Our neighbor, James Burkholder, had dairy cows that never spent much time outside, shuffling mostly from the barn to the milking parlor in the morning, and then repeating the short trip at night. Their food–a mixed ration of grains, hay, corn and silage–was brought to them. Our neighbor wished to transition his dairy to organic practices so he could stay on the family farm.
Unfortunately, they didn't have enough land to support their herd. We wanted to bring cows on the farm to study the herd's health and milk quality after they switched to an organic, grass-fed diet. In a beautiful partnership of neighbors helping neighbors, these dairy cows are now grazing on our farm, allowing him to transition his conventional dairy operation to organic. Through this process, we are not only helping our neighbor to save his farm, we are also conducting research on the transition process.
Throughout the next several years, we will study the changes in the health of the cows, soil and milk. The cows' milk was tested before the herd arrived on the pasture and will continue to be sampled regularly. A major goal of the project is to study what happens to the milk and, specifically cite changes in omega-3, omega-6 and conjugated linoleic acids.
By sponsoring a cow, you can support this important research and help us support our neighbor as he makes this important transition.
