Agreement Number
NR243A750011G009
Awardee Name
DAIRY GRAZING APPRENTICESHIP INC.
Grant Type
On-Farm Trials
Project Title
Stimulating the adoption of managed grazing practices on dairy farms by evaluating the combined impact of innovative precision Ag technology and data-driven technical assistance to enhance farm profitability and conservation outcomes
Awardee State/Territory
Wisconsin
Involved States/territories
Minnesota
Pennsylvania
Vermont
Wisconsin
Award Year
2023
Start Date
End Date
Award Amount
$4,999,549.00
Production/Use
Animal Agriculture and Husbandry
Grassland (includes pasture/rangeland)
Resource Concern (Broad)
Air
Energy
Habitat
Soil
Water
Resource Concern (Specific)
Carbon stock; carbon emissions
Degraded plant condition
Energy efficiency of farming/ranching practices and field operations
Enteric methane from grazing animals
Inefficient energy use
Manure management
Plant productivity and health
Plant structure and composition
PM - confined animal activities
Conservation Practice(s)
Access Control
Access Road
Brush Management
Conservation Cover
Cover Crop
Critical Area Planting
Early Successional Habitat Development-Mgt
Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation
Feed Management
Fence
Field Operations Emissions Reduction
Forage Harvest Management
Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment
Heavy Use Area Protection
Herbaceous Weed Treatment
Livestock Pipeline
Livestock Shelter Structure
Nutrient Management
Pasture and Hay Planting
Prescribed Grazing
Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities
Riparian Herbaceous Cover
Stream Crossing
Stream Habitat Improvement and Management
Streambank and Shoreline Protection
Trails and Walkways
Upland Wildlife Habitat Management
Watering Facility
Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management
Wildlife Habitat Planting
Project Background
This project will deploy PaddockTrac, an innovative and cost-effective precision Ag technology that accurately measures forage availability, on 20 small and mid-sized dairy farms in four states: Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Collaborating with dairy producers who currently implement continuous grazing, these on-farm trials aim to reduce the learning curve and stimulate the increased adoption of innovative practices by providing comprehensive technical assistance, data collection, and evaluation of the economic and conservation impacts of utilizing this technology to transition to managed grazing. Project partners are Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, Farm Financial Institute, and Water and Land Solutions LLC.
Project Scale
Field-level
Whole Farm
Multi-farm
Regional
Project targeted to Historically Underserved producers?
No
Awardee Technical Contact Name
Joseph Tomandl