Donald R. Wild Conservation Agronomist / Area Grazing Lands Management Specialist, UDSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, P.O. Box 756, Ellicottville, N.Y Grazing as a Tool to Reduce the Cost of Milk Production (and more) in Dairies

 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?

 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?

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

 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.

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

 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?

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

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

 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:

 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.