Module III Section B Real People, Real Farms: Case studies of animal agriculture
Section B: Real People, Real Farms: Case studies of animal agriculture
Projected outcomes:
- Students will learn about examples of sustainable animal production both in-state and around the country and the world.
- Students will be able to apply the concepts taught in the module to real situations.
Jacob Marty and his father are bringing grazing and agroforestry to their Green County farm. See a summary of the changes they are making here. Jacob also recorded a 90-minute webinar about his farm, which you can access here. Select the video called “Getting Started with Multi-Species Grazing.”
Tom Frantzen’s system for producing pigs on pasture and in hoophouses is profiled in Hogs Your Way . A range of other pork production systems are described in the same publication.
Rick Adamski and Valerie Dantoin’s pasture-based dairy farm has been written up several times over the years. In 2005 these Wisconsin farmers received an Honorary Recognition award from the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences for their leadership in Wisconsin agriculture. Read how their operation has evolved over time.
1995 Case study
2002 Grant write-up
2004 Article
Don Adams and Nan Bonfils worked with a consultant to create marketing materials for their natural beef. Marketing case study.
Poultry Your Way contains a number of case studies of poultry production in the upper Midwest. See “Ducks That Don’t Quack” for an example of a sizable alternative enterprise started by two Minnesota high school students. “Returning Chickens to the Range” profiles the Milladore, Wisconsin farm of Mike and Debra Hansen.
Dairy Your Way contains descriptions and case studies of different dairy production systems in the upper Midwest. “Seasonal Calving” describes how Dan and Ruth Vosberg have combined grazing and more conventional practices to make their dairy farm work for them.
Other livestock production profiles can be found in the SARE book The New American Farmer and includes Greg and Lei Gunthorp in Indiana, Tom Larson in Nebraska, and Bob Wackernagel in Michigan. For national examples, see David and Cynthia Major, Vermont (sheep dairy), Tom Trantham, South Carolina (dairy grazing of standing crops), Rosa Shareef, Mississippi (pastured poultry, goats, and sheep); Frank Bohman, Utah (rangeland restoration), and Mark Frasier, Colorado (range management).
Other profiles can be found at The New Farm. About half of the profiles feature livestock operations, including organic egg production at New Century Farm in Wisconsin and meat goat production in Iowa.
Activity 1 Evaluating sustainability
Career Pathway content standards
| Projected Outcome | National Agricultural Education Standards Performance Element or Performance Indicators |
Activity Number(s) (in this section) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. List examples of sustainable animal production in-state, around the country, and the world. | CS.01.05 Awareness: Desire purposeful understanding related to professional and personal activities. | B-1 |
| 2. Adapt information learned about sustainable animal production to real-world situations. | CS.03.02 Decision making – analyze situations and execute an appropriate course of action. AS.08 Analyze environmental factors associated with animal production. ESS.05 Examine the relationships between energy sources and environmental service systems. |
B-1 |
| 3. Give examples of practices used in sustainable animal agriculture. | PS.03.04 Apply principles and practices of sustainable agriculture to plant production. AS.08 Analyze environmental factors associated with animal production.. |
B |
| 4. Identify sustainable animal nutrient management practices. | NRS.02.04 Demonstrate natural resource enhancement techniques. ESS.04.02 Manage safe disposal of all categories of solid waste. ESS.05.01 Compare and contrast the impact of conventional and alternative energy sources on the environment. |
B |