AGBUSNZACOVE2005
Agribussiness Addressing
NE Pasture Consortium
Priorities
Agribusinesses
generally do not directly address the 6 Pasture Consortium Priorities
Some agribusiness share
goals of improving economics, productivity and ease of grass-based farming
Some agribusiness are
very committed to grass-based farming
Evaluation of new forage
species and improved varieties under grazing management
Some seed companies
offering improved varieties compared with commons
Pasture forage trials
(Kings Agriseeds & Agriculver)
Economic comparisons of
grazing farms with conventional (Kings Agriseeds)
Availability of
improved organic varieties (Agriculver & Kings Agriseeds)
Development of GMO
non-bloating alfalfa (WL Research)
Particularly active seed
companies in Northeast grazing
National /
International seed companies
Ampac, Barenbrug, DLF
International, Pennington, Wrightson
Regional seed companies
Agriculver, Kings
Agriseeds, Rohrer
Examples of other
agribusiness support of overall Consortium goals
Fencing and cattle
weighing (Gallagher, TruTest and multiple regional and local)
Livestock handling
(Behlen, Powder River, Preifert
)
Animal health vaccines
and treatments (many)
Feed and nutrition
services (many no active research)
Specialized pasture
related planting & harvest equipment (many)
Livestock pasture
genetics (multiple)
Cove Mountain Farm
Mercersburg, PA
American Farmland Trust
/ Cove Mountain Farm / New Zealand Agritech Partnership
AFT goal to preserve
farmland
Cove Mtn: goal of profitable
grass-based dairy
David Fleig manager with NZ
employee
New Zealand Agritech joins
partnership
New Zealand Agritech
Agricultural branch NZ
Trade Development
Members: NZ businesses
having agricultural products or services to offer and, in this case, to
grass-based farms
Demonstrate improved
farm performance with use of NZ products adapted to US climate, soils, and
farming systems
Farm pays for most
expenses & consulting
New Zealand Companies
Involved
Agricom Seed
Agritour agricultural
tours
Dairy Projects
International consulting
FiL heat detection
tailpait
Hansen Products water
fittings
Jobe Valves
McInnes Milkbar group
calf rearing
Pemberton &
Associates consulting
Reese Agriproducts
mowers, bale wrappers, Aitchison
Rotowiper pasture
weed control
Taupo Engineering
round bale feeding
TruTest fencing
Wrightson Seed (Ampac
in US)
$100,000 Investment by
participants
Significant investment
by all involved to demonstrate that there are benefits
Some experimentation
with forage species may show good results and some may show bad results
Collaboration and
Information Sharing
Opportunities exist to
collaborate with USDA and universities
Sharing of results,
including financial, through press, field days, and other methods