Dairy farmers find niche with demand for organic products

US - More than 100 cows graze the 200 acres surrounding Sue and Altfrid Krusenbaum's farmhouse and milking parlor.
calendar icon 26 December 2006
clock icon 1 minute read
The Krusenbaums are tireless advocates for organic farming, which they see as a way to preserve family farms.

"Where is a cow supposed to be? On grass," said Sue Krusenbaum, a third-generation organic farmer.

Organic farming is still a niche, but with large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods clamoring for organic products, farmers here see it as a way to compete with larger dairy operations in California and other western states.

Wisconsin had 659 certified organic farms in 2003 and one-third of the nation's organic milk cows. The state is also home to Organic Valley, the nation's largest cooperative of organic farmers.

Dairy farming is at crossroads, Altfrid Krusenbaum said. Some conventional farmers will compete by expanding so they have a greater economy of scale in their operation. Others will go organic.

"The small mom and pop confinement dairies will go out of business," Altfrid Krusenbaum said.

But going organic isn't just a business decision. For farmers like the Krusenbaums, it's a way of life: calving in the spring, chores in the winter, wide open spaces, lots of fresh milk.

Krusen Grass Farms sells organic eggs and grass-fed certified organic beef as well as milk. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have studied the farm's methods for years to determine whether young farmers can successfully convert to an organic process.

Source: Chicago Tribune
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