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Growing the Pasture-Grazed Dairy Sector in Wisconsin
Growing the Pasture-Grazed Dairy Sector in Wisconsin is the summary report of a team of researchers, dairy farmers and chefs who conducted a comprehensive investigation of the chemical and physical properties of pasture-based milk when made into cheese, butter or other products. The group, led by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, also explored the production, […]
Does Open-Pollinated Corn Have a Place on Today’s Organic Farm?
On 205 acres near the picturesque bluffs of the On 205 acres near the picturesque bluffs of the Mississippi River, Stanley Smith raises beef cows and grows organic corn in southeastern Minnesota. He grew up on this small farm in the rolling hills of Winona County, and worked in partnership with his dad until his dad retired. Smith and his wife, Vickie, […]
South Dakota Rancher Explores Sustainable Livestock Fly Control
Linda Simmons is a cattle rancher in Twin Brooks, South Dakota. Beef and sheep producers in northeastern South Dakota depend largely on native rangeland, and there are several species of flies that can cause serious economic losses there. Several years ago, Simmons experienced a failure with her feed-through insecticide plan. “We had a terrible incident of […]
Big Bluestem Management Using High Density/Short Duration Grazing
Big Bluestem is a warm season, perennial bunchgrass with blue-green stems four to eight feet tall. It has been referred to as “ice cream for cows.” Leslea and Brad Hodgson own and operate Root Prairie Galloways, where they raise Galloway beef cows and have big bluestem pastures that they want to protect from the encroachment […]
Adapting Cover Crops to Northern Climate Conventional Cropping Systems
Northeast Minnesota is home to a large beef cow-calf sector, several dairy farms, and an increasing amount of cash grain farming. In each of these types of operations, annual cultivation of corn, soybeans, oats, and barley is common. Annual cultivation of these crops can lead to high rates of nutrient leaching and soil erosion, decreased […]
Finishing Time and Weights of Grass-fed Beef Animals
For more than 20 years, Jane Jewett has owned WillowSedge Farm near Palisade, Minneosta. She and her family raise and direct-market pork, poultry, lamb, and grass-fed beef on 113 acres. An increasing interest in grass-fed beef operations led Jewett to make the transition to grass-fed beef in 2008. Her interest in applying for an NCR-SARE […]
Improving Pasture Quality with Cover Crops in North Dakota
Donnie and Trisha Feiring own and operate Feiring’s Cattle Company in Beach, North Dakota, a 120-head registered Black Angus cow calf operation. They also run 35 head of commercial yearling heifers. Without a lot of machinery on the ranch, the Feirings tend to think outside of the box when it comes to operational concerns. In […]
The Bison Producer's Handbook
This comprehensive book about American bison production and marketing has information for veteran farmers/ranchers and newcomers alike.
Bovine Mastitis Treatment
While mastitis is the most frequent disease condition in dairy cattle, the most common treatment for it -antibiotics- aren’t used in organic milk production. Mastitis affects animal health, longevity in the herd, and the production of quality milk. Although non-antibiotic products for mastitis have been marketed, limited data is available regarding the safety and efficacy […]
Toolkit Supports Livestock Decisions
The Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center at Purdue University has developed a Comparative Decision Support toolkit online resource to assist with entry-level decision-making about small-scale livestock enterprises. This Comparative Decision Support (CDS) toolkit provides realistic expectations across multiple livestock enterprises. It uses an individual’s input and returns customized results. In 2010, Purdue University graduate […]
Agricultural Educators and Clean Energy in the North Central Region
This feature is a summary of the results of the 2007 NCR-SARE Professional Development Program projects that were awarded grants for the speical call on bioenergy and energy-efficiency.
Effects of Supplemental Molybdenum on Animal Performance
NCR-SARE Research and Education grantee, Patricia Johnson, published, "Effects of supplemental Mo on animal performance, liver Cu concentrations, ruminal hydrogen sulfide concentrations, and the appearance of S and Mo toxicity in steers receiving fiber-based diets" in the Journal of Animal Science. Her research team wanted to identify a feed additive that would negate the toxic effects of high-sulfate water thereby allowing cattle to safely graze rangelands with high-sulfate water sources.
Livestock Enterprise Comparative Decision Support Toolkit
Guides ranchers through entry level decision-making about small scale livestock enterprises.
Video: From Pasture to Plate: Exploring Grass-Based Dairy in Wisconsin
Wisconsin researchers were awarded a SARE grant to investigate the properties of grassfed milk when made into cheese, butter, or other products. This 13 minute video summarizes the research they’ve done and the development of the grass-based (or pasture-grazed) dairy industry to date.
Mortenson Ranch's Range Restoration Video
In this video, NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher grant recipient, Todd Mortenson, describes some of his family’s many conservation efforts on their ranch in South Dakota.
Patch Burning for Cattle and Prairie: Doing Well by Doing Good
Kansas rancher Jane Koger, who raises 125 head annually in a cow/calf herd, is trying an ambitious new strategy to protect the rare prairie ecosystem on her ranch. The resulting "patch burning" system she developed with conservation organizations, along with help from a SARE grant and her Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office, seems […]