Amazon.com: Organic Dairy Farming: Kickapoo Resource Network (9780963798213): Laura Benson, Robert Zirkel, Pam Taliaferro: Books

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1996

Organic Dairy Farming presents the methods of practicing farmers who are Runited in their conviction that organic agriculture is the best alternative for farmers who want to ensure that future generations will still have the resources to feed themselves and that it also represents the best hope for the family farm. Based on extensive research and interviews with many farmers, this book provides a concise collection of topics for those interested in sustainable agriculture. Addressing definitions of organic, obstacles to converting from conventional agriculture, herd health issues, cropping systems, rotational grazing, marketing and certification and including excerpts from OGBA and OCIA standards, Organic Dairy Farming offers concrete advice and convincing reasons for considering organic alternatives.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Organic Dairy Farming presents the methods of practicing farmers who are Runited in their conviction that organic agriculture is the best alternative for farmers who want to ensure that future generations will still have the resources to feed themselves and that it also represents the best hope for the family farm. Based on extensive research and interviews with many farmers, this book provides a concise collection of topics for those interested in sustainable agriculture. Addressing definitions of organic, obstacles to converting from conventional agriculture, herd health issues, cropping systems, rotational grazing, marketing and certification and including excerpts from OGBA and OCIA standards, Organic Dairy Farming offers concrete advice and convincing reasons for considering organic alternatives.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1 - Going Organic
Definitions of Organic and Sustainable

We are nearing the end of a century during which agriculture had undergone an incredible transformation. Traditional methods of fertizlization and pest control, which developed over several thousand years, have been replaced in mere decades by the Green Revolution. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the green refers more accurately to the profits of agribusiness and chemical companies than to any improvements in either crop quality or to the profitability of the individual farmer. Increased yields in the short term are a paltry trade-off for a steady decline in the number of farmers able to continue farming, a decline in water quality for both rural and urban dwellers, decreased soil tilth, as well as health problems for farm families due to chemical exposure. The recognition of these factors is behind the decision of an increasing number of farmers to begin making the transition to a more sustainable method of agricultural production

The easiest way to describe organic farming is to tell what it is not. It is not using anhydrous ammonia for nitrogen fertility. It is not using atrazine for weed control i wn corn. Both farmers and consumers have a general understanding that organic foods come from fields that have not used synthetic fertilizers or pesticides for three years. The three year transition time corresponds to observations made by many farmers that after prolonged agricultural chemical use, it takes about three years to rebuild and recover soil health and no-spray yield potential.

But the easy description doesnUt adequately explain a way of farming that emphasizes working with natural systems instead of trying to fight nature with technology, and that utilizes on-farm resources instead of purchased inputs. Organic farming also supports and embodies the traditional concept of farmers as stewards of the land, conserving resources to preserve clean water and clean air, and keeping the soil where it belongs--in the farmersU fields.

A common definition of sustainable agriculture is a system of food and fiber production that does not deplete the earth or other resources. Sustainable agricult xure does not wear out or use up any resource, including the labor resource of the people who produce the food. One way to view the difference between sustainable farming and current conventional methods is to think of all the people who have been used up and worn out by farming. Organic agricultural systems promote and enhance sustainability in all aspects of RagriS-culture.

The people who are writing this book are biased. We believe that organic farming is the best, most logical and quickest way to achieve sustainability. Reducing the use of synthetic chemicals is certainly a worthy goal, but organic farmers know that it is both possible and practical to eliminate them altogether. Not using synthetic chemicals at all is the best way to prevent herbicide contaminated groundwater, insecticide-poisoned wildlife, depleted and degraded soil, and farm worker exposure to hazardous chemical compounds. A big problem with pesticides is that they work too well. Their impact on non-target species is just w too great to justify their use. If youUve already decided that you need herbicides or fly bombs to run a dairy farm, we invite you to reevaluate what those products do for you and how much they cost in money and environmental damage.

Why Do Farmers Choose Organic Farming? While there are nearly as many reasons for deciding to farm organically as there are organic farmers, some dominant themes become apparent. An important factor for many farmers is a distrust and dislike of agricultural chemicals. Some farmers have had unpleasant experiences with chemicals, from herbicide drift to triazine-resistant lambsquarters. Others came to believe that reliance on synthetic fertilizers and controls threatened their independence. Jim Wedeberg of Gays Mills, Wisconsin, puts it succinctly, RI don't like chemicals.

Wayne, Roger , and Rory Peters milk 80 Holsteins and raise 100 acres of corn on their organic farm near Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Wayne says, RI was never big into chemicals. I only used atrazisne, probably because it was cheap. We just quit. You know how it is, you just use it because everyone else does.S Wayne further explained that he came to think that Rusing chemicals weakens something else. Organic farmers tend to view herbicides and insecticides within a broader context as Rbiocides,S which eliminate both beneficial predator insects and soil organisms necessary for healthy, productive soil. Family health concerns related to chemical use are another important consideration for many organic farmers.

For some farmers, organic production was the only option from the beginning. Dave Engel, who farms 340 acres and milks 35 Jerseys, says he started farming organically RBecause I didnUt know any better. Ten years later, Dave still doesnUt know any better way to farm. While some farmers mention environmental issues as the primary reason for going organic, others will say economic and farm profitability considerations were paramount in their decision.

For many farmers, organic represents a point-of-view as much as a certain production system. This point-of-view regards the soil and its health as the foundation of the farming enterprise. The organic farmer feeds the soil and lets the soil feed the plants, rather than merely using soil as a medium for transferring nutrients from factories to plants. The organic perspective emphasizes the interrelationship of biological processes and attempts to balance potential results with possible consequences.

Like any cross-section of the agricultural population, organic farmers represent diverse backgrounds and disparate philosophies. But they are united in their conviction that organic agriculture is the best alternative for farmers who want to ensure that future generations will still have the resources to feed themselves and that it also represents the best hope for the survival of the family farm. It is our hope that this booklet will provide some fodder-for-thought and some convincing reasons for further consideration of the organic alternatives.