By Tamara Scully, NODPA News contributing writer
Father and son Peter and Jeremy Mapstone are partners in their Manlius, New York family dairy farm, Pastureland Dairy, which was established in 1944 by Peter’s father. In 1987, when Peter came home to the farm, the 60 head herd was a confined dairy herd of large Holsteins.Peter realized early on that grazing was the key to healthy, productive and profitable dairy farming. Peter immediately put cows on pasture, and “never looked back,” Jeremy said, becoming a prominent early adaptor of dairy grazing more than three decades ago. Peter was on the forefront of the rotational grazing movement, and the addition of crossbreeding with Jersey genetics around the time component pricing came out, led to “smaller, increased mobility cows,” which thrived on rotational grazing, Jeremy said.
Read More...posted to Featured Farms on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Nora Owens, NODPA Field Days Coordinator
Save the Date! Join us on September 25 & 26, 2025, for the 25th Annual NODPA Field Days at the Pompey Rod and Gun Club, 2035 Swift Road, Pompey, NY 13138. This milestone event will focus on “Improving Your Bottom Line in Organic Dairy: Exploring Market Trends, Emerging Technology, Better Nutrition, and Cattle Breeding for Success.”
Read More...posted to Field Days on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Lauren Siver, US Dairy Herd Management Software Sales & Support Specialist, UNIFORM-Agri
As an organic dairy farmer, you know that keeping accurate records isn’t just about staying organized—it’s a vital part of managing your farm, maintaining organic certification, and running an efficient operation. From tracking herd health and grazing schedules to ensuring compliance with organic standards, record-keeping can feel like a never-ending task.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
Virtual Fencing is a technology used to create invisible boundaries for managing livestock without physical fences. The technology uses GPS, wireless communication, and software to control and monitor animal movements within a designated area. Advances in GPS, wireless communication, and animal behavior understanding have now allowed for the precise control of livestock movements without physical barriers. Animals are fitted with a GPS collar that tracks their location and provides cues like sounds or mild stimuli when they get close to the limits set by the farmers via an app on their phones.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Roman Stoltzfoos
Overstocking or under moving? Why is that important? As you start grazing this season, keep in mind the following whys and wherefores to keep profitability growing. Here are a couple of things to remember for your spring grazing start-up.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
The other day, I was asked how organic dairy producers were doing, and it was a rare privilege to immediately describe that Pay Price from most of the milk buyers was increasing to a level that covers the cost of production plus depreciation, and is close to covering the Total Cost to Produce Milk. With the continuing high price being received for calves and replacement organic cows, and heifers fetching a price reflecting the true cost of rearing them, producers are, hopefully, entering a position that they can recoup some of the losses from the last 7+ years without the assistance of Dairy Margin Coverage.
Read More...posted to Industry News on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published estimated national organic retail product sales for January 2025, compiled with data from the Federal Milk Marketing Order. In January 2025, the data shows a continued increase in the sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged fluid products of 10.3% over January 2024, and the February 2025 data shows sales at 6.9% over February 2025. There was a 2.6% increase in Organic Fat Reduced Milk in January 2025 over January 2024, and a 1.1 % decrease in February 2025 over February 2024. Year to date, February 2025, organic fluid milk sales are 4.8% higher than the same period in 2024.
Read More...posted to Organic Pay, Feed & Grain Prices on Sat, May 17, 2025
By Dr. Micaela LoConte, DVM, Keseca Veterinary Clinic, Geneva, NY
Each farm will have its own preferences for a specific milking preparation routine, but all of them should include these four basic steps: Strip, Dip, Wipe and Attach. Let’s outline some important aspects of each step and things to keep in mind when trying to come up with your own combination.
Read More...posted to Organic Production on Sat, May 17, 2025
| Name | Date and Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Monday, July 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Doug and Mary Morse’s Farm, 4422 Dixon Road, Mannsville, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks Casler Farm: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Casler Farm, 289 Nulls Road, Little Falls, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk: Weaver Farm: Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walk | Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Steven Weaver’s Farm, 4933 Peterboro Road, Morrisville, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks | Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Lawrence Horst’s Farm, 372 County Route 20, Constable, NY |
| 2025 Grass-Fed Dairy Pasture Walks: Kauffman Farm: Fall Feed Inventory & Forage Quality | Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Joseph Kauffman’s Farm, 210 Herman Road, Sprakers, NY |
NODPA depends on the memberships of farmers, consumers, and businesses for support of all its efforts — regionally and in Washington — on behalf of the organic dairy farmers. If you're an organic dairy farmer, consider one of the following: a milk check-off membership or an annual newsletter membership or choose your own level of annual dues to support NODPA. Learn more:
