Fences needed for organic grazing

Farmers Creamery, the makers of Kalona SuperNatural organic dairy products, Marilyn Farms, and Kalona Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers have partnered to launch an online fundraising project through Kickstarter.com called Fencing Fields. Their goal is to increase the supply of certified organic, grass-fed milk by offering a custom grazing program to the local farmers. This will allow the farmers to increase the size of their herds by providing access to fenced, organic grazing pasture at Marilyn Farms.

The increased availability of organic milk will allow Farmers Creamery to produce more Kalona SuperNatural products!

Marilyn Farms has 600 acres of organic pasture available for local Kalona Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers to graze their cows. In order for these farmers to partner with Marilyn Farms and use the land, it must be fenced. The Kickstarter campaign will raise money to install fencing at Marilyn Farms creating custom grazing pasture for organic dairy cows.

Both mature, milk-producing cows and young heifers that cannot yet be milked are currently being grazed on local Amish and Mennonite farms. USDA organic regulations stipulate specific amounts of pasture, per animal, per year. By fencing the fields at Marilyn farms, local dairy farmers would be able to graze their non-producing heifers off-site during the growing season. This would leave more room for mature, milk-producing dairy cows on their farms, resulting in an increased supply of organic milk that will be used to produce more Kalona SuperNatural products.

The Fencing Fields Kickstarter campaign is important to the Kalona community because it allows the Amish and Mennonite dairymen to creatively increase their herd size while maintaining traditional farming practices. By custom grazing their immature cows, these farmers will be able to increase their certified organic milk supply, says Phil Forbes, president of Marilyn Farms. This will result in dairymen being able to sustain their small, family farms.

For more information on the Fencing Fields project and to donate, visit http://www.kalonasupernatural.com

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Fences needed for organic grazing