It’s All About the Grass

AGA Grassfed Evolution - a American Grassfed Association began exploring an AGA Grassfed Dairy Standard in September of 2014. The original AGA working group: Carrie Balkcom, AGA Executive Director; Dr. Meg Cattell, AGA Board and Standards and Certification Committee member; Dr. Arden Nelson, DVM, Diplomate ABVP-Dairy Don Davis, AGA Certification and Standards committee chair

AGA Grassfed Evolution - b The first draft of the AGA Grassfed Dairy Standard was created in April of 2015, and a second draft was completed in June of 2015. In the summer of 2015, Carrie Balkcom began a conversation with Organic Valley about their interest in finding ways to protect the grassfed dairy label and to transition from their in-house grassfed protocols to AGA’s third-party grassfed standard.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - c AGA and Organic Valley staff had several phone conferences in the fall of 2015. A Grassfed Dairy Summit took place in Denver in January 2016. Leading industry representatives, dairy scientists, retailers, and certifiers were invited to attend the Summit.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - d During the summit, discussions centered on topics including animal health and nutrition, transparency of practices and claims, holistic land and soil management, support and validation for producers, and building on the Certified Organic standard while providing a bridge with non-organic grassfed claims.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - e The group performed a detailed comparison of existing and developing standards, including AGA’s draft grassfed dairy standard, one-hundred-percent grassfed organic programs from Pennsylvania Certified Organic and New York-Northeast Organic Farming Association, and the CROPP/Organic Valley Grassmilk program.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - f Two working groups formed, one of which drafted a merged standards document for further discussion. The other group was charged with clarifying options for market integrity.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - g The working groups collaborated using a three-pronged approach to create the science-based, rigorous marketing claim: To ensure the healthy and humane treatment of dairy animals. To meet consumer expectations about grassfed dairy products. To be economically feasible for small and medium-size dairy farmers.

AGA Grassfed Evolution - h A consensus provisional standard was finalized in April 2016 and was circulated among stakeholders and the public for review. A second grassfed dairy summit took place in Denver August 1, 2016.

Speaker Change Don  Meg

American Grassfed Association Grassfed Dairy Standards AGA Annual Meeting - February 2017

American Grassfed Association (AGA) established in 2003 American Grassfed Association Ruminant Standards AGA Grassfed Ruminant Standard American Grassfed Association (AGA) established in 2003

First AGA Grassfed Standard launched in 2005 applied to all ruminants American Grassfed Association Ruminant Standards AGA Grassfed Ruminant Standard First AGA Grassfed Standard launched in 2005 applied to all ruminants

Grassfed Certification Program initiated in 2009 American Grassfed Association Ruminant Standards AGA Grassfed Ruminant Standard Grassfed Certification Program initiated in 2009 14

AGA Grassfed Certification is Third party verified American Grassfed Association Ruminant Standards AGA Grassfed Ruminant Standard AGA Grassfed Certification is Third party verified 15

American Grassfed Association Ruminant Standards AGA Grassfed Ruminant Standard AGA grassfed animals: have been fed only grass and forage have not been raised in confinement and have never been given antibiotics or hormones. AGA-certified producers are American family farms and their livestock are born and raised in the U.S.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards AGA Grassfed Standard Allows non-organic certification but integrates with organic standards.

Grassfed Dairy Standards American Grassfed Association Grassfed Dairy Standards

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Goals Meet additional metabolic demand of lactation Increases allowable supplementation Allows shelter in adverse conditions Addresses calf rearing

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Achievements Prohibits GMO supplements Doubled NOP organic pasture requirements Allows transition from organic and conventional herds

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Why Grassfed Dairy? Better for Consumer Better for Cattle Better for the Land

No Antibiotics, Hormones American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Certification Requirement Comparison Conventional Non-GMO AHA Humane NOP AGA Pasture X XX No Antibiotics, Hormones No Pesticides No OP’s No GMO Humane

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Required Grazing 3.2.2 Pastures will provide forage, sufficient in quantity and quality, to maximize grazing for grassfed ruminants during the grazing season.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Required Grazing 3.2.3 Grassfed ruminants must graze pasture throughout the entire grazing period which will be not less than 150 days per year. (NOP is 120 days)

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Required Grazing 3.2.4 Grazed pasture must provide at least 60% of a grassfed ruminant’s dry matter intake averaged throughout the entire grazing season. (NOP is 30% DM)

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Required Grazing 3.2.7 AGA Grassfed dairy ruminants may only be removed from pasture during inclement weather or events that may threaten the health, safety and welfare of the ruminant, natural resources or when conditions compromise the ability to graze. Note: Exclusion from pasture should be based on the ruminant’s ability to graze and not the calendar.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Confinement 3.2.8 AGA grassfed dairy ruminants removed from pasture must have access to the outdoors unless conditions jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of the ruminant.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Forage Feeding 3.3.1 AGA grassfed dairy ruminants may be fed hay, haylage, balage, silage without grain, forage products, crop residue without grain, and other approved AGA forage products and supplemental feedstuffs, (Appendix A), while on pasture or as necessary when removed from pasture as per 3.2.7 or at milking time.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Appendix A - Forages Allowed Alfalfa, grass, and forage cubes or pellets may be fed to AGA Grassfed dairy ruminants as a minor management tool or during times when grazing is diminished. Supplemental feeding of cubes or pellets for dairy ruminants of all ages will be limited to .5% of body weight per day.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Appendix A - Supplements Allowed Non GMO molasses, beet pulp, whole beets, or citrus pulp may be fed at a level no greater than 4 lbs/head/day on a dry matter basis. Kelp, salt, vitamins and minerals without grain carriers, and apple cider vinegar.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Appendix B - Banned Feedstuffs Grain products in any form are prohibited including barley, corn, oats, rye, rice, triticale, wheat, millet, sorghum. Soy products Milk replacer Antibiotics Growth promoters Animal by-products

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Animal Health and Welfare 3.5.1 All livestock production methods and management must promote animal health, safety and welfare, including calf management, handling, transport and slaughter.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Animal Health and Welfare 3.5.3 Living conditions for livestock must accommodate the health and natural behaviors of the animals. Shade, shelter, fresh air, and clean drinking water must be available on a daily basis for dairy animals. Pastures, paddocks and shelter must be large enough to allow all dairy animals to graze/feed without crowding or competition for food.

No antibiotics No hormones No cloned animals No OP pesticides American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Animal Health and Welfare No antibiotics No hormones No cloned animals No OP pesticides

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Calf Raising 3.6.1 For newborn calves up to 6 months of age: if the health, safety or welfare becomes compromised, feeding of approved supplements is allowed with no limitation.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Calf Raising 3.6.3 Dairy animals less than 6 months of age are exempt from pasture and outdoor requirements in Section 3.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Animal Source 3.7.8 Milk from animals brought in from Certified Organic Herds not raised to AGA Grassfed Dairy Standards must be withheld from the AGA Grassfed dairy program for a minimum of 60 days.

American Grassfed Association Dairy Standards Animal Source 3.7.10 An entire conventional dairy herd may be converted to AGA Dairy if managed to AGA Dairy Standards for a period of one year prior to the production of milk or milk products marketed as AGA Grassfed Dairy.

It’s All About the Grass

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