We started Grass Point Farms with a very ambitious list of goals. Key among the list was to return the “family” to the family farm. Over the last two or three decades, farming has increasingly become less of a life style and more of a business. As the result of the drift to economy of scale farming, many people who work on farms are not members of the owner’s family and don’t really consider themselves as farmers, but as employees of small corporations.
Grass Point Farms believes that true family farming is still very much a realistic choice. Grass fed, pasture based farming provides the groundwork for the business plan of a successful family run dairy farm. The very nature of this type of farming dramatically reduces costs and allows the family farm to once again be an economically viable life style choice.
The farmers of Grass Point Farms have succeeded in their choices for this approach to dairy farming. Each producer has a written comprehensive farm plan on file and reviewed regularly. The plan outlines in detail best practices of animal health, grassland management techniques, woodland and wetland components and a nutrient plan that helps stop water pollution due to run-off. Family farmers who are part of Grass Point Farms are independently inspected each year and are required to maintain detailed farm records that meet high standards of animal care and treatment. No detail is left unchecked.
Perhaps the perfect coincidence, grass fed, pasture based dairy farming is not only a great choice for farm families; it also produces great tasing, wholesome dairy products and is in complete harmony with the environment.
Most dairy farms feed their herds a diet that is based on high grain content. This accelerates the growth of cows and increases milk production, but at considerable expense. Economically, this expense comes in the form of a much greater need to own the high priced equipment required to till the land, plant the seed, apply fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, harvest and store the crop, mix and deliver the ration to the herd and finally spread the manure back onto available fields. In addition to the many hours of labor, this approach burns a considerable volume of diesel fuel. This is in dramatic contrast to pasture based farming which allows the cows to go to the food source instead of having the food delivered to them. This is truly a case where simpler is better.
Another price that is paid by large scale, grain based dairy operations comes in the form of the health and well being of the cows. The intensive, grain based approach to dairy farming makes cows prone to infections and illness due to lower Ph levels in their stomachs . The unnatural rates of growth and milk production ultimately shortens the life span of the animal. more in Cows…
Perhaps the highest price of today’s economy of scale farming is paid by our environment. Contrast the volumes of diesel fuel, insecticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers poured in the environment daily by factory farming operations with the almost total absence of any of these materials being consumed by pasture based farming.
In a November, 2005 study by the Center for Dairy Profitability at the University of Wisconsin, Madison compared total energy costs on confinement farms versus grazing farms. Naturally, grazing farms fared quite well in this study. See the complete results of the study
The difference in terms of environmental impact is quite dramatic even before considering the issue of manure. Manure is considered a disposal problem for large farming operations, where it must be stored in lagoons for long periods of time until it is feasible to spread it onto fields in between grain harvests and seasons. Comparatively, manure is actually a welcome nutrient on the pastures of grass based dairy farms, where it is deposited throughout the year exactly when and where it is needed without the use of manpower or diesel fuel.
The Union of Concerned Scientists have documented the environmental and health affects of traditional dairy and beef farming contrasted with grass based operations in their comprehensive publication Greener Pastures. Download your copy of this publication to read for yoursef what this esteemed body of scientists have to say about healthy farming.
As we do with cows, we also have a thorough list of standards regarding the management of the family business and environmental issues. These standards must be met before a farm can qualify to be a part of Grass Point Farms.
Labor & Farm Management Standards - Key Points
At least 50% of all farm management and labor will be provided by the main farm
family
Managers demonstrate competence in handling animals compassionately
Managers are able to demonstrate their proficiency in procedures that have the potential to cause suffering, such as injections, foot trimming, dehorning, castration and identification
Environmental Standards - Key Points
All producers will have and follow a managed grazing plan for their farm, which will be part of a full farm conservation plan for their farm.
All producers will meet and exceed all state requirements for soil erosion and runoff prohibitions for Wisconsin.
All producers will have and follow a nutrient management plan for their farm to ensure proper management of all nutrient sources used on the farm.
These are just of few of the requirements that our farmers agree to before being considered to be one of the Grass Point Farms. To back up this commitment, all of our farms receive two different inspections each year to ensure that all Grass Point Farms requirements are being met.
Our internal inspection is carried out by hydrologists and soil scientists and focuses on our grazing standards. They check the health of the pastures, nutrient levels and water quality in any nearby streams and wetlands.
Each Grass Point Farm is third party certified for compliance to our strict standards associated with rotationally grazing of dairy cows (allowing them to live outside on pastures of fresh grass during the growing season or harvested grasses during the cooler months) and the humane treatment of those cows. The third party annual inspection comes from independent dairy certification specialist and is for the purpose of maintaining our transparency and integrity to you. Normally, an independent animal scientist with a PhD in animal health and welfare inspects each farm and walks the entire farm property including the pastures and milking area while reviewing the health of the entire herd from physical-site inspection and reviewing of documented health records required to be in compliance and to be a member of Grass Point’s farms
These annual inspections are in addition to our daily milk quality inspections that ensure that every drop of milk we use in our products is untainted and completely wholesome.
