October, 2006
Tracy Gallun is finishing up a three-year process to switch his 60-cow dairy herd to organic production. By not using certain chemicals and antibiotics in farming, he hopes to be certified organic by 2007.
“For three years you’ve got to farm like you’re organic without getting paid for it,” Gallun said.
He said he understands the time will allow the farmland and herd to flush out the remnants of conventional methods, but the sacrifice in milk yields are definitely challenging. Cows on organic farms typically produce about 10 pounds less milk per day than those on conventional farms.
“When you’re feeding organic you’re not pushing the cows. They’re just cruising along at their own speed,” Gallun said. “That’s what’s a struggle, you’re not getting as much production.”
When the transition is complete, the payoff is prices currently at least $7 per 100 pounds higher than conventionally produced milk.
“There’s actually a shortage of organic milk out there,” said Harriet Behar, an organic inspector and educator for the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. “The high cost of organic milk is really based on the true cost of production. Organic producers have the opportunity to price their product on what it costs them to produce it.”
The demand only appears to be growing. Earlier this year, retail giant Walmart began offering its own brand of organic milk, albeit produced on huge farms in Texas and Colorado.
“All the signs say that the organic and natural marketing channels are just increasing tremendously,” said Haly Schultz, a grazing specialist for Town and Country Resource Conservation and Development. The nonprofit hosts regular pasture walks, educational events for farmers interested in converting to organic. “There is a lot of interest from farmers who are tired of low (conventional) milk prices.”
Potential profit may not be the only factor to consider. According to a June report by the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Program on Agricultural Technology Studies, more than 75 percent of organic dairy farmers report being satisfied with their family’s quality of life, compared to 42 percent of conventional dairy farmers.
This is no doubt tied to their incomes — only 4 percent of organic farmers surveyed were “very unsatisfied” with their income, compared to 60 percent of conventional farmers.
“You’re just managing pasture. That’s the main thing you have to keep it cut down so they have a nice length for grazing,” Gallun said. “It’s probably healthier because I do a lot more walking instead of driving the tractor. As long as you get paid for not having as much milk then everything’s groovy.”
The Department of Agriculture’s stringent rules on how a dairy farm qualifies as organic, from the grazing percentage in a herd’s diet to not using chemicals on feed crops and antibiotics on animals. Because of this, many organic farmers feel their work is mirroring a food system in its natural state.
Forgoing antibiotics is not a problem when the cows are not being squeezed for maximum production. Gallun said the difference he has seen in his herd is remarkable.
“They’re not under any stress,” Gallun said. “The herd is much healthier. You don’t need the vet for anything because nothing ever goes wrong.”
While striving for the most natural pasture environment, organic farmers often use innovation improve on time-honored techniques. At the latest pasture walk, held on Kevin Thull’s 60-cow, 56-acre organic farm just east of Kewaskum, farmers were particularly interested in Thull’s Tumble Wheel fence system, which allows him to roll sections of fence around by himself by running lines through a spoked contraption.
“Organic farmers tend to experiment and try new things, so it’s very exciting for them,” Behar said. “They’re very involved in what they’re doing, becuase they make all the decisions.”