Introduction - Should We Transition Our Livestock to Organic?

By Jill Sackett Eberhart and Constance Carlson

Edited by Kristine Moncada, Craig Sheaffer, Gigi DiGiacomo and Nicole Tautges

cattle grazing in a pasture

Matthew and Karol Jones, while experienced with agriculture, wanted to get back to their farming roots. Upon returning to the family land, they decided to start a livestock operation and were successful grass-fed beef producers. The Jones’s concern for land stewardship led them to consider obtaining organic certification for their livestock herd.

Is organic certification an economical way to meet their conservation, family labor, and animal welfare goals? Will organic have benefits over grass-fed?

Continue reading the story >>>

Access the complete decision case study with all educational materials (pdf) >>>

You may cite this publication as:

Eberhart, J. and C. Carlson.  2017. Should We Transition Our Livestock to Organic?  A Decision Case Study in Principles for Transitioning to Organic Farming: e-Learning Materials and Decision Case Studies for Educators.  K. Moncada, C. Sheaffer, G. DiGiacomo, and N. Tautges (Eds).University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.