Distribution of Dairy Production Strategies in the US and Environmental Impact.

The emergence of alternative management strategies for dairy production has been documented resulting in possible concomitants of varibale productivity and environment impact. This study compared farm strategies distribution and simulated environmental impact of the major dairy production regions in the United States. The Agricultural Research Management Survey ARMS was used to determine the distribution and characteristics of five farm strategies (confinement, semi-confinement, Organic, management intensive rotational grazing MIRG, and Amish) to determine distribution within regions of the US. Average farm size and management strategies from survey data was then used to simulate farm strategies with the Integrated Farm System Model IFSM to evaluate whole farm production and environmental impact. Climate, soil type, on farm crop production, and nutrient management are key variables in explaining regional differences in nutrient use efficiency and greenhouse gas emission. Results from the study will be used to identify recommendations for feasible best management practices to decrease environmental implications with negligible impact to profit margins.