Rachel's interest in sustainable agriculture and grazing has deep roots in the soil. She's been following that passion around the world, working on an ancient Nabatean farm in the Negev, and with farmers in West Africa's Niger. After returning to the US, Rachel received her M.S. and Ph.D. in agronomy and soil science from the University of Maryland. For her doctoral research, Rachel spent 3 years working with Maryland dairy farmers using management intensive grazing. She then began her work with grass farmers, a source of joy and a journey of discovery.
Great article, like that both sides of the grass/grain debate are addressed.
One comment I’d like to make regarding rBST…if I recall correctly from my dairy science classes, the increased risk of mastitis, lameness, and infertility for cows treated with rBST was not different to a cow that naturally produced that much milk. I.e. a cow going from 80 to 85 lb/d with rBST has the same risk of issues as a cow naturally producing 85 lb/d with no rBST. It requires more work from the farmer, that’s for sure…but to my best knowledge, rBST is not making cows sick in and of itself.
Great article, like that both sides of the grass/grain debate are addressed.
One comment I’d like to make regarding rBST…if I recall correctly from my dairy science classes, the increased risk of mastitis, lameness, and infertility for cows treated with rBST was not different to a cow that naturally produced that much milk. I.e. a cow going from 80 to 85 lb/d with rBST has the same risk of issues as a cow naturally producing 85 lb/d with no rBST. It requires more work from the farmer, that’s for sure…but to my best knowledge, rBST is not making cows sick in and of itself.