During 2024, MOFGA hosted a cohort of dairy and beef farmers exploring the viability of planting small grains for a fermented forage option to feed their herds in place of imported grain. Over the course of the summer, six different farms hosted learning opportunities around topics that farmers within the cohort expressed concern or curiosity over.
The first tour, at Springer Farm in Knox, Maine, was geared towards better understanding the logistics of buying previously fermented feed in order to boost energy in the herd through the winter months. While there was great benefit to Springer Farm’s herd and their milk production, trucking fees presented a cost barrier for both Springer Farm and other farms interested in adopting this practice. Associated costs could be mitigated if the farm supplies their own hauling. This sort of feed purchase is only recommended during cooler weather to avoid a secondary fermentation and the introduction of molds and mycotoxins.
Another farm visit was to Two Loons Farm in South China, where attendees were able to view fields planted to a mix of peas and oats, and ask questions about tilling, planting, and harvest considerations. One major takeaway was to plant these crops, which are wetter, in strips between dry hay plots as a way to manage moisture during harvest, since tedding and raking was not recommended. Peas and oats simply do not dry down from a green cut in Maine’s climate. This would allow the farmer to layer the two kinds of forage as it was harvested, thus avoiding the formation of butyric acid.
We then were hosted by Dostie Farm in Fairfield to discuss the challenges and considerations around producing and selling feed as retired dairy farmers. One logistical challenge of growing organic silage is the necessity to have enough land to rotate the crops to manage weed pressure. Another consideration is to keep the piles small enough to reduce waste between customers since the open face of a silage pile is exposed to air, which stops the preservation process. Narrow piles are ideal. Dostie Farm is selling feed by the ton, and will haul loose silage during the winter months and wrapped silage through the year.
The cohort was then hosted by Bò Lait Farm in Washington, which started growing and chopping silage corn in 2023 on a limited basis, to better balance their dairy ration. Their biggest struggle in year two was having enough land to maintain a healthy crop rotation to avoid weed pressure. Though, by working with some neighbors, they have the opportunity to rectify that in the 2025 growing season. A common practice this farm is choosing to do without is maintaining sidewalls for their silage pile. They experienced an inability to pack the material effectively, and there was a significant amount of waste along the walls. This past season they were very happy with what is known as a drive-over silage pile, which has no sidewalls, and can be accessed from any direction.
During one of the farm tours, Annie Watson of Sheepscot Valley Farm in Whitefield mentioned that they were exploring different infrastructure options and the associated costs. Since the farm has yet to install anything, MOFGA hosted a Zoom meeting to discuss their findings. Watson was shocked to learn that the smooth concrete sidewalls seen on many long-standing bunker silos would cost them close to $100,000, which was far outside their budget, while leftover concrete blocks used in road construction were more affordable, coming in around $10,000. However, this cost didn’t include trucking and placement, and the blocks are known to result in wasted silage. After conferring with farmers in the conventional dairy community, they decided to use an asphalt base and disregard the convention of sidewalls.
Lastly, our cohort was given the opportunity to ask questions of independent nutritionist Allan Fortin during MOFGA’s 2024 Farmer to Farmer Conference. His presentation stressed the importance of harvesting any forages in a timely manner. He also stressed, when setting up storage, to be sure to eliminate air through adequate packing as well as coverage with heavy-duty plastic. By harvesting forages at their peak nutrition, a farm’s economic gains can be realized. In Maine, the weather is often too rainy to preserve the quality of dry hay, so fermented forages become advantageous. Bolstering this nutritional profile with the use of small grains in a crop rotation strategy with corn can help to balance energy and protein requirements within the ration as well as weed pressure in an organic system.
While the cost of organic grains in 2024 has come down there is a lingering feeling among dairy farmers that rising costs could happen again. Given what the cohort has learned to date, investing in chopped fermented forages and the equipment necessary to manage this kind of system is a sound strategy to stay sustainable in commercial dairy farming.
– Jacki Martinez Perkins, MOFGA’s Organic Dairy and Livestock Specialist
This article originally appeared in the spring 2025 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
