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Profile of organic dairy farming in Ontario

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

Yetunde O. Sholubi ,
D. Peter Stonehouse  and
E. Ann Clark
Yetunde O. Sholubi
Affiliation:
Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
D. Peter Stonehouse
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
E. Ann Clark
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Crop Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Abstract

Eight dairy farms located in western Ontario were surveyed as part of an ongoing comparative economic study. The sampled farms had been using organic methods for an average of 5.5 y ears and, therefore, were beyond the “transition” stage. Diversified cropping systems were characteristic of these farms, with most crop products (grain and straw) being used directly by the farms' livestock enterprises. Crop rotations were complex, and generally involved sequences of forages and small grains into which cover crops such as oilseed radish and red clover were integrated. Weed control, year-round soil cover, and production of feed and bedding all contributed to the design of cropping systems. Both solid and liquid manures were composted before application. No feed additives or growth hormones were used, but homeopathic remedies, probiotics, and antibiotics were commonly used. The high cost of synthetic fertilizer and concern for the environment were the main reasons given by the f armers f or adopting organic methods.

Keywords

organic farmingcrop rotationforagehayprofitabilitypasturesmall grains
Type
Other Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 1997 , pp. 133 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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