Integrating Crops and Livestock in a Systems-Based Approach to Enhance Organic Farm Stability, Safety and Resilience - Rodale Institute Study.

Farmers are interested in producing organic crops that meet the “triple bottom line” of environmental health, economic viability, and social equity by enhancing the multi-functionality of the farm through integration of cash crops with forage crops for grazing and hay crops for livestock feed. Beneficial effects from integrating livestock into crop rotations have been associated with improvements in soil quality, including enhancement of soil organic matter, soil physical condition, and disease suppression. Incorporation of manure and crop residue inputs sequesters carbon in soils, improves soil function and mitigates erosion. A higher forage rather than grain-based diet is also beneficial for animal health and producing milk and meat with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and for economic security by reducing nutrient input and feed costs. This is a three year study established at three locations – Rodale Institute, Iowa State University, and University of Minnesota – Morris. In 2015 at Rodale Institute, steers were rotationally grazed across four grazing strips in a pasture for 150 grazing days. Ungrazed exclosures were established in each grazing strip. Biomass sampling before and after grazing showed a significantly lower production in the exclosures even though they were ungrazed. The steers gained an average of 1.67 lbs per day. In the fall, the fields were converted to small winter grains - wheat and rye. In early spring 2016, the steers intensively grazed the small grains. Biomas samples were collected before and after grazing with grain yields measured at the end of the season.