An organic dairy farm

Finally I have time to start visiting organic farms near where I live. This is a dairy farm in the Basque area near a village called Mendionde. The current owner's father started the farm 50 years ago.

It has been his intention to turn it into an organic operation since he took over around 15 years ago. He made the change over a very slow and gradual process and he has no idea how the reduced use of chemicals (herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics etc) will has an effect on finance of the farm operation.

He has around 30 hectares of grazing land to rotate his 25 dairy cows in. He moves the cows every morning to a new small strip of fresh green juicy grass field using electric fencing. He will bring the cows back to the same strip of land in a month's time. This allows that strip of grass to re-grow at it's fastest rate. There is more work but ensure maximum yield from the land and very good nutritious food for the cows. The land is maintained at excellent condition. 

He has another 10 hectares of rough land in the hill where he will cut and compost the vegetation to be used as fertilizer. The cows' manure are collected and processed into fertilizer for his land, nothing is wasted.

He still has to purchase organic grains to add to the feed. With rising feed cost, he plans to reduce the number of cows so that he can convert part of the land to grow his own grain, so that he will be totally independent in running his farm.