NOFA Massachusetts Organic Dairy ProgramThe NOFA/Mass Organic Dairy Program seeks to provide Massachusetts dairy farmers with information about organic milk production and the transition process, and information on raw milk production. As of 2006, two dairies are certified organic and at least five others are transitioning to organic. Three organic milk processors, Organic Valley, Hood and Horizon, have each expressed a serious interest in expanding the organic milk market in Massachusetts. For raw milk, 13 dairies in Massachusetts have met the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) standards for the sale of raw milk at their farm, with three more pending approval. The two certified organic dairies in our state sell raw milk. 
Below is a list of local, state and national resources providing information for raw milk and organic producers.
For a list of resources for all livestock, including poultry, see the Raw MilkInformation About Raw Milk In Massachusetts2008 GRAZING WORKSHOP SERIESNOFA/Mass, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the University of Massachusetts Extension have organized these Grazing Workshops as a continuing education resource for Massachusetts farmers. Topics at each event will vary, but will include pasture management, organic transition and herd health, forage species, soil fertility, fencing and water systems, and summer and winter grazing. All pasture walks will take place from 10:00 - 1:00 (unless otherwise noted). Please bring your own lunch. For more information on any of these sessions, contact Winton Pitcoff, NOFA/Mass, at winton@nofamass.org or 413-634-5728; Steve Herbert, UMass Extension, at 413-545-2250 or sherbert@pssci.umass.edu; or Tom Akin, NRCS, at 413-253-4365 or thomas.akin@ma.usda.gov. Transitioning a Dairy Herd from Winter to Summer Feed Rocky Acres Farm is a grass-based operation consisting of 100 acres of grass hay and 60 acres of pasture. Bob Richardson, who has been operating the farm since 1976 and is the second generation on the farm, practices rotational grazing and seasonal milking. In 2006 the farm was selected as the Massachusetts Outstanding Dairy Farm of the Year by the New England Green Pastures Committee. Bob will talk about the issues around deciding when and how to move cows from winter to summer feed, as well as selling raw milk. Meghan Moody from Blue Seal Feeds will be on hand to discuss the work she has done with Bob on ration balancing and forage/hay testing. Small Ruminant Management Ann Starbard produces about 12,000 lbs. of fresh goat cheese each year from her herd of 70 alpine and Saanen goats. The goats browse using a rotational system and the farm also raises its own hay. Milking is on a seasonal basis, with all animals freshening in early spring and drying off for the winter. Ann sells her cheese at farmers markets, through CSAs, and through about 25 wholesale accounts.
Topics to be discussed will include mixing browse with pasture, managing parasites, using trace minerals while pasturing, watering systems and fencing. Transitioning to Organic Dairy / NRCS Resources Ray and Pamela Robinson are the fourth generation operating this family farm, and currently provide customers with raw milk and milk/grass fed veal, certified organic eggs, perennials. vegetables and hay. They graze their 40 cow herd on their own organic pasture, using the cows to naturally improve the soil and sustain the land. The Robinsons are in their final year of transitioning to organic and will discuss this process. They'll also talk about raw milk. The Robinsons have worked with the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on grazing plans and infrastructure planning, and a representative from NRCS will be on hand to discuss the agency's resource inventory services, conservation plan maps, and other services available. Organic Dairy Transition Larry Shearer has been intensively grazing his dairy cows since 1983, and milking seasonally since 1991. In August 2007 he completed a two-year transition process, and began shipping milk to Organic Valley.
Discussion at this event will focus on the process of transitioning to organic dairy, herd health, and infrastructure issues such as fencing, watering, and pasture management. Participants will also be able to see Larry's direct cut silage equipment and vacuum manure spreader. Raising and Marketing Grass-Fed Meat Wheel-View Farm in Shelburne is a family owned scenic hilltop farm in western Massachusetts raising USDA certified natural grass-fed beef and breeding stock from a primarily Belted Galloway herd. The beef is sold from the farm's store and to local restaurants. John and Carolyn Wheeler became the fourth generation of Carolyn's family to operate the farm in 1979, running the dairy until 1988 before transitioning to a hay operation and eventually moving to beef.
Discussions during this session will include rotational grazing, fencing and watering systems, haying, the use of Mass Farm Viability Program grants and more. Jessica Cook from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) will discuss and answer questions about plans for a new slaughterhouse in Western Massachusetts. Rick Chandler from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will also attend to answer questions about business planning for farm-based businesses and provide information about MDAR resources available to farmers. Small Scale Dairies and Alternative Forages Kyle Bostrom grazes 12 cows on 20 acres in Greenfield and has been experimenting with growing small quantities of alternative forages - corn and Japanese Millet, as well as winter Rye. He is certified to sell raw milk, and also sells beef, vegetables and eggs from the farm. Karen Hoffman Sullivan, an Animal Scientist for the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, will also attend. Karen works with dairy and beef farmers across New York State who rotationally graze their animals, providing advice on feeding management to these farmers to help them keep their costs of production low. She has worked extensively with the NOFA-NY Organic Dairy Transitions Project. Infrastructure on Mixed-Livestock Farms Tufts University farm is home to a variety of livestock, including beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. The farm uses intensive rotational grazing methods and also raises its own hay and silage corn. The farm is also home to the Azuluna project, which has developed protocols for farmers to raise veal, pork, lamb and eggs exclusively on grass, and then connects them with markets for these products. Topics discussed will include no-till seeding, use of direct-injection liquid manure, compost, herd health, biosecurity and fencing types. UMass Pasture Management Research The University of Massachusetts with funding from USDA-SARE and Mass.
DAR has initiated research on evaluation of pasture blends and mixes,
intensification of grazing, alternatives for summer grazing and
extending grazing later into the fall. These and other related topics
will be discussed at the research site with University of Massachusetts
faculty and staff. More details about each of these sessions, including directions to the farms, can be found at www.massgrass.org, or by downloading this flyer here (long version w/ directions) or shorter version here (without directions). Organic Milk
Transitioning and Certification
Baystate Organic Certifiers: (formerly NOFA/Mass Organic Certification) is a USDA National Organic Program accredited certifying agent that certifies operations in the Northeast United States.
Their website also offers links to the complete list of the USDA’s National Organic Program’s (NOP) standards and regulations. The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (Moses): offers a check list for dairy farmers transitioning to organic production. National Organic Standards for Dairy Operations: a guide (and not a complete list) compiled by Baystate Organic Certifiers for farmers considering the transition to organic production. The New Farm: offers outreach and education programs through the Rodale Institute, and this list of national organic certifying organizations. www.newfarm.org/ocdbt/ The National Organic Program: USDA’s list of organic standards and regulations Download "Making the Switch: Two Successful Dairy Graziers Tell Their Stories" by Ron Holter and Bobby Prigel.
Funding Oppportunities
Organic Certification Costs Reimbursement Program These funds are available to farmers inspected and certified and/or inspected and receiving renewal of certification between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006. Applications for reimbursement are due by October 15, 2006. The cost-share program aims to assist eligible organic crop and livestock producers in transitioning to the National Organic Program and to provide an incentive to adopt the national standards. For a copy of the organic certification cost reimbursement application please contact Ellen Hart at (617) 626-1742 ellen.hart@state.ma.us Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Farm Viability Enhancement Program. www.mass.gov/agr/programs/farmviability The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) offers a Farmer Grant program to help farmers explore sustainable and innovatice production and marketing practices, often by conducting an experiment, trial or on-farm demonstration. The deadline for submitting a Farmer Grant proposal is Friday, December 22, 2006.
General Information ResourcesThe NOFA/Mass Organic Livestock Resource Guide The Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Assocation (MOFGA): Raising Organic Livestock in Maine: MOFGA Accepted Health Practices, Products and Ingredients The NOFA Interstate Council created the Organic Dairy Production Manual, written by Sarah Flack, which can be bought online here. NOFA-VT offers a list of Organic Livestock and Grazing Resources ATTRA: - The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service , created and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), provides information and technical assistance: www.attra.ncat.org; and more specifically for dairy production: http://www.attra.org/livestock.html; and for information on value added production: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/valueaddeddairy.html ACRES USA: offers many books and tapes on herd health, soil fertility, and organic dairy farming. Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI): offers lists of organic products and seeds. The Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA): offers articles and information about organic dairying. You can also register for the online discussion group, Odairy, or subscribe for the NODPA newsletter.
Grain SuppliersSee the NOFA/Mass Organic Livestock Resource Guide and the NOFA-VT list of Organic Livestock and Grazing Resources
Herd Health ResourcesSee the NOFA/Mass Organic Livestock Resource Guide and the NOFA-VT list of Organic Livestock and Grazing Resources and The Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Assocation (MOFGA) Raising Organic Livestock in Maine: MOFGA Accepted Health Practices, Products and Ingredients The New Farm: offers herd health information & herd health product info and more specifically, www.newfarm.org/cms/resource.php The Fundamentals of Dry Cow Treatment, by Dr. Paul Detloff, DVM
Dr. Hubert Karreman, VMD
Dr. Linda L. Tikofsky, DVM
Technical Assistance
Charlotte Bedet, NRCS, Nutrient Management Assistant
Sarah Flack, Organic Dairy Farmer, Consultant
Barbara Miller, NRCS, Grazing specialist
Brian Stone, Consulting Services Crops, Dairy Livestock Extension Services http://www.umass.edu/cdl/
Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences
Events and WorkshopsCheck the NOFA/Mass Calendar, and the Practical Skills Workshops and Conferences for dairy related workshops, meetings, conferences and events.
Organic Milk Markets
CROPP Cooperative - Organic Valley
Horizon Organic
HP Hood Whole Foods Market Massachusetts Farmers' Markets
Other helpful books, organizations and websites
The New England Small Farm Institute
Growing New Farmers: A Community of Northeast New Farmers and Service Providers
Eat Wild: The Clearinghouse For Information About Pasture-Based Farming
The Cornucopia Institue: Promoting Economic Justice For Family-scale Farming
The Vermont Pasture Network Program
Rotational Grazing: Livestock Systems Guide
Organic Dairy Farming: a book available at http://www.mosesorganic.org/mosesgeneral/booklist.htm. Available from Acres USA, at www.acresusa.com/books/thumbnail.asp?catid=11&pcid=2 : Treating Dairy Cows Naturally, by Dr. Hubert J. Karreman, VMD Alternative Treatments for Ruminant Animals, by Dr. Paul Dettloff, DVM Greener Pastures on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming with Voisin Grazing Management, by Bill Murphy; Homeopathy for the Herd, by Dr. C. Edgar Shaeffer, VMD Eco-Farm An Acres USA Primer, by Charles Walters
A New Troubleshooters Guide to Dairy Cows, by David Hoke, DVM, - available from:
Edaphos, Dynamics of a Natural Soil System, by Paul Sachs - available from:
The Organic Decision: Transitioning to Organic Dairy Production, from
Value Added ProductsGeneral Information and Articles The Western Mass Food Processing Center www.fccdc.org/foodprocess/foodprocess.html "Questions You Should Ask Before Starting a New Dairy Processing Enterprise" www.cpdmp.cornell.edu/CPDMP/Pages/Publications/Pubs/dairypq.pdf
The Small Dairy Resource Book from SARE. Out of print but free online at
www.sare.org/publications/dairyresource.htm "Market Analysis for Value-Added Dairy Opportunities for the Southern Massachusetts Dairy Industry" www.state.ma.us/dfa/programs/agroenviro/grantreport_pilgrim.pdf
"You Can Make It, You Can Sell It, but Can You "Make It" Selling It?" The Cost of Producing Milk in Maine: Results from the 2002 Dairy Cost of Production Survey, T.J. Dalton and L.A. Bragg. 2003. www.ume.maine.edu/rep/facstaff/publications/tb189.pdf
The Specialty Cheese Market Resource Packet: Adding Value With Small-Scale Food Processing and Specialty Dairy Products, complied for 1996 and 1997 Farming for the Future Leadership Workshops. Available from Farming Alternatives Program, Department of Rural Sociology, Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14583; 607-255-9832 for $5. Contains articles, conference materials, project plans, etc. The Cheese Reporter. Weekly newsletter. 4210 E. Washington Ave, Madison, WI, 53704. 608-246-8430. www.cheesereporter.com Cheese Market News. Weekly newspaper. PO Box 620244, Middleton, WI, 53562. 608-831-6002. ChMarkNews@aol.com "Buttering Up Your Customers" www.farmprofitability.org/research/butterup/butterup.htm "Planning for Success: Uplands Cheese Company" www.farmprofitability.org/research/uplands/uplands.htm "Small Creameries: Wave of the Future" www.newfarm.org/features/0503/hendrens.shtml
"Farmstead Milk Processing". A spreadsheet from the Center for Dairy
Profitability in Wisconsin; comes with instructions. "Test Marketing Pasture-Produced Artisan Cheeses" www.wsare.usu.edu/projects/2002/MW00-010.pdf "The Marketing Potential of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in Cheese: A market scan" www.agmrc.org/dairy/reports/clareport.pdf "Approaching Foodservice Establishments with Locally Grown Products" www.farmprofitability.org/ "Attracting Customers with Locally Grown Products" www.foodmap.unl.edu/reports.asp?action=DSPRPT&code=34 "Agricultural Marketing Research Center" www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/livestock/dairy/dairy.htm Cheese Market Research Project www.idfa.org/mktg/cheesemarketreport.cfm Participants share the expense of acquiring syndicated retail and consumer panel data at a fraction of the cost of acquiring the information through the marketplace. This page was last modified on April 29, 2008 at 10:49:47 AM. |