e23. Loyd Borntrager – Grassfed Dutch Belted Dairy

In this episode of The Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal talks with Loyd Borntrager of Borntrager Dairy about transitioning from a conventional dairy to a grass-fed dairy, utilizing Dutch Belted cows and pastured rabbits. He is a second-generation dairy farmer and has his farm located in Yoder, South Central Kansas.

Listen to this episode to learn more!

  • [01:11] – About Loyd and his operation
  • [03:31] – His backstory
  • [06:11] – “If you want to be an organic farmer, you need to be grass farmer first.”
  • [09:50] – Keeping the cows out longer by doing less tillage
  • [10:25] – Why did he switch to Dutch Belted Cows from Holstein cow 
  • [12:40] – Crossing purebred bull to Holstein cow
  • [14:39] – Milking the cows
  • [16:25] – The problem on milking the cows once a day
  • [18:28] – The amount of milk production he is getting
  • [19:19] – The number of cows he milk
  • [20:15] – Marketing the milk
  • [21:09] – Other dairy products that he sells
  • [23:46] – The kind of parlor he has
  • [25:01] – Feeding the cows when they are in the parlor
  • [26:04] – About sprouted fodder
  • [27:26] – Feeding the cows when the paddocks are growing
  • [29:13] – Moving the cows to new pasture daily
  • [30:16] – Annual rainfall in Yoder 
  • [32:26] – Kind of pasture he has
  • [35:34] – The kind of fencing he has
  • [37:03] – Other livestock he has
  • [39:43] – Marketing the rabbits
  • [42:00] – The breed of chickens he has
  • [43:04] – His favorite grazing grass related book
  • [45:45] – Advice to new farmers

Watch

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Read

transcript coming soon

Sponsors

Your information could be here. Email Cal at GrazingGrass.com for more information.

Book(s)/Resource(s)

  • Grass, the Forgiveness of Nature by Charles Walters (*Amazon)

Links

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