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PATS
427 Lorch St. #202
Henry Taylor Hall
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608)-265-2908
FAX (608)-265-6399
Page last modified:
09 Feb 2004
Growing numbers of Wisconsin dairy farmers have reported success using management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) techniques that rely on pastures as the primary source of forage for their milking herds. PATS surveys indicate that roughly 22 percent of Wisconsin farmers move their herds at least once a week. Those farmers utilizing MIRG report labor savings, a high rate of satisfaction with quality of life, and lower operating costs than confinement operations. Economic studies confirm farmer reports that MIRG offers a viable economic alternative to large-scale, confinement dairy operations.
Click title for abstract, or click the PDF icon or HTML link to read entire article (where available.)
Grazing in the Dairy State: Pasture use in the Wisconsin
dairy industry, 1993-2003
-joint research report with CIAS; January, 2006 [1.8 MB] 
The Use and Performance
of Management Intensive Rotational Grazing Among Wisconsin Dairy Farms
in
the 1990s.
PATS Research Report No. 8. August, 2000.
Management Intensive
Rotational Grazing on Wisconsin Dairy Farms: the 1990s.
Wisconsin
Family Farm Facts No. 9. February, 2000.
Grazing in Dairyland:
The Use and Performance of Management Intensive Rotational Grazing Among
Wisconsin
Dairy Farms.
ATFFI Technical Report No. 5. November, 1996.
Management Intensive
Rotational Grazing Among Wisconsin Dairy Farms: A Brief Summary of Recent
ATFFI Research Results.
ATFFI Research Summary No. 1. November,
1996.
Management Intensive Rotational
Grazing in Wisconsin: Who's doing it?
Wisconsin
Family Farm Facts No. 5. February, 1996.
CIAS Grazing
Dairy Systems
http://www.cias.wisc.edu/production.php#grazing
The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) Grazing Dairy Systems
program emphasizes the economic, environmental, and social sustainability
of grass-based farming systems.
Grassfarmer
http://grassfarmer.com
The American Farmland Trust's 'grassfarmer' is a comprehensive information
site on grass-based farming systems.
Grazing Discussion
Group
http://graze-l.witt.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/graze-l
Grazing Discussion Group - GRAZE-L is an international forum for discussion
of intensive rotational grazing and seasonal dairying.
Grazing Lands Technology Institute
http://www.glti.nrcs.usda.gov/
The Grazing Lands Technology Institute (GLTI) of the United States Department
of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides information
on the acquisition, development, coordination, and transfer of technology
that meets the needs of grazing land resources, landowners and managers, and
the public.
Great Lakes Grazing Network (GLGN)
http://www.glgn.org/glgn.html
The Great Lakes Grazing Network (GLGN) is a coalition of farmers, researchers,
extension agents, resource agency staff, environmentalists and others organized
locally in their Great Lakes region states or provinces to support and promote
managed grazing systems for livestock production.
Knee
Deep in Grass
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI6693.html
"Knee Deep in Grass" documents a survey of twenty-nine grazing operations
in Minnesota.
Management
Intensive Grazing Networks
http://www.cias.wisc.edu/networks.php
This site provides a comprehensive list of WI farmer-to-farmer grazing networks
compiled by the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS.)
Wisconsin School
for Beginning Dairy Farmers
http://www.cias.wisc.edu/dairysch.html
The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers is geared to help young people
launch their own successful grass-based dairy careers. The program combines
on-farm experience with classroom learning.
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