Livestock

Introduction 

 

Organic animal husbandry represents one of the strongest growth areas in agriculture today. Consumer demand for organic meat, milk and eggs continues to increase, and as a result, organic commodity buyers are actively recruiting farmers in many parts of the country.
 
Having animals on an organic farm fosters integrated farming systems in which nutrients are cycled through animals, and manures (composted or uncomposted) are returned to pastures and fields to maintain soil fertility. Grazing or browsing livestock can make use of marginal land not suitable for row crop production, can assist with weed management and can help distribute income and workload throughout the year. Livestock can also add flexibility to your operation, enabling you to sell crops directly or feed them through animals as market conditions or other factors shift.
 
This module explains the National Organic Program Standards as they apply to livestock production. We'll discuss the transition process, feed requirements, living conditions, health care practices and basic processing rules. At the end of this module, you'll have the opportunity to complete your Organic Livestock Plan using our customized online tool.
 
Even if you don't have livestock now, I encourage you to read through this module. You may choose to acquire livestock later, you may wish to sell organic livestock feed or you may rent pasture to another organic farmer. In any case, it's important to understand organic livestock regulations.
 
This module should take approximately two hours to complete.

 

  
Jeff Moyer

Rodale Institute farm manager, Jeff Moyer.