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Biodynamic farm invests lot of resources in fodder management
Bhaikaka Krishi Kendra is an integrated farm having dairy farming as the main focus. The farm was set up by Mr. Sarvdaman Bhai Patel in the year 1977. It is located at Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand district, Gujarat. It spreads across 40 acre incorporating numerous verticals of agriculture such as cultivation of exotic veggies, Indian vegetables, cereals, fodder, animals, agro-forestry, water harvesting, orchards, etc.
The farm has 65 milking cows that produce 300-350 liters milk every day. The fodder fed to the cattle is grown in the farm organically. Mr. Patel was initially into conventional farming but later he made a switch to 100% biodynamic/organic farming practices. He shares the details about the cow breeds, fodder, cow replacement and milk sale. Excerpts:
In our farm we have cross breed of Jersey and Holstein Friesian. We also had native breeds like Gir and Sahiwal but for a commercial dairy farm like ours indigenous breeds are not feasible. Moreover, our entire planet is more accustomed to cross breeding in all walks of life so is in dairy cattle! Further the cross breed cattle are more resistant to diseases and sturdy to the environmental changes. We do artificial as well as natural breeding at the farm. We have good bulls with us whose mother used to yield 30 liters of milk per day. In this way we maintain best of best cattle in our herd.
Fodder is very important component of any dairy farm. We grow it all in our own farm. Animals need to be fed according to the age, work and health. We plan it very cautiously. For example the milking cows need more carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the feed so they are given the nutrient rich concentrate having a blend of different ingredients in the right proportion like maize, barely, alfalfa, oats etc. This is supplemented by dried oat grass and paddy straw. The calves need protein rich diet and must graze it for overall growth and development. Hence for the calves we grow legumes in a patch of land and they are left on their own to graze instead of cutting the grass and feeding them. The older cows too need to graze and require more roughage in the feed therefore those are left in open to graze the husk. We plan our fodder production accordingly because we have to feed entire herd every day from our own fields, without any dependence on the outside purchases. Grazing is very important for the animals and every dairy farm must make provision for the same accordingly.
With these efforts in fodder management the milk quality produced is excellent. In the morning it is sold to the customers through our own delivery system. Milk is sold at Rs. 66/liter while in evening it is supplied to Amul Dairy Cooperative at Rs. 27-29/liter. They do give few perks and services that are good like their veterinary services, annual bonus, subsidy on female calves and so on. On the contrary it is not profitable to sell milk to cooperatives therefore dairy farmers must also sell milk to their own network of customers just like we maintain the balance.
The cows are gifted by Mother Nature to serve the human beings but we strongly feel even they need to retire. In addition, increasing the herd size is always not helpful because it implies expansion of cow shed and more land for producing the fodder. In this run of swelling the numbers many times the quality gets impeded. And this is not something I favour in my farm because for me quality has to be at par always. In addition we want to be self-sufficient in terms of producing fodder for our herd. Therefore we stick to the herd size of 60-65 with replacement. When the calf is born it is reared very cautiously and once it is ready for milking the older cows are replaced. The older cows continue to yield milk so we sell them at nominal prices to small or marginal farmers.
Labor tribulations have become the challenge for the dairy farms. To cope with this, in time to come we want to create a grazing model that shall showcase that in additional 20% of land the fodder can be grown for the cattle where it is allowed to graze naturally. The cow dung and urine shall drop in that land that shall keep the soil fertility intact to grow the fodder for the next cycle. We aspire the model will be the solution to different problems faced in dairy farming with respect to fodder and labour etc. Agriculture should be done holistically with enthusiasm then even during crisis farmers can sail it through learning a lot more that shall be useful to make better future!!!
Mr. Sarvdaman Bhai Patel did his Masters in Agronomy at University of Wisconsin, Madison USA. He took training for 18 months in three different dairy farms in America. Back then he got Green Card and an opportunity to settle in USA but he opted to return back to his roots in 1975 and set up the farm in 1977. He is presently serving as President, Biodynamic Association of India (BDAI) and is ex-President, Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI). He is one of the pioneers of the organic and biodynamic movement in India. He has demonstrated that organic farming can be practiced without sacrificing productivity.
(As told to Shweta Dhanuka)
Contact details:
Bhaikaka Krishi Kendra
Vallabh Vidyanagar, District Anand, Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 9898 142 170
Email: info@organichutbkk.com
Web: http://www.organichutbkk.com/
Bhaikaka Krishi Kendra is an integrated farm having dairy farming as the main focus. The farm was set up by Mr. Sarvdaman Bhai Patel in the year 1977. It is located at Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand district, Gujarat. It spreads across 40 acre incorporating numerous verticals of agriculture such as cultivation of exotic veggies, Indian vegetables, cereals, fodder, animals, agro-forestry, water harvesting, orchards, etc.
The farm has 65 milking cows that produce 300-350 liters milk every day. The fodder fed to the cattle is grown in the farm organically. Mr. Patel was initially into conventional farming but later he made a switch to 100% biodynamic/organic farming practices. He shares the details about the cow breeds, fodder, cow replacement and milk sale. Excerpts:
In our farm we have cross breed of Jersey and Holstein Friesian. We also had native breeds like Gir and Sahiwal but for a commercial dairy farm like ours indigenous breeds are not feasible. Moreover, our entire planet is more accustomed to cross breeding in all walks of life so is in dairy cattle! Further the cross breed cattle are more resistant to diseases and sturdy to the environmental changes. We do artificial as well as natural breeding at the farm. We have good bulls with us whose mother used to yield 30 liters of milk per day. In this way we maintain best of best cattle in our herd.
Fodder is very important component of any dairy farm. We grow it all in our own farm. Animals need to be fed according to the age, work and health. We plan it very cautiously. For example the milking cows need more carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the feed so they are given the nutrient rich concentrate having a blend of different ingredients in the right proportion like maize, barely, alfalfa, oats etc. This is supplemented by dried oat grass and paddy straw. The calves need protein rich diet and must graze it for overall growth and development. Hence for the calves we grow legumes in a patch of land and they are left on their own to graze instead of cutting the grass and feeding them. The older cows too need to graze and require more roughage in the feed therefore those are left in open to graze the husk. We plan our fodder production accordingly because we have to feed entire herd every day from our own fields, without any dependence on the outside purchases. Grazing is very important for the animals and every dairy farm must make provision for the same accordingly.
With these efforts in fodder management the milk quality produced is excellent. In the morning it is sold to the customers through our own delivery system. Milk is sold at Rs. 66/liter while in evening it is supplied to Amul Dairy Cooperative at Rs. 27-29/liter. They do give few perks and services that are good like their veterinary services, annual bonus, subsidy on female calves and so on. On the contrary it is not profitable to sell milk to cooperatives therefore dairy farmers must also sell milk to their own network of customers just like we maintain the balance.
The cows are gifted by Mother Nature to serve the human beings but we strongly feel even they need to retire. In addition, increasing the herd size is always not helpful because it implies expansion of cow shed and more land for producing the fodder. In this run of swelling the numbers many times the quality gets impeded. And this is not something I favour in my farm because for me quality has to be at par always. In addition we want to be self-sufficient in terms of producing fodder for our herd. Therefore we stick to the herd size of 60-65 with replacement. When the calf is born it is reared very cautiously and once it is ready for milking the older cows are replaced. The older cows continue to yield milk so we sell them at nominal prices to small or marginal farmers.
Labor tribulations have become the challenge for the dairy farms. To cope with this, in time to come we want to create a grazing model that shall showcase that in additional 20% of land the fodder can be grown for the cattle where it is allowed to graze naturally. The cow dung and urine shall drop in that land that shall keep the soil fertility intact to grow the fodder for the next cycle. We aspire the model will be the solution to different problems faced in dairy farming with respect to fodder and labour etc. Agriculture should be done holistically with enthusiasm then even during crisis farmers can sail it through learning a lot more that shall be useful to make better future!!!
Mr. Sarvdaman Bhai Patel did his Masters in Agronomy at University of Wisconsin, Madison USA. He took training for 18 months in three different dairy farms in America. Back then he got Green Card and an opportunity to settle in USA but he opted to return back to his roots in 1975 and set up the farm in 1977. He is presently serving as President, Biodynamic Association of India (BDAI) and is ex-President, Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI). He is one of the pioneers of the organic and biodynamic movement in India. He has demonstrated that organic farming can be practiced without sacrificing productivity.
(As told to Shweta Dhanuka)
Contact details:
Bhaikaka Krishi Kendra
Vallabh Vidyanagar, District Anand, Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 9898 142 170
Email: info@organichutbkk.com
Web: http://www.organichutbkk.com/
