cool,wet conditions resulted in poor ear development.
• Six acres of sorghum were planted mid-June.  By the end of June sorghum was about 1 to 2 inches tall.  Sorghum pastures were grazed once in August.
  

Project Outcomes: Even with the cool, wet growing conditions, by planting several forage species and mixtures, the different pastures were able to complement each other and provide sufficient forage throughout the grazing season with no supplemental grain being fed to cattle.

A pasture walk was held at the Rondeau farm in September 2009 to discuss lessons learned with this project, 12 people attended the pasture walk.