GrassBased Milk and Livestock Research

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Grass-Based Milk and Livestock Research
Multiple benefits of collaborative research and
education activities among - researchers from
multiple disciplines, - institutions, producers,
and processors
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Fat Characterization Initiative Phase
IImplementation of Standard Laboratory
MethodsDouglas D. Archibald, Heather D. Karsten,
Crop Soil Sciences

• Fatty Acid Profile Analysis to Support Pasture
  Grazing Research
• Forage fatty acids
• Milk fatty acids
• Definitive Measurements for Marketable Attributes
• CLAs
• Omega-3s
• Saturated/Unsaturated
• Shortcomings
• Slow (hours/sample)
• Costly (commercial labs
• 150 per milk sample!)

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Fat Characterization Initiative Phase
2Development of Rapid Analytical Methods

• Objective develop a fat characterization system
  suitable
• for routine use by milk
  producers
• - fast inexpensive assay
• - with an easily understandable report
• Expected benefits to pasture-based producers
• - Data to support consumer education marketing
  claims
• - Tool for producer-led on-farm research
• - Method to resolve disputes about product
  authenticity

• Preliminary experiments used in a USDA NRI
  Competitive Improving Food Quality Grant
  Proposal
• Development of Techniques for Rapid and
  Objective Classification of Milk by Fat Type,
  D. D. Archibald H.D. Karsten (submitted
  12/2/2004)

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Grasses
Legumes
Ellen Engelhart, M.S. Research,
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Penn State researchers have studied how grazing
management plant species influence unsaturated
fats vitamins (Karsten, Archibald, Engelhart,
Muller, Patterson Penn State)

• Cows that grazed vegetative leafy pasture
• - higher milk production, protein, fat, CLA
  TVA
• Hens that foraged vegetative pastures, had egg
  yolks with
• - more omega-3 fats on legumes vs. grass
• - more vitamin E A pasture than caged hens

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Pasture Based Beef Systems for Appalachia

• Scientists at USDA ARS Beaver, WV Appalachian
  Farming Systems Research Center, Virginia Tech,
  West Virginia University are studying
  production marketing of grass-fed beef
• - seasonal dynamics of forage fatty acids
• - various pasture stored feeding strategies
• influence the fatty acid composition of steers
  beef

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a) Research in numerous locations on -
preserving unsaturated fatty acids in stored
forage - grazing management practices
supplemental feeding to elevate unsaturated
fats, CLA, omega-3, vitamins
b) Consumer Education Education Efforts - Jo
Robinsons website www.eatwild.com -
non-profit coalition web video about factory
farms www.themeatrix.com

• c) Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable
  Agriculture 2004 consumer survey
• found
• - over 60 of Pennsylvania consumers who
  regularly purchase meat directly from farmer
• make an extra effort to do so
• - over 85 of these PA consumers pay more
  for local meat

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Future Research Needs
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Future Research Questions

• human nutrition studies on healthful fats,
  vitamins, other traits
• develop low cost, efficient fat characterization
  techniques
• - quantify economic market value of
  pasture-based products
• identify ways to prevent oxidation of unsaturated
  fats associated off-flavors
• identify ways to manage stored feeds
  supplemental
• feeds to maintain beneficial nutritional
  characteristics

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Additional Resources Needed How thePasture
Consortium Private Sector Can Help

• Give feedback to academic researchers
• Provide grass-based livestock products for use in
  research
• Write letters of support for proposals
• Develop a check-off program to generate funds for
  a producer-led seed-grant program
• State your research priorities to those who shape
  USDA and state DA competitive research programs
• USDA National Program Staff
• USDA administrators at various levels
• Secretary of Agriculture for your state
• Legislators at state and national level
• State your opinions about University research
  programs of interest to administrators with
  resources to enhance those programs
• USDA-ARS area directors
• USDA-ARS research leaders
• College of Agriculture research deans
• Heads of University departments

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Work with groups with similar interests

• Pasture-based organic livestock producers
• Non-profit farm and public or environmental
  interest groups
• PASA, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable
  Agriculture
• groups that funded the themeatrix.com website,