Switching to Pasture-based Saves Dairy
by
Mike Coan
David Iles freely admits that if he hadn't converted to a pasture-based dairy system, then he would be out of the dairy business today. Five years ago, he thought the best gift he could give his sons was to sell the 67-year-old dairy farm so they could not follow him into the dairy business. Today, he sees a future for his two sons in dairying because of switching to the pasture-based system.
The North Carolina dairy farmer switched from a confinement dairy to a 100% pasture-based (or grazing) dairy 5 years ago. And now David and a small network of pasture converts are spreading the word to other dairyman about the benefits of grazing. It is more environmentally friendly, less capital-intensive and an excellent way of life. David has seen virtually no mastitis problems, laminitis has been eliminated and Left Displaced Abomasum is 'a thing of the past'. The 110 milking cows have not seen a veterinarian in over three years (and only once in five years) or a hoof trimmer in over four years. This has resulted in healthier and happier cows and significantly lower costs to the farm.
Since he switched from confinement, David's feed costs have also plummeted. Cows were fed 27 lbs. of grain per day when confined but are now fed only 7-8 lbs. of grain per day in the warmer months and 10-12 lbs in the winter. And no protein supplement has been purchased in over a year. Once the Carolina drought and humidity ends, David is thinking of eliminating the grain feed altogether and just relying on grazing to feed his herd.
David's goal is "to produce milk at $8/cwt and I think that's a realistic goal. We're around $10 now. We've made the commitment to make milk on forage. Even in this drought, we won't go back to a drylot to hold milk production. For us, it's more profitable, even if we don't have quality forage, to let the milk production drop than to maintain it with high grain costs."
All these changes have resulted in the cow's milk production dropping from 18,000 to 14,000 lbs. per cow in the past five years. But, as herdsman Buddy Light points out, "The cost elimination that has taken place on this farm is just unreal." And that has more than offset any revenue loss.
Just as important, shifting to a pasture-based system has reduced the stress for both cow and man, and made the farm a more efficient dairy operation. As Buddy explains, "The cows go out and harvest the feed themselves, we don't have to. It's just so much easier...this man (David) has time if he wants to, to jump in his truck and go to Florida for a week or a week and a half. One man can sit here and operate this farm." Five years ago, "that man (or men) would've quit" from all the work.
David's ancestors came to America via Jamestown, VA in the 1650's. His grandfather bought the farm that David now lives on in 1888, and his father turned it into a dairy farm in 1931. David's mom and dad raised and put five children through college on 25 Guernsey cows. His father always grazed the cows until 1965 when David graduated from NC State where he was taught that confinement dairying was the way to go. So he bulldozed his daddy's fences and started planting corn in the pastures. He now jokes that he went to college to learn how not to graze. For David and others, grass-based dairying has come full circle. David is enthusiastic in his belief that "the best opportunity for profit in American agriculture is grass-based dairying. Grass-based dairying is the only segment of agriculture where the smaller farmer is more efficient than the larger farmer."
When asked if he's ready to take over the farm, son Daniel, 16, quickly and quietly responds, "Yes sir." His love of cows and the outdoors means that he and brother David, 23, will take over the farm some day with Dad's blessing. Five years ago, that was not possible.
David Sr. likes to talk, and he'll gladly chat with anybody about switching to grazing or pasture-based dairying. He's happy to share information, homemade remedies, and help dairyman because he was born into dairying and grateful to still be in it. You can call David at 252-537-9459.
David is currently in Ireland with 13 other dairy farmers, educators and industry people from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia studying the Irish pasture-based dairying system. Ireland has the lowest cost of production (US $6-10/cwt) in the Northern Hemisphere, their herd average is 10,000 - 12,000 lbs per cow per year, their cows are fed about 1-2 lbs of grain per day and yes, they are profitable. The group's goal is to come up with a model for young people to enter dairying profitably as well as for existing dairy farmers if they want to switch to pasture-based.
David Sr. likes to talk, and he'll gladly chat with anybody about switching to grazing or pasture-based dairying. He's happy to share information, homemade remedies, and help dairyman because he was born into dairying and grateful to still be in it. You can call David at 252-537-9459.