We are a co-operative of more than 800 family farms from all six New England states and New York, and each farm is different in acreage, the type of land they have, the crops they are able to grow and where they source those crops and/or other feed inputs they buy.

In the Northeast, there are only 4-5 months of grazing weather, excluding the harsher months of the year. We know that more than two-thirds of our farms use pasture when it is available to supplement the cow’s feed and provide exercise for the animals. We also know that many cows prefer to be in the barn where fresh feed and water is always available. Thus, the usage of pasture will vary from farm to farm, depending largely upon the season and the type of land available.

The main, basic ingredients for the feed for dairy cows on our member farms consist of any combination of corn silage, hay silage, dry hay and pasture. Many of our farmers use dairy nutrition experts to “balance” the ration for consistent production of milk and to maintain a healthy cow. Usually supplemental protein and energy are used to accomplish the needed results. The kernel portion of the corn plant supplies additional energy and soybeans are the main source of protein.

However, most member farms do not have the acreage or equipment to supply the needed extra energy and protein. Therefore, they need to purchase the supplemental energy and protein from feed dealers. There is only a small amount of corn grown in the U.S. that is not genetically altered and not readily available. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, during 2015, 92 percent of corn (maize) and 94 percent of soy grown in the United States were genetically modified to grow larger plants with larger ears of corn that resist disease, drought, fungus, herbicides, insects, etc.

Corn or alfalfa crops produced through biotechnology are a way to limit the amount of herbicides our farmers need to use. This makes for fewer problems for the local water sources and for enough good quality feed for our animals.

In addition, the USDA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have all confirmed the safety of food and animal feed that contain genetically modified organisms. For these reasons, our farmer-owners have not banned their own use of GMO corn, soybeans or alfalfa.

