Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
livestock are raised in pasture-based systems, which are considered more
natural and humane than confi nement systems. Previous to implementa-
tion of the pasture rule, organic producers of dairy and beef cattle were
required to provide animals with access to pasture that was managed for
feed value; however, no frequency or duration of grazing time or propor-
tion of grazed forage in the diet was specifi ed. The implementation of the
pasture rule has leveled the playing fi eld between small and large certifi ed
organic dairy and meat producers by increasing the use of grazing in all
organic ruminant enterprises, diminishing the economies of scale for the
very largest producers.
The organic food production sector continues to grow [5] but less than
2% of US dairy production is currently organic. While statistics on non-or-
ganic use of pasture for dairy production are diffi cult to document, smaller
non-organic dairy producers in the upper Midwest and Northeast are the
most likely to rely on pasture as feed [6]. In general, non-organic dairy
production and beef fi nishing are predominantly confi nement systems in
the US while organic beef and dairy production rely more on pasture. As
of 2011, there was approximately 1.6 million acres of certifi ed organic
pasture and rangeland on 3,499 farms in the United States [2]. This paper
focuses on the implications of the use of pasture within the restrictions that
apply to organic dairy and beef agricultural systems in the US.
4.1.2 DAIRY FEEDING PRACTICES
While smaller scale non-organic dairies may use pasture as a significant
part of their feed, the majority of non-organic dairy cows are fed a com-
bination of supplemental protein and energy sources (purchased or home-
grown) and homegrown conserved forages such as silage, haylage, and
dry hay. Organic dairy farms, on the other hand, rely more on pasture dur-
ing the grazing season [7,8] with some supplemental feeds (energy and/or
conserved forages) as needed. In a review by Benbrook [9], it was found
that the overall reliance on pasture for all non-organic dairy farms in the
US was 3% of DMI, and that 75% of cows on non-organic farms did not
rely on pasture for any part of the lactating cow diet. However, it is impor-
tant to note that in much of the US, climatic conditions require the harvest and
 
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