Acres to be farmed
Only 2 percent or less of the respondents plan to discontinue farming. However, 5 percent of farmers in
each group plan to reduce total acres farmed. Three-fourths of the Moderate Grazer farmers reported no
plans to change their current acreage. Respondents in the Intensive Grazer (31 percent) and Confinement
(27 percent) groups are planning increases in total acres farmed in sharp contrast to a much smaller
proportion of Moderate Grazer who plan to increase acreage (18 percent).
Reliance on grazing pastures
A very small proportion of farmers in each group plan to discontinue or decrease reliance on pastures.
Farmers in the Confinement (81 percent) and Moderate Grazer (71 percent) groups are least likely to
change their current use of pasture. In contrast, only 54 percent of the Intensive Grazer farmers plan to
change. Farmers currently relying on pasture (Intensive Grazer) are almost twice as likely to increase
their reliance, whereas only 13 percent of Confinement farmers plan to increase pasture usage.
Table 11: Future plans for farming.
|
Plan to |
Plan to |
Plan no |
Plan to |
Not sure | |
|
All farms |
— |
----------------- |
---------%----- |
--------------- |
— |
|
Cows milked |
- 4 |
3 |
53 |
39 |
<1 |
|
Acres farmed |
1 |
5 |
69 |
24 |
<1 |
|
Reliance on pasture |
2 |
3 |
74 |
20 |
1 |
|
Confinement | |||||
|
Cows milked |
3 |
3 |
53 |
41 |
<1 |
|
Acres farmed |
2 |
5 |
67 |
27 |
0 |
|
Reliance on pasture |
3 |
3 |
81 |
13 |
<1 |
|
Moderate Grazer | |||||
|
Cows milked |
6 |
2 |
55 |
36 |
<1 |
|
Acres farmed |
2 |
5 |
75 |
18 |
0 |
|
Reliance on pasture |
2 |
4 |
71 |
23 |
<1 |
|
Intensive Grazer | |||||
|
Cows milked |
5 |
8 |
43 |
43 |
1 |
|
Acres farmed |
0 |
5 |
61 |
31 |
3 |
|
Reliance on pasture______ |
____________0 |
3 |
54 |
39 |
4 |
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study provide information and opinions from two-thirds of Virginia’s Grade-A dairy
producers on technology and grazing adoption, production, land use, and quality-of-life issues. The
sample of farmers represented in this survey generally produce milk by feeding stored forages, have
confinement systems, and provide access to pastures only as loafing or exercise lots. Most farmers
represented in this survey have adopted modern technology: dairy parlors, automatic takeoffs, TMRs,
and DHIA records. These farmers are younger than the typical Virginia farmer by 8 years, and more than
half have 20 years or more experience as a key business decision maker. Continuing to produce dairy
products is the overwhelming choice of almost all respondents and close to 40 percent plan to expand
12