Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial Project

This case study documents the trajectory of a successful alternative dairy farm in southeastern Wisconsin. The 1990’s were a difficult period for dairying and the Krusenbaum family entered this shifting field in 1990 with a 37 cow Holstein herd in a stanchion barn, 88 tillable hectares and a vision to gradually develop a biodynamic dairy. Low milk prices and the unrelenting workload associated with conventional dairying forced the family to look for alternative strategies. By 1995 they had converted all their land to 47 rotationally grazed paddocks, increased herd size to 70 cows and their annual net farm income had grown to $54,000. During the next two years (1996 & 1997) the family introduced a swing-16 milking parlor that approximately doubled their milking efficiency and allowed them to again increase herd size to about 120 head. To further lessen the workload, they first implemented strictly seasonally dairying (1994) and then for financial reasons shifted to partially seasonal dairying (1996) and constructed an out-wintering shed (1997) that greatly facilitated animal management during the winter. By 2002 the farming system had been, by and large, consolidated. The paddocks were intensively grazed (45,000 kg live weight/ha/day) for about 3 days and approximately 5 to 7 times a season, resulting in good productivity and pasture quality. By not pushing milk production during this period and selecting semen from non-Holstein breeds they were benefiting from improved reproductive vigor. They were then able to synchronize annual calving and the herd’s maximum nutritional needs with the spring flush of their pastures resulting in low purchased feed costs per cow. By 2002, annual milk production was fairly constant around 7,400 kg Rolling Herd Average (RHA), herd health was good and annual net farm income had grown to $75,600. Beginning in 2003 the farm underwent important changes by becoming certified organic and establishing a share-milking arrangement with a young couple to replace the use of interns to help with the farm chores. By becoming certified organic the value of the milk increased dramatically from $14.27 (average 1998-2002) to $20.24/ hundred weight (cwt) (average 2003-2005), but feed costs climbed sharply due to the high cost of organic feed. Also, labor costs increased due to the share-milking contract. This decision markedly lessened the daily responsibility and workload of the family, but it also resulted in annual net farm income remaining nearly the same as before they received organic premiums. Due to very sound farm management, good money management and an entrepreneurial philosophy, this farm, by most performance standards, is now both highly profitable and environmentally sound and the families living on it have a good quality of life.

Authors: Joshua L. Posner, Gary G. Frank, Kenneth V. Nordlund, Ronald T. Schuler