Donald R. Wild

1
Grazing as a Tool to Reduce the Cost of Milk
Production (and more) in Dairies

• Donald R. Wild
• Conservation Agronomist / Area Grazing Lands
  Management Specialist, UDSA, Natural Resources
  Conservation Service, P.O. Box 756,
  Ellicottville, N.Y. 14731

2

• How effective are we on reducing the costs of
  milk production on dairies by using management
  intensive grazing principles as a part of the
  operation?

3

• And are these lower costs of milk production the
  only significant change or are there other
  changes that are occurring, often times unknown
  to us, or taken for granted?

4

• How much thought and merit do we attribute to the
  other benefits of management intensive grazing?

5

• Successful small, medium, and large sized dairies
  maybe financially sound due to their management
  skills and grazing principles. Many of our dairy
  producers have been able to become successful by
  applying principles that are not in any of our
  grazing manuals. At the same time these producers
  have been reaping the benefits of grazing beyond
  the costs of production issues and so called
  profit margins.

6
(No Transcript)
7

• Now how can we place a dollar on this type of
  family value?
• The world wants us to equate everything with
  dollars and cents!!

8

• What values do we place on
• Family?
• Self Satisfaction and worth?
• Community Involument?
• Reduced Stress?
• Children now taking an interest and possibly
  making future career choices?
• Adopting grazing principles for this manager
  probably saved this marriage.
• If so, what value can be placed on that?

9
(No Transcript)
10

• Once again, What value can we place on this?

11
(No Transcript)
12

• Are profits only measured in dollars and cents?
• What are the other measurable successes of the
  farm and the family?

13

• We may measure success as being able to ride the
  flow of low milk prices, weather extremes, and
  mini disasters.
• With adoptive grazing principles all sized dairy
  and livestock producers have been able to place a
  value on more than dollars and cents

14

• Family time
• Reduced stress
• Involvement in the community
• Time to devote toward other interest.
• Less dependency on equipment.
• has changed the farm operator from being on the
  edge of major health issues to one of ease and
  looking forward to each new day the good Lord
  provides us.

15
(No Transcript)