rotational grazing
lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
Tue, 19 Oct 93 11:55:06 PDT
Hi Carl. Our office sent you information about our book "THE DAIRY DEBATE:
Consequences of Bovine Growth Hormone and Rotational Grazing Technologies,"
via U.S. mail c/o Cornell Cooperative Extension (I hope that was enough
address.) The book is edited and co-authored by William C. Liebhardt,
director of the Davis-based statewide University of California Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program (he's at Univ. of Vermont,
802-656-0037 this term, through Dec.) Bill wrote a huge chapter detailing
case studies of rotational grazing. There are nine other co-authors,
including L. Bees Butler, a UC Davis Cooperative Extension ag economist who,
with Gerry Cohn, analyzed the economic impact of both bGH and rotational
grazing on dairy farmers. They touch on the "technology treadmill" that
farmers fall into, get very specific about annual feed cost savings
from rotational grazing, comparative budget analysis, and discuss the
potential impact of changes in milk price, milk production and feed price.
Bill Murphy, professor of agronomy at the University of Vermont and John
Kunkel, a veterinarian at West Virginia University, compare the
sustainability of controlled grazing vs. confinement feeding of dairy cows.
They discuss the benefits to farmers with rotational grazing, and note
decreased feed costs by as much a 36 percent; decreased energy costs by as
much as 75 percent; increased grazing season by as much as 100 days;
increased milk percentage protein; reduced labor for feeding hay, spreading
manure and putting up forage; increased pasture value by as much as five
times; improved herd health (cost savings of up to $18 per cow per month);
and improved farm family lifestyle. Dave Campbell, also of UC SAREP, writes
about the economic and social implications of the two technologies (the
expected decline in the number of mid-sized dairies if bGH is approved, and
subsequent rural community decline in dairy-dependent localities). Ed
Rayburn, Extension forage agronomist for the West Virginia University
Extension Service, tackles the ecological and environmental effects of the
technologies (if bGH is adopted: accelerated land reversion to brush;
increased risk of nitrate, herbicide and insecticide contamination of water
due to increased feed grain cultivation). Gail Feenstra, nutritionist
and food system analyst with UC SAREP and David Kronfeld, Paul Mellon
Distinguished Professor of Agriculture and professor of vet medicine at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University tackle health and safety
issues. Please, contact me if you'd like more information about the book and
research. My phone is (916) 752-8664; mailing address is, UC SAREP,
University of California, Davis, CA 95616; FAX (916) 752-4361. The book is
372 pages, $28 plus $3.50 shipping. It was published June 1993.
(VISA/MasterCard orders through UC ANR Publications, Oakland, 510-642-2431.)
For quantity discounts, call Barbara Wetzel, UC SAREP-info group, (916)
757-3277.
Lyra Halprin
Senior Writer
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
Davis, CA 95616
(916) 752-8664
lhalprin@ucdavis.edu