SARE 1996 Highlights

A Smoother Path for Milk Producers

A sustainable dairy systems manual and training program being implemented in 1996 for Extension agents in Tennessee and Kentucky could become a model for other states. The manual emphasizes whole-farm management, profitability and keeping pace with changing technology in an environmentally sound manner. It includes advice on forage and feeding systems, milking centers, manure management, farmstead planning, housing for dry cows and heifer replacements, labor recommendations, information management and more. Each chapter contains worksheets for different dairy-system scenarios for 50 to 800 cows, including a 50-cow grazing model. Extension staff can enter worksheet data into a computer program that accompanies the manual, generating decision-aiding spreadsheets linked to other chapter topics. Many chapters also can be used as stand-alone guides. With the help of a SARE professional development grant, dozens of Extension agents, farm management specialists and farmers already have received pilot training for using the manual, which is slated for full release in fall 1996. Authors predict at least 500 dairy farm families will benefit from educational programs based on the manual during the next two years, with dozens more dairy operators developing detailed farm and financial plans based on the manual's software. The project's 24-member interdisciplinary team is sharing results with farm professionals and related groups nationwide. (Southern Region project LST94-4)

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