Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Grants And Education To Advance Innovations In Sustainable Agriculture

Project Overview

FNE03-492
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2003: $2,907.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2004
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $1,475.00
Region: Northeast
State: Maryland
Project Leader:
Kurt Schuster

Raising Goats on Pasture Alone or with Grain Supplementation

Commodities

  • Agronomic: corn, soybeans
  • Animals: goats

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed rations, pasture renovation, vaccines
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research
  • Farm Business Management: whole farm planning, budgets/cost and returns, agricultural finance, market study

Proposal summary:

Grain is costly and can represent half of the total cost of raising livestock. The farmer will conduct a trial to see how management costs of pasture, with or without supplements, compare with grain feeding. Besides inputs, outputs, and cost of gain, the farmer also will track resistance to parasites. The results will be offered to extension and a producers’ group.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.