Fertilizing fields with manure from dairy farms can contribute to elevated levels of phosphorus in waterways. Researchers at UW-Madison hypothesized that composting manure before spreading […]

Dr. Hemme discusses approaches to balancing supply and demand, both in short-term, emergency situations and at the longer-term, structural level.

UW-Madison researchers explored whether limitations on the inputs allowed in organic farming may result in differences in plant-soil dynamics compared to conventional dairy operations, necessitating different grazing techniques. They found relevant scientific literature to be scarce.

When researchers at UW-Madison compared greenhouse gas emissions of several different dairy farming systems in Wisconsin, they found that emissions were broadly similar between grazing and confinement dairies.

Composting is an ancient and cost-effective way to speed the decomposition of manure by piling it in rows and turning it regularly to aerate. For the last two years, three members of Yahara Pride Farms have been working with UW-Madison to determine whether composting can lead to reductions in phosphorus (P) runoff loads from their farms.

Wisconsin is a national leader in organic agriculture. Wisconsin had 1,334 organic farms in 2015, nearly doubling over the last 10 years. This puts our state in a good position to participate in the growing market for organic food, both in the U.S. and across the globe.

Do pastures under management-intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) differ from grasslands under other management in terms of forage quality and quantity, carbon sequestration and biological soil activity? Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison set out to answer these questions and discover some of the reasons behind differences in pasture productivity.

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.