Transitioning the Dairy Herd

There are two ways to transition a dairy herd to organic. The first is the typical method for a small family farm: the cows are transitioned with the farm. A farmer who is transitioning to organic produces most feed right on the farm, either as grain and hay crops or as pasture for the cows to graze. This means that by the time a farmer reaches the last year of the transition process, the bulk of the herd's feed has been grown using organic methods for nearly three years.

The second way to transition a herd is to purchase a herd separate from a farm, feed them 100% organic feed for a year, and then place them on a certified farm. The capital expenditure this requires favors big agricultural players with deep pockets.

As a cooperative of family farmers who value stewardship of the land, we at Organic Valley favor the first method, which ties a transitioning herd to the farm as a whole. Because transition can be an economically trying period for the small farm (receiving unpredictable conventional prices for milk while learning and implementing new, sustainable practices), we support organic farming policy that makes transition economically viable for family farms.

We at Organic Valley Cooperative support organic policy that ties a transitioning herd to the farm as a whole, and does not require small farmers to foot the unrealistic expense of purchasing organic feed for a year, or to endure a five year wait for a complete transition to certified organic production. We call on the organic community to come together again to support policy tools which continue to make organic a viable economic option for family farmers and encourage sustainable farm stewardship.

Pasturing is a cornerstone of the sustainable organic farm. Read about the benefits of pasturing here.