Travis and Amy Forgues
- Alburg Springs, Vermont
Until 1991, the Forgues family ran their
version of a traditional Vermont dairy farm.
The cows spent most of their time in a barn,
with occasional yard access. Grain and feed
were hauled to them and manure collected
and taken away. When son Travis left his
parents' farm for college, the loss of this
key partner cut into profits.
Searching for an alternative, Henry and
Sally Forgues met with a University of Vermont
researcher who was one of the earliest advocates
of management-intensive grazing. In 1988,
Bill Murphy had received one of the first
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(SARE) grants to study the profitability
of grass-based farming. Murphy went on to
run a program for would-be graziers in Vermont.
The Forgues were eager students and became
what Travis Forgues calls "pioneers" in
pastured dairying.
Travis returned to the farm in 1995 with
his new wife, Amy. His father was grazing
40 cows and Travis committed to building
the herd—along with pasture to sustain
them. Within a few years, they had transformed
their property into 10-acre permanent paddocks,
using movable fences to subdivide those into
smaller areas.
Today, they move the herd to fresh ground
twice a day. During Vermont's long winters,
the herd remains outside but feeds on hay
grown and baled on the farm. Throughout the
year, the herd receives an organic cereal
grain supplement.
Profitability
By 1997, the Forgues' hard work paid off,
and they received organic certification.
They began shipping milk to a Vermont company,
but then joined Organic Valley, a farmer-owned
cooperative that accepts milk from farmers
in 14 states, marketing the product by region.
As members of the co-op, the Forgues are
owners and, as such, help set pricing. They
strive to receive 23 cents a pound for milk,
a strategy Travis calls "farm-gate" pricing,
or fair compensation for their labor. By
contrast, the industry average for milk produced
and marketed conventionally is about half
that.
"What we've found is that, if you treat
your animals with a little respect, feed
them 10 pounds of grain and hay, and ask
them to do what they can do, they stay healthy," Travis
said. "Some may think you can't make
money off a 12,000-pound herd average, but
we have a set price we're very comfortable
with. And we don't want to be in the barn
for 12 hours a day."
Environmental Strategies
As a certified organic operation, the Forgues
forego any chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
They eschew hormones or antibiotics and take
a proactive approach to sick cows, culling
them quickly if a homeopathic remedy doesn't
work.
After cows drop manure across the pastures,
the multiple worms and insects in their "biologically
alive" soil incorporate it rapidly.
Community, Outreach, Quality of Life
Travis and Amy took a media relations training
course and now participate in a co-op speakers
bureau. They have spoken at numerous venues,
including the Boston Children's Museum and
the board of Newsweek magazine, about the
virtues of grass-based dairying.
Milking twice daily takes about 4 hours.
Harvesting hay in the summer remains time-consuming,
but Travis feels he is better off than when
he was a confinement dairy worker.
"You need to be sure you are enjoying
what you're working for," he said.
Back to Sustainable Agriculture Home Page |
