MDARD Expands Regenerative Agriculture Work with Investment in Dairy Grazing

LANSING, Mich.-The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced an innovative initiative to help beginning, small and medium-sized dairy farms boost profitability and improve resiliency through dairy grazing.

Dairy grazing is the practice of having dairy cows primarily eat fresh grass in managed pastures during the warmer months instead of staying indoors and relying on harvested feed.

"Grazing gives dairy producers an opportunity to reduce input costs and strengthen the long-term profitability of their operations," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "At a time when small and medium operators in Michigan are pressured to either expand or fold, this initiative will provide resources to help family-run dairies stay in business, sustain local jobs and ensure Michiganders continue to have access to nutritious, locally made dairy products."

MDARD's Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Ag) Program is one of the first in the nation to be embedded within a state agriculture agency. Among other actions, the program has invested in a next generation crop insurance pilot for farmers who implement practices that improve soil health, launched a free soil health assessment initiative for farmers, created grant programs to promote regenerative agriculture education and implementation, and established a training farm for veterans.

To support dairy grazing in Michigan, MDARD's Regen Ag Program awarded a $275,490 grant to the Wallace Center at Winrock International, a nonprofit working to build resilient regional food systems. In coordination with dairy industry partners, MDARD and the Wallace Center are:

• Building a playbook to reduce technical and financial barriers that can make transitioning to grazing difficult.
• Expanding technical assistance and workforce development opportunities by training service providers.
• Creating an online statewide resource map for Michigan dairy graziers.
• Organizing educational events for interested farmers to learn directly from experienced graziers.

The Wallace Center is also working directly with Michigan dairy farms to identify opportunities to improve feed, labor and capital efficiency. Lessons learned will help shape practical tools, educational resources and technical assistance that dairy producers across the state can use to evaluate and successfully transition to grazing-based systems.

"Operating a small dairy farm has lots of challenges. It s hard to be profitable and have time to do anything else," said Dan Chupp, owner of Sonblest Farm. "Having some experts look at our farm and give us advice has been invaluable."

Additional details about the Dairy Grazing Expansion Project are available on MDARD's grant web page.

For more information about efforts to promote sustainable farming, visit MDARD's regenerative agriculture web page.

###

Sign up to receive MDARD news