Hi Folks!
The maverick grazing farmers of Wisconsin, who have been criticized
once-in-awhile for not being "pure" MIG practitioners, seem to be
advancing
in numbers and profits. Even when it has been noted that other warmer
climates have "unfair" advantages.
A recent 2005 booklet "Pastures of Plenty" prepared by UW-Madison's
Tom
Kriegl, et.al, provides some very positive events in recent years.
The study shows that we've gone from about 7% MIG usage, back in 1993, to
about 23% farmer utilization by 2003. Financially, the UW studies show that
grazing farms are economically competitive with confinement operations. It
also mentions that graziers' control of operating expense, investment and
debt more than offset their disadvantage in income and production per farm
and production per cow.
>From my micro-perspective of being a non-dairy Wisconsin grass farmer, our
grazing networks have grown in numbers and the # of farmers/network-----from
less than dozen back in 1993, to over 20 groups at present. Also, quite few
organic farmers have joined grass farmers at the local grazing network
level. This has been a very positive event, since we have greatly learned
from each other. The organic folks are in the process of learning grass
management, while the graziers have learned a lot about organic health and
crop practices, along with the potential added revenues from joining an
organic cooperative like, Wisconsin's Organic Valley.
I'm sure you can find some more information at www.cdp.wisc.edu
www.grassworks.org or www.cias.wisc.edu
Regards,
Tom Wrchota, Proprietor
Cattleana Ranch
(near) Omro, Wisconsin
www.cattleanaranch.com
