Because agriculture is a major nonpoint phosphorus pollution source, there is strong interest in identifying and managing farm sources of phosphorus runoff. On dairy farms, possible sources of this runoff include cropland, grazed pastures, and outside cattle holding areas such as barnyards and overwintering lots. A new study based on modeled data for four dairy farms that use managed grazing found that these farms have very low phosphorus losses on a whole farm basis.

This report summarizes 23 studies conducted by researchers in the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) in partnership with farmers across the state. Those studies look at production practices for the state’s main agricultural products as well as farm management and marketing.

How is grass productivity above and below ground affected by grazing at different heights or by leaving different residuals after grazing? A study at UW-Madison found no simple answer to this question. Productivity of pasture grasses varies across grazing management strategies and species.

Begun in 2005 by Mike and Deb Hansen in central Wisconsin, Good Earth Farms
includes five operations that sell nearly all of their certified organic meat through the internet.

The vast majority of dairy cattle in the United States never see the outdoors while they’re lactating. Over 50% of the milk produced in
the US comes from just 1750 large farms, primarily in California, Idaho, New Mexico, and Texas. In contrast, about 22% or more than 3000 of Wisconsin’s dairy farmers use managed grazing. Can the unique features of milk from pastured cows contribute to the resurgence of an artisan dairy tradition?

In 1988, a small group of organic vegetable growers in Wisconsin formed a cooperative to provide stable and fair prices to its members. It evolved into Organic Valley, the largest organic, farmer-owned cooperative in North America.

The Wisconsin Grazing Activities Resource List (2013) contains information on current managed grazing and pasture-related organizations, contacts and research initiatives.

A long-term southern Wisconsin cropping systems study shows that soils under managed grazing have a number of positive characteristics compared to soils under other cropping systems.

Dairy heifers that were raised on pasture in the ongoing Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems
Trial (WICST) performed as well as or better than similar heifers that were raised in confinement.

For a wide variety of economic, environmental and social reasons, it makes good sense to regard the practice of managed grazing as an effective system for strengthening dairy and livestock farming in Wisconsin. The UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) partnered with GrassWorks, Inc. to develop a statewide, participatory discussion about managed grazing that they called “Blue Sky Greener Pastures” (BSGP).