Description

Practice abstract

In Northwestern Germany, Jan G. and his family manage 105 ha permanent grassland with about 50 heads beef cattle. The former dairy farm experienced economic uncertainty due to high dependency on the dairy market and thus fluctuations of the milk price. Reducing this dependency and being able to reconnect with local clients were their main motivations to transform the farm from a dairy to a suckler cow system in 2019 and to keep the added value of the farm products through direct marketing. 

To also reduce dependency on feed markets, the family opted for Angus cattle which is a suitable breed for 100 % grass-fed beef production. Today, Jan feeds them only farm-produced feed  with no addition of concentrates; they follow a full grazing system in summer and feed hay and silage in winter. They successfully set up a farm shop to directly sell their beef products to clients. To further strengthen their sales in the customer catchment area of the nearby big city, the family plans to strengthen ties with private and community catering services. 

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