Organic Dairy Farming: A Resource for Farmers (Paperback)

~ Jody Padgham (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Organic Dairy Farming

A Book Review by David Griffiths

So it comes as good news to those of us who seek to strengthen the role of dairy cattle as a integral part of a healthy farm landscape that the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) has created a new edition of Organic Dairy Farming - A Resource for Farmers. Published by Orang-utan Press, it shares the same title as the original 1995 edition, but is essentially an entirely new book. That original edition, in spite of being outdated, was still one of MOSES' most popular titles simply because there are few other books available on the subject. This new edition should keep it a popular resource for introducing certified organic dairy farming principles to transitioning farmers and other interested readers for years to come.

The organization of Organic Dairy Farming (edited by Jody Padgham) was designed with dairy farmers in mind. It gets right to the subject of cows and sticks with it for the first eight chapters or approximately half the book. This isn't a text, but rather a series of articles by twenty authors, including veterinarians, farmers, researchers and specialists. Most chapters have general subject titles like "Dairy Nutrition" or "Pasture Management" and are made up of two or three articles. Some of the articles, like "Understanding Ration Balancing and the Cow" by Gary Zimmer and "Feed Quality Preservation" by William Zimmer, DMV provide basic information without many references to organic management. In articles such as "Managing Dairy Calves" by Dan Lieterman and "A Self-Fed Mineral Program" by Dr. Richard Holliday, the authors give their own particular perspectives on subjects that seem to have as many solutions as there are experts. In that way the book begins to challenge the reader to begin to see that organic management is more than a single method or procedure. Interspersed in the chapters are farmer profiles that, more than anything, seem to demonstrate the variety of ways organic dairy farming can be practiced.

The remaining half of the book has chapters on building soil health, organic cropping systems, pasture management, organic certification, and marketing of organic dairy products. The format of stand-alone articles makes the book easy-to-read and inviting. One of the good things about the tremendous growth of organic farming is that it has attracted some excellent people, like the authors presented in Organic Dairy Farming. As someone not new to organic farming, I found many of the articles interesting and informative. "Animal Breeding for Organic Production" by Robert Hadad challenges us to work together to rebuild the vitality of our dairy breeds. Walter Goldstein of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute has an interesting article on organic matter management and provides the sole mention of biodynamics. There are several appendices that include details on Walter's research, vitamin and mineral function and deficiency tables, a section on alternative dairy breeds and examples of on-farm records for certification. The final pages the book include a glossary, a list of useful resources and index.

One hoped-for outcome of the NOP program was the revitalization of the rural landscape. Traditional family dairy farms with a healthy balance of cattle and cropland are obvious candidates for a sustainable "makeover." They hold much of what remains of America's intergenerational agricultural wisdom and possess the will and drive to farm. The next few years may well determine if organic dairy farming remains true to this original vision.

David and his wife Edie manage a Biodynamic® dairy farm in southeast Pennsylvania. -- BIODYNAMICS 257, Summer 2006 published by Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association

About the Author

Harriet Behar, Independent organic inspector and inspector trainer Glen Borgerding, Owner, Ag Resource Consulting, Inc., and Organic Land Management, Inc Dr Paul Detloff, DVM, Staff veterinarian for CROPP/Organic Valley, co-founder of Crystal Creek: A Natural Veterinary Catalog, author of Alternative Treatments for the Ruminant Elizabeth Dyck, Researcher on organic pest management Joyce E. Ford, Training Coordinator, Independent Organic Inspectors Association Walter Goldstein, Research Director, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Robert Hadad, Director of Farming Systems-Farm Animals and Sustainable Agriculture, Humane Society of the United States Louise Hemstead, Chief Operating Officer, CROPP/Organic Valley Dr. Richard Holliday, DVM, Technical Services Veterinarian, IMPRO Products, Inc., certified Veterinary Acupuncturist Dan Lieterman, Lieterman and Ass. Consultants Mary-Howell Martens, Large-scale organic diversified grain farmer Jack Lazor, Owner, Butterworks Farm, on-farm processor of milk and yogurt Jeff Mattocks, Nutritional consultant for The Fertrell Company Lisa McCrory, Dairy and Livestock Advisor, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Jody Padgham, Education Director, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Laura Paine, Agriculture Agent, University of Wisconsin Extension Service Chad Pawlak, President, Wisconsin Organics, Inc. dairy coop Tamiko Thomas, Farm Animals and Sustainable Agriculture Section, Humane Society of the United States Gary Zimmer, President, Midwestern Bio-Ag, author of The Biological Farmer Dr. William Zimmer, DVM, President, Bio-Vet, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Orang-Utan Press (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963798235
• ISBN-13: 978-0963798237
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #686,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)