American Dairy Farmer

Dairy farmer buys the old home place

Plans to graze Guernsey's

By

Fran Alt

Larry Long was at the Tennessee Dairy Expo, showing Guernseys with his brothers Billy and Jimmy. Billy owns Highland Farms dairy in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, where Larry and Jimmy often help out with the dairying. The Long's milk 80 to 100 cows. Larry says 70 percent of the Long cows are Holsteins and the rest are Guernseys. It is the Guernseys that interest Larry.

Recently Larry bought the old home place where he grew up milking cows. Besides working a regular full-time job off the farm, Larry raises beef cows and works at the dairy with his brothers. But Larry Long is not content with this and is in the process of converting his own farm back to dairy. "I want all Guernseys," he says with authority.

Brother Billy advised Larry he would need Holsteins to pay the bills. But Larry feels compelled to go in a different direction. He researched Guernseys and pasture based farming. "I'll have six or seven ready to milk this coming spring. I am trying to get a barn situated. I don't know too much about it, but I want to graze. I read as much as I can in Guernsey Journal and different magazines. I read about rotating cows on lots and about planting different grasses."

He says he can graze about ten months out of the year in Tennessee. Grazing does not involve the cost of excessive machinery. Larry figures he will need a silage wagon and silage choppers. "Alpha hay will get them through the winters, which are not too harsh in Tennessee."

Another long brother recently left the dairy business. Larry says he has his brother's milking equipment, and the major immediate concern is getting a barn. Things are slow moving but he wants to be sure his dairy business has firm footing. "I don't want to jump out and go in debt heads over heals."