OrganicFarmer_AugSep2018_e

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ORGANIC Fresh Unprocessed Milk, An Alternative Dairy Business Model By: Joseph Heckman | Professor of Soil Science, Rutgers University Dairy cows on pasture. All photos courtesy of Joseph Heckman. Organic milk producers searching for ways to remain profitable may consider getting into the market for fresh unprocessed milk—commonly called “raw milk”. Currently over three percent of the U.S. population drinks raw milk and the demand is increasing. Regulation of sales and distribution vary widely among states. As of today, 43 of the 50 states allow access to raw milk by some means: shared ownership of the dairy animal, on-farm sales and in some states as retail sales in grocery stores. Where sales are allowed, prices per gallon have been known to range from $6 to $16 dollars. Roughly translated, that equates to about $66 to $176 per hundredweight. Consumers Many times after converting to organic, people begin showing up at the farm gate looking to purchase milk fresh before it gets shipped off for processing. So the idea is probably not new to the typical organic dairy farmer since consumers of raw milk tend to especially seek it out from organic farms once they see cows outside on pasture. While it is useful to know that there is a demand, before becoming a producer of fresh unprocessed milk, organic dairy farmers need to do some homework. Pasture Feeding Certainly organic practices, such as pasture feeding is a step in the right direction. But dairy farmers need to know that fresh unprocessed milk is a fundamentally different product than commodity raw milk that is being shipped off to a processor. Continued on Page 26 24 Organic Famer August/September 2018
Providing the Gold Standard for Fertility Programs in Agriculture, Since 1980 “NATURE’S Are You Haunted By Problems In Your Field? ENERGY Are You Defining Your Soil Fertility Or Is A Fertilizer Program Driving You? AT WORK!” Are Your Fields Plagued With Insects & Diseases? sORGANIC PRODUCTS s Bacterial Inoculum Products • Activates - 1005, 2004, 2005, PMSLA, NF Mycorrhizae Products • Endo Maxx • UltraFine ENDO • Granular ENDO Soil Food Products • NRG's Nature's Solution • Wake Up Organo • True 315 • Ferti Nitro Plus Rock Mineral Products • Azomite • Kelzyme Humic & Fulvic Products • Power K • Soluble Fulvic Acid (by Ferti Organic) Seaweed Products • Ferti Organic Soluble Seaweed Extract CONTACT US TODAY! info@callnrg.com 34284-B Road 196 Tel: 559.564.1236 www.callnrg.com Woodlake,a CA 93286 Fax: 559.564.1238 August/September 2018 www.organicfarmermag.com 25
Page 1 and 2: August/September 2018 Challenges in
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Page 5 and 6: vitamin E (all thought to be benefi
Page 7 and 8: Note: organic producers can’t use
Page 9 and 10: CROPS Farmed Vineyards By: Glenn Mc
Page 11 and 12: August/September 2018 www.organicfa
Page 13 and 14: Enjoy! There is nothing like an abu
Page 15 and 16: The definition of sustainable bioch
Page 17 and 18: there are still controversies about
Page 19 and 20: Fertilizer injection in an organic
Page 21 and 22: to 10 ton/acre to increase soil org
Page 23: keep white space around the seal eq
Page 27 and 28: August/September 2018 www.organicfa
Page 29 and 30: Helping Farmers Grow Naturally Sinc
Page 31 and 32: BIOSTIMULANT FERTILIZERS, PEST CONT

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