Post by catherine on Feb 21, 2008 13:26:10 GMT -5
Hey Folks:
I am new to all this dairy stuff and felt like I was trying to re-invent the wheel, trying to figure out components for an organic feed that could help us get away from grain dependence. I decided to ask a dear lady who owns a grass-fed organic Jersey Dairy, up Austin way, what mill/co-op they used. Here is her response. I thought there might be others out there in my same boat, and others with massive experience to share. So...let's talk!
I'm esp. interested in what the people here in Texas are feeding and where you get it from! It might be that if enough of us are interested in stuff from my friend's source, Hiland Naturals in OH, that we can get their truck to continue on over from the Austin area for us, too. See what you think? C.
"Daniel Masters owns Hiland Naturals in Millersburg, OH. You can find them on line but he does not know how to use his e-mail - grew up in an Amish home but was not an Amish child - really neat couple he and his wife. His number is 330-231-269, call him, they are an hour later than us. He sends us all of our organic feeds and vit/min for the critters on our farm; as well as homeopathic/organic wormers, meds, whatever. We are working on a new vit/min regime as the one we had was too intensive so we are making some modifications, with the help of Jerry Brunett- & Will Winters, through Daniel's business in OH. Right now a truck comes to TX about every 8 weeks. Daniel wants to get to every week. Each farm places their order with Daniel, pays Daniel and then the driver drops at each of our farms. We pay $50 for a drop fee as part of our feed bill. Believe it or not, it is less expensive for us to truck an organic chicken feed from Daniel than it is to buy in Austin. It is terrible, I know, but the facts all the same. We get Thorvin kelp and Redmond's salt from him as well.
I have been after him to get a price on beet pulp, alfalfa, molasses, etc mix. However, genetically modified sugar beet seeds are being offered this year and we will have to find another alternative. You can grow sweet potatoes and slice them up as a better than beet feed. You can also grow the huge 5-15# mangel beets and do the same. You can find organic seed for both of these. We have a contact out of state for non-certified organic alfalfa if you want that. You have to take a trailer load and it ran us $5000-7000 over the last couple of years. You also have to have an energy source for the milk cows b/c just alfalfa is too hot, too much protein for them. They are a fermentation vat so need energy = sugar. That is why a root crop is so good for them b/c it has all the components of what they need for fiber and energy: carrot, beet, sweet potatoes/yam, maybe even Jerusalem artichoke. I am sure there is more. I will talk with Ben about calling Loni Dodd to see if he will custom grow us a field this year. We have 14-20 acres that we could use. I am not sure how much that would yield but it would be great even if it was just 3 months or so worth. We pay about $10/bag for our current blend."
I am new to all this dairy stuff and felt like I was trying to re-invent the wheel, trying to figure out components for an organic feed that could help us get away from grain dependence. I decided to ask a dear lady who owns a grass-fed organic Jersey Dairy, up Austin way, what mill/co-op they used. Here is her response. I thought there might be others out there in my same boat, and others with massive experience to share. So...let's talk!
I'm esp. interested in what the people here in Texas are feeding and where you get it from! It might be that if enough of us are interested in stuff from my friend's source, Hiland Naturals in OH, that we can get their truck to continue on over from the Austin area for us, too. See what you think? C.
"Daniel Masters owns Hiland Naturals in Millersburg, OH. You can find them on line but he does not know how to use his e-mail - grew up in an Amish home but was not an Amish child - really neat couple he and his wife. His number is 330-231-269, call him, they are an hour later than us. He sends us all of our organic feeds and vit/min for the critters on our farm; as well as homeopathic/organic wormers, meds, whatever. We are working on a new vit/min regime as the one we had was too intensive so we are making some modifications, with the help of Jerry Brunett- & Will Winters, through Daniel's business in OH. Right now a truck comes to TX about every 8 weeks. Daniel wants to get to every week. Each farm places their order with Daniel, pays Daniel and then the driver drops at each of our farms. We pay $50 for a drop fee as part of our feed bill. Believe it or not, it is less expensive for us to truck an organic chicken feed from Daniel than it is to buy in Austin. It is terrible, I know, but the facts all the same. We get Thorvin kelp and Redmond's salt from him as well.
I have been after him to get a price on beet pulp, alfalfa, molasses, etc mix. However, genetically modified sugar beet seeds are being offered this year and we will have to find another alternative. You can grow sweet potatoes and slice them up as a better than beet feed. You can also grow the huge 5-15# mangel beets and do the same. You can find organic seed for both of these. We have a contact out of state for non-certified organic alfalfa if you want that. You have to take a trailer load and it ran us $5000-7000 over the last couple of years. You also have to have an energy source for the milk cows b/c just alfalfa is too hot, too much protein for them. They are a fermentation vat so need energy = sugar. That is why a root crop is so good for them b/c it has all the components of what they need for fiber and energy: carrot, beet, sweet potatoes/yam, maybe even Jerusalem artichoke. I am sure there is more. I will talk with Ben about calling Loni Dodd to see if he will custom grow us a field this year. We have 14-20 acres that we could use. I am not sure how much that would yield but it would be great even if it was just 3 months or so worth. We pay about $10/bag for our current blend."