Field edge surface water and groundwater monitoring
on a MIG dairy
On Farm Research Results
Grazing Based Dairy Systems - download pdf (2.25 MB)
Farm, Site, and Study Design - download pdf (6.44 MB)
Equipment, Procedures, and Sampling - download pdf (5.40 MB)
Understanding Surface Water Runoff at Breneman Farms - download pdf (2.01 MB)
Sediment and Nutrient Loss from an Out-winter Paddock Area on a Grass-Based Dairy -
download pdf (2.43 MB)
Management Intensive Grazing and Groundwater Quality - download pdf (2.74 MB)
Dry Matter Intake and Manure Production for Management Intensively Grazed Dairy Cattle -
download pdf (8.12 MB)
Discoveries on a Grass Based Dairy System: 8 page summary as seen in Wisconsin's agricultural papers
download pdf (11.01 MB)
Name of farm:
Breneman Farms, Inc
Discovery Farm since:
2002
Family:
Bob and Karen Breneman
Location:
North of Rio, Columbia County, WI
Enterprises:
Milk: grass-based, management intensive grazing dairy
Farm photo tour - view here.
Research and advisory team:
Bob and Karen Breneman
Laura Paine, WI-DATCP grazing specialist (former Columbia Co UWEX Agriculture Agent)
Kurt Calkins, Columbia County Land Conservation Dept.
Twila Kite, Columbia County NRCS
Anita Thompson, UW-Biological Systems Engineering
Nancy Turyk, College of Natural Resources, UW-Stevens Point
FredMadison, UW Extension/Discovery Farms
Kevan Klingberg, UW Extension/Discovery Farms
Research opportunities:
This farm was chosen to represent medium sized grass-based dairies in Wisconsin that out-winter dairy cattle.
The Breneman farm consists of 200 acres of open pastureland, divided into 42 paddocks which are planted and managed to achieve a 75 percent grass and 25 percent legume mix. Paddocks are intensively managed with break fences utilizing a MIG forage system.
The landscape on the farm is gently sloping glaciated uplands comprised of sandy soils formed in glacial till. Paddocks range from 1-9 percent slopes on soils that have low moisture holding capacity and are subject to seasonal drought. These soils require careful management to minimize wind erosion as well as nitrogen leaching.
Forage management and animal movement into paddocks varies based on seasonal plant growth. Depending on paddock size, their 80 crossbred dairy cows graze for 12-36 hours per paddock. After the cows move on to a fresh paddock, heifers move into the paddock vacated by the cows for another 12-36 hours of "clean up" grazing. Grazed paddocks receive approximately a 30-day rest. This MIG system results in a stocking density of 1.6 acres per mixed animal unit.
The dairy herd and replacements spend the majority of their time grazing within the paddock system, depositing manure as they graze. Older replacements and mature cows are out-wintered on selected paddocks.
Monitoring in place:
One edge-of-field surface water monitoring station was placed at the lower end of a set of paddocks used to graze and out-winter dairy cattle. On-farm water quality monitoring was conducted to measure sediment and nutrient loads in runoff water from paddocks that are used for regular rotational grazing and are then used again to out-winter the dairy herd. The monitored watershed is 28 acres in size.
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