Project Overview
FNE05-557
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2005: $10,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2007
Region: Northeast
State: Maine
Project Leader:
Mia Morrison
Maine Organic Milk Producers
Commodities
- Agronomic: barley, corn, oats, soybeans, grass (misc. perennial), hay
- Animal Products: dairy
Practices
- Animal Production: feed/forage
Proposal summary:
Many Northeast dairies would like to have more control of what they are feeding to their cows. A group of dairy owners have started producing their own grain and experimenting with different stored forages that are easy to produce organically and are high in energy. This project will look at the quality of the feed being produced in these situations by sampling the feed being used over the year. They will do a full analysis of feed characteristics to try to determine the variation occurring in purchased feed, the quality of organic grain being grown on their own farms, and the variation in quality of their stored forages. Outreach will be through an annual dairy forage conference, the state agricultural fair, and an article.
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.