How satisfied are graziers with their lives? According to a recent survey, graziers are more satisfied with all quality of life measures than farmers who […]

Managed grazing keeps dairy and other livestock farmers profitable, promotes good land stewardship, and can save taxpayers money. A new report by the Michael Fields […]

This report summarizes statewide information about Wisconsin dairy producers who use pasture and managed grazing as feeding and farm management tools. Surveys from random samples […]

Graziers Rick Adamski and Valerie Dantoin of Seymour received an Honorary Recognition award from the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences on October 27. […]

Management Intensive Rotational Grazing represents an increasingly attractive option for dairy farmers looking to cut costs and boost profits. The number of Wisconsin dairy farms […]

Farms using managed grazing typically produce less milk per cow than confinement farms. However, a series of economic studies in Wisconsin and elsewhere show that, […]

A small but growing group of consumers is paying attention to the health benefits of milk and meat from animals raised on pasture. Meat and milk from grazed ruminants have higher levels of “good fat” than ruminants fed stored feeds. Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is one of those “good fats.” Some people claim that CLA can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors, enhance immunity, reduce cholesterol, and replace fat with muscle. Can dairy farmers raising cows on pasture capitalize on these health claims with specialty cheese?

Canada thistle is a big headache for livestock producers managing pastures. Animals won’t eat this spiny, tough plant, reducing productivity of pastures and livestock. Despite being on Wisconsin’s noxious weed list and a target for serious control for many years, it is still a significant, widespread problem.

To take maximum advantage of pasture growth, dairy farmers using rotational grazing often have a short (less than 3 month) spring calving window as a goal. But this is difficult to achieve. CIAS-supported research on a Wisconsin grazing farm shows that the Ovsynch breeding program, while successful on confinement dairy farms, can be problematic on grazing dairy farms.

Is kura clover a good legume choice in rotationally grazed pastures? A study conducted at the UW Lancaster Agricultural Research Station says yes, with excellent beef production on kura clover/grass pastures. Kura’s persistence and leafy growth led to higher Holstein steer growth rates on kura/grass pastures than red clover/grass pastures.