WhyMoreFarmersAreMakingTheSwitchtoGrass-FedMeatandDairy
A) Thoughhedidn'tcomefromafarmingfamily, fromayoungageTimJosephwasfascinatedbytheideaoflivingofftheland. ReadingmagazineslikeTheStockmanGrassFarmerandGraze, hegothookedontheideaofgrass-fedagriculture. Theideathatallenergyandwealthcomesfromthesunreallyintriguedhim. Hethoughttheshorterthedistancebetweenthesunandtheendproduct, thehighertheprofittothefarmer.
B) Josephwantedtoputthistheorytothetest. In 2009, heandhiswifeLauralaunchedMapleHillCreamery, anorganic, allgrass-fedyogurtcompanyinnorthernNewYork. Hequicklylearnedwhatthemarkethasdemonstrated: Demandforgrass-fedproductscurrentlyexceedssupply. Grass-fedbeefisenjoyinga 25-30% annualgrowthrate. Salesofgrass-fedyogurtandkefir(发酵乳饮品), ontheotherhand, haveinthelastyearincreasedbyover 38%. Thisisincomparisonwithadropofjustunder 1% inthetotalyogurtandkefirmarket, accordingtonaturalandorganicmarketresearchcompanySPINS. Joseph'stopprioritybecamegettinghishandsonenoughgrass-fedmilktokeepcustomerssatisfied, sincehisown 64-cowherdwasn'tgoingtosuffice.
C) HisfirstpartnershipwaswithPaulandPhyllisAmburgh, ownersoftheDharmaLeafarminNewYork. TheAmburghs, too, weretruebelieversingrass-fed. Inadditiontosupplyingmilkfromtheirown 85-headherd, theybegantohelpotherfarmersintheareaconvertfromconventionaltocertifiedorganicandgrass-fedinordertoentertheMapleHillsupplychain. Since 2010, thecouplehashelped 125 smalldairyfarmsconverttograss-fed, withmorethan 80% ofthosefarmscomingonboardduringthelasttwoyears.
D) AllthisconversionhashelpedMapleHillgrow 40-50% everyyearsinceitbegan, withnoendinsight. Josephhaslearnedthatafarmerhastohaveacertainmindsettosuccessfullyconvert. Butconvincingopen- mindeddairypeopleisactuallynotthathard, whenyoulookattheeconomics. Grassfedmilkcanfetchupto 2.5 timesthepriceofconventionalmilk. Anotherfactoristhesqueezethatconventionaldairyfarmershavefeltasthepriceofgraintheyfeedtheircowshasgoneup, tighteningtheirprofitmargins. Byreplacingexpensivegrainfeedwithregenerativemanagementpractices, grass-fedfarmersareinsulatedfromjumpsinthepriceoffeed. Thesepracticesincludegrazinganimalsongrassesgrownfromthepasturelandsnaturalseedbank, andfertilizedbythecows'ownfertilizer.
E) Championsofthistypeofregenerativegrazingalsopointtoitsanimalwelfare, climateandhealthbenefits: Grass-fedanimalslivelongeroutofconfinement. Grazingherdsstimulatemicrobial(微生物的) activityinthesoil, helpingtocapturewaterandseparatecarbon. Andgrass-feddairyandmeathavebeenshowntobehigherincertainnutrientsandhealthyfats.
F) Inthegrass-fedsystem, farmersarealsonotsubjecttothewildlyfluctuatingmilkpricesoftheinternationalcommoditymarket. Theunpredictabilityofglobaldemandandthelag-timeittakestoaddmorecowstoaherdtomeetdemandcanresultineventsliketherecentcheesesurplus. Goinggras-fedisasaferefuge, awayforfamily-scalefarmstostayviable. Usuallyafarmerwillgettothepointwherefinancially, whatthey'redoingisnotworking. That'swhentheycallMapleHill. Ifthefarmiswellmanagedandhasenoughland, andthedesiretoconvertissincere, arelationshipcanbegin. Throughregularregionaleducationalmeetings, alargeannualmeeting, individualfarmvisitsandthousandsofphonecalls, theAmburghspassontheprinciplesofpasturemanagement. MapleHillsignsacontractpledgingtobuythefarmer'smilkataguaranteedbaseprice, plusqualitypremiumsandincentivesforhigherprotein, butter-fatandothersolids.
G) WhileMapleHill'sconversionprogramisunusuallyhands-onandcomprehensive, it'sjustoneofagrowingnumberofbusinessescommittedtoslowlychangingthewayAmericafarms. Josephcallssharinghisknowledgenetworkthroughpeer-to-peerlearningacorepieceofthecompany'sculture. Lastsummer, Massachusettsgrass-fedbeefadvocateJohnSmithlaunchedBigPictureBeef, anetworkofsmallgrass-fedbeeffarmsinNewEnglandandNewYorkthatisprojectedtobringtomarket 2,500 headofcattlefrom 125 producersthisyear. EarlyindicationsarethatSmithwillhavenoshortageoffarmmembers. Sincehebegantoinformallyannouncethenetworkatfarmingconferencesandonsocialmedia, he'sreceivedasteadystreamofinquiriesfrominterestedfarmers.
H) Smithsayshe'llprovideservicesrangingfromformalseminarstoon-farmworkshopsonholistic(整体的) management, toone-on-onehand-holdingandanalmost 24/7 phonehotlineforfarmerswhoareconverting. Inexchange, heguaranteesanabove-marketpriceforeachanimalandacalf-to-customerelectroniceartagIDsystemlikethatusedintheEuropeanUnion.
I) Thoughadvocatesportraygrassfedproductsasawin-winsituationforall, theydohavedownsides. Price, forone, isanissue. Josephsayshisproductsarepriced 10-20%aboveorganicversions, butdependingontheproductchosen, comparedtonon-organicconventionalyogurt, consumerscouldpayapremiumof 30-50% ormoreforgrass-fed. Asforthemeat, Smithsayshisgrass-fedhamburgerwillbepriced 20-25% overtheconventionalalternative. ButalookatthepricesononlinegrocerFreshDirectsuggestsagrass-fedpremiumofanywherefrom 35-60%.
J) Andnoteveryfarmerhastheoptionofgoinggrass-fed. Forbothbeefanddairyproduction, itrequires, atleastinthebeginning, morepastureland. Grass-fedbeefproductiontendstobemorelabor-intensiveaswell. ButSmithcountersthatifyoufactorinthehiddencostofgovernmentcormsubsidies, environmentdegradation, anddecreasedhumanhealthandanimalwelfare, grass-fedisthemorecost-effectivemodel. "Thesunprovidesthelowestcostofproductionandthecheapestmeat," hesays.
K) Anothergrass-fedboosterspurringfarmerstoconvertisEPIC, whichmakesmeat-basedproteinbars. FoundersTaylorCollinsandhiswife, KatieForrest, usedtobeenduranceathletes; nowthey'readvocatesofgrass- fedmeat. SoonafterlaunchingEPIC'smostsuccessfulproduct- theBisonBaconCranberryBar- CollinsandForrestfoundthey'dexhaustedtheirsourcesforbison(北美野牛) raisedexclusivelyonpasture. Whentheystartedresearchingthesupplychain, theylearnedthatonly 2-3% ofallbisonisactuallygrass-fed. Therestisfeed- lotconfinedandfedgrainandcorm.
L) ButafterGeneralMillsboughtEPICin 2016, CollinsandForrestsuddenlyhadtheresourcestheyneededtoexpandtheirsupplychain. SothecompanyteamedupwithWisconsin-basedrancherNorthstarBison. EPICfrontedthemoneyforthepurchaseof $2.5 millionworthofyoungbisonthatwillberaisedaccordingtoitsgrass- fedprotocols, withaguaranteedpurchaseprice. Themessagetoyoungpeoplewhomightnototherwisebeabletoaffordtobreakintothebusinessis, "'YoucarPurchasethisS3 millionpieceoflandhere, becauseI'mguaranteeingyoutodayyou'llhave 1,000 bisononit.'We'rebringingnewbloodintotheold, conventionalfarmingecosystem, whichisreallycooltosee," Collinsexplains.
36. Farmersgoinggrass-fedarenotaffectedbytheever-changingmilkpricesoftheglobalmarket.
37. Overtheyears, TimJoseph'spartnershavehelpedmanydairyfarmerstoswitchtograss-fed.
38. Oneadvocatebelievesthatmanyotherbenefitsshouldbetakenintoconsiderationwhenweassessthecost-effectivenessofgrass-fedfarming.
39. Manydairyfarmerswerepersuadedtoswitchtograss-fedwhentheysawitsadvantageintermsofprofits.
40. TimJoseph'sgrass-fedprogramisonlyoneexampleofhowAmericanfarmingpracticeischanging.
41. TimJosephwasfascinatedbythenotionthatsunlightbringsenergyandwealthtomankind.
42. Oneproblemwithgrass-fedproductsisthattheyareusuallymoreexpensivethanconventionalones.
43. Grass-fedproductshaveprovedtobehealthierandmorenutritious.
44. WhenTimJosephstartedhisbusiness, hefoundgrass-fedproductsfellshortofdemand.
45. Asnackbarproducerdiscoveredthatthesupplyofpurelygrass-fedbisonmeatwasscarce.