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Dave Wilkins
New national organic standards will soon require ruminant livestock to utilize pasture at least part of the year.
That could mean big changes for some operations.
Horizon Organic Dairy near Paul, Idaho - the nation's largest organic dairy - will start by developing some pasture near its milk barns, General Manager Billy Terrell said recently. How much is ultimately developed will depend on how the "access to pasture" rule in the national organic standards is interpreted.
"We're going to make some changes, but to what extent, we don't know because we're unclear on the rules," Terrell said. The pasture requirement has raised a number of questions for some organic producers. How often must animals be on pasture? Must all animals have access to pasture?
Providing pasture for all 4,000 milk cows at the Horizon dairy will be a big challenge, especially in south-central Idaho's arid climate, Terrell said.
"It's going to be interesting if the requirement is for all the cattle to have pasture," Terrell said. "This is desert country."
The National Organic Standards Board livestock committee is scheduled to vote this week on wording intended to clarify the "access to pasture," requirement, although some in the industry expect the vote to be delayed until later this fall to allow for additional public comment.
The final national organic standards are scheduled to be fully implemented by mid-2002.
The recommended NOSB wording would require that ruminant livestock have access to pasture during the months of the year when pasture can provide edible forage, and the grazed feed must provide a significant portion of the total feed requirements.
Producers would be granted temporary exemption from the requirement if the health, safety or well-being of the animals could be jeopardized or because of inclement weather or because of temporary conditions that would pose a risk to soil and water quality.
Like most dairy farms in Idaho, Horizon is a drylot operation. Feed is delivered by truck to cows confined in corrals. Pasture isn't available for much of the year, and when it is, it's usually used by dry cows.
While Horizon raises some organic feed on its 4,000-acre Idaho farm, it buys most of it from outside, including a significant portion from organic farmers in the state.
Some in the Idaho dairy industry see nothing wrong with Horizon's existing drylot operation and see no need for changes.
"If you're raising the feedstuffs that you're feeding that critter organically, what's the difference? You ought to be qualified as an organic dairy," said Lewis Eilers, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen's Association.
But public comment gathered during the organic rule-making process has clearly shown that consumers expect pasture to be part of the humane livestock practices on organic farms.
"Consumers don't want a totally confined livestock operation producing milk," said Nate Jones, an organic farmer near Glenns Ferry, Idaho.
On the other hand, organic livestock operations in cold, northern climates like Idaho aren't going to be able to pasture their animals all the time, Jones said.
"You're still going to have to buy feed even in a true pasture-based system," he said.
Horizon officials say they fully intend to comply with the final organic standards, however they shake out. And they point out that only a portion of the Horizon milk sold in stores comes from the company's own feedlot-type operations.
Horizon buys milk from about 175 other organic producers across the county, including many small family operations and some that are already pasture-based.
Ultimately, pasture requirements will help boost consumer confidence in the final product, said Barney Little, general manager of Horizon's farming operations.
"We fully support the national standards, including the pasture requirement," he said.
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