Answers to Producer Questionnaire
Radiance Dairy PRODUCTS & PRACTICES |
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Question | Answer |
List what you intend to sell. (if applicable) (e.g. meats, grains, jellies, crafts; also note if you have any heritage breeds) |
Whole milk gallon Whole milk half gallon 2% gallon 2% half gallon Skim milk gallon Skim milk half gallon There are no added ingredients in any of those products. |
Describe your farming, processing and/or crafting practices. (if applicable) | At Radiance Dairy we milk about 90 cows, and have a total of about 160 cows and calves. All of the feed for the cows is organic and is produced on the farm. The farm is 736 acres. Priority is given to pasture and forage production for grazing and winter feed for the cows. We also produce organic crops for sales into organic crop markets. One thing we do on our dairy that is unique is that we allow the female calves (heifers) to run and graze in the pastures with their mothers until they are three months old. Then they are weaned and graze with calves of their own age. We have also begun breeding our cows exclusively to bulls that are proven to be A2A2 genetically. Some research indicates that A2 milk is easier to digest than A1 milk (you can find out more about A1 and A2 milk by searching on the web). |
Describe your pest and disease management system. (if applicable) | N/A |
Describe your herd health and productivity management. (if applicable) (i.e. do you use any hormones, antibiotics, and/or steroids) |
The cows are on pastures year around. During the non-grazing season, the cows are fed hay in pastures. We do not push our cows for high production (e.g., by feeding a lot of grain), so they do not produce as much milk per cow as conventional cows do, but the cows are healthier and live longer because they are in their natural environment (pastures) eating their natural diet. |
Describe your feeding practices. (if applicable) (grass-fed only, free-range, feed-lot, etc.) |
Our cows deposit their manure on the pastures where they graze, fertilizing the pastures as they graze, getting their nutrition from the pasture forages. |
Describe your soil and nutrient management. (if applicable) (Do you compost, use fertilizers, green manures or animal manures?) |
Our soil fertility comes from manure and the use of cover crops and crop and pasture rotations. |
Describe your water usage practices. (if applicable) (If you irrigate, describe how - e.g. deep well, surface water, etc., and explain how you conserve water or use best management practices. Describe how you are protecting your water source from contamination/erosion). |
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Describe your conservation/land stewardship practices. (if applicable) (e.g., do you plant windbreaks, maintain grass waterways, riparian buffers, use green manures for wind erosion, plant habitats for birds, improve soil quality, etc.) |
We have grass waterways in all of our pastures and fields and have riparian buffers along creeks running through our property. We have trees along most of our fence lines, serving as windbreaks and as habitat for wildlife. We have about 125 acres of woodlands on our property, which also serve as wildlife habitat. We plant cover crops on our cropland for winter cover as much as possible. |
Describe any additional information and/or sustainable practices about your operation that
would be helpful to a potential customer in understanding your farm or operation better. (e.g. if you are raising any heritage animals you might list breeds or list varieties of heirloom seeds. List the percentage of local ingredients in your processed items). |
All our our cows are raised on our farm, and all are certified organic. |
List your food liability insurance coverage, both general and product-related, as well as any licenses and tests that you have available. (if applicable) | We have a Grade A dairy license, for producing milk and a dairy processing plant license. |
ORGANIC PRODUCERS | |||
List which products you are selling as organic. (if applicable) | All of our products are certified organic: whole milk, 2% milk, skim milk. | ||
List certifying agency's name and address: (if applicable) |
Nature's International Certification Services 224 State Highway 56 East Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665 | ||
Certifying Agency's Phone: (if applicable) |
608-637-7460 | Certifying Agency's Fax: (if applicable) |
608-637-7460 |
Do you have available for inspection a copy of your current organic certificate? (if applicable) | Yes No | ||
I affirm that all statements made about my farm and products in this application are true, correct and complete and I have given a truthful representation of my operation, practices, and origin of products. I understand that if questions arise about my operation I may be inspected (unannounced). If I stated my operation is organic, then I am complying with the National Organic Program and will provide upon request a copy of my certification. I have read all of the producer standards and fully understand and am willing to comply with them. | |||
I agree
| Sunday the 26th day of November, 2017 |