Tucked in the rolling hills of Black River Falls lies the Vaarendahl Dairy Farm. In America’s Dairyland a dairy farm is not an uncommon sight, and the Gentry’s are taking an organic approach to one of Wisconsin’s oldest traditions.
Vaarendahl Dairy Farm has been in Erica Gentry’s family for generations, dating back to the late 1800s when the family settled in the area. Today, the farm is managed by Dominick and Erica Gentry in partnership with Erica’s parents, Dave and Sherry Olson, making it a 5th generation dairy farm. On the farm, they milk 80 organic dairy cows in addition to farming over 500 acres of land. The land they farm is used to feed their animals using many organic practices. Their milk then goes to the Westby Cooperative Creamery to be made into a variety of dairy products.
What is organic dairy farming?
Organic dairy farming consists of the methods and practices used to manage dairy cows for milk. Being organic means there is no use of antibiotics, growth hormones or Gentically Modified Organisms (GMOs). For organic dairy farming, this means having cows graze, rotating crops and using different weed management practices.
To become certified organic, the cows must have at least 30% of their dry matter intake come from pasture during the grazing season. Due to this requirement, the Gentry’s must keep rigorous management practices in their fields and pastures. At their farm, they use rotational grazing which means they rotate the cows on different pastures to ensure they are getting fresh grass. Along with pasture rotation, the Gentry’s keep a tight crop rotation, which prevents a weed seed bank from forming and a lower chance of weeds.
What are sustainable practices in organic dairy farming?
Sustainable dairy farming can look different on each farm. For Vaarendahl Dairy, this looks like utilizing challenging landscapes, promoting regenerative soil health and engaging in social sustainability. Being from the driftless region, managing the land for farming can be difficult.
“We farm a challenging landscape that is located in the middle of a lot of hills,” Erica said. “Having grazing incorporated into our dairy farm has been a sustainable practice to use some of the land we can’t grow other crops on.”
With the land they can grow crops on, they have strict rules and regulations to follow when managing the land. The Gentry’s use most of their crops to feed back to their animals. Being an organic farm, this can pose some challenges.
Erica mentioned, “We can’t use synthetic weed control or fertilizers. Our nutrients primarily come from organic sources such as the manure that is produced by our dairy cows.”
In recent years, they have found a method called flaming to help combat weeds. Flaming is a method that is used to burn the weeds that are in the field so they do not overtake crops.
“Flaming is another tool we have that goes along with cultivating and rotatory hoeing. It is another tool in the toolbox that can give you a little more leeway on weed control,” said Dominick.
The flamer is attached to the back of a tractor and pulled throughout the field to remove weeds. The Gentry’s have found that this is an easier and faster way to manage weeds. Not only is it more efficient, but it’s more sustainable because it has lower soil disturbance.
It is apparent that the Gentry’s are focused on sustainability in more ways than one. They are also focused on social sustainability by connecting with other farmers. Dominick is part of a small organic dairy farmer group where farmers network and bounce ideas off of each other.
“There are a lot of organic dairy farmers in the area. The best thing you can do is hop on a phone call with them to see what they are doing,” Dominick said.
Why is sustainability important to dairy farmers?
Like many farmers, sustainability is a key component of their farming journey. The Gentry’s road to sustainability began with Erica’s father.
“We can attribute our sustainability journey to my dad transitioning to organic in 2009,” Erica said. “It has been a way our farm has been able to remain profitable and incorporate more sustainable practices including grazing and maintaining soil health.”
When asked what sustainability means to her, Erica said, “It is preserving our farm for the next generation from a financial and environmental standpoint as well as ensuring we are satisfied in this challenging but rewarding lifestyle.”
Dominick added, “Sustainability is important for longevity. We want to leave things better than we found it.”
Dominick and Erica Gentry are featured as a part of Gather Wisconsin’s Leaders of the Land® segment, which features Wisconsin farmers moving agriculture forward through their commitment to sustainability.