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Ohio Livestock Producer Perceptions of Producing and Marketing of Grass-Based Beef and Lamb
Ohio was used for a case study to explore supply issues associated with the grass-based livestock value chain and the potential for local direct markets. Fifty-four percent of Ohio’s 26 million acres are in farms, and the livestock sector is an important component of Ohio’s agriculture. Growing consumer interest in localized food production, and Ohio’s strong agricultural base combined with a population of more than 11.5 million people provides livestock producers opportunities to diversify production and marketing strategies. In 2010, a survey was mailed to 921 beef and sheep farmers, identified from county-level Extension producer lists. Returned surveys were 418 or 45% of the mailed surveys. The means from respondents were; 230 owned acres, managed 34 beef cows and 68 ewes, 56.7 years old and 93.6% male. Beef producers reported 32.9 mean years of experience raising beef cattle; and sheep producers reported 34.0 mean years of experience. Several respondents (n = 46 or 13%) reported raising both beef and sheep in 2010. There were 17.8 % of respondents reported that grass-based best described their livestock management system and 19 % described their management system as grain-based. The remaining 63.2 % of respondents described their livestock management system as a hybrid of the two, grass with some grain. Four questions were analyzed to discover the underlying dimensions of the decision to convert to a grass-based system and direct market meat and meat products. Principal component analysis was used to identify the underlying structure of each of the four questions and confirm (or not) conceptual factors posited to influence decisions to convert (or not) to a grass-based system. Those factor scores were then analyzed using PROC GLM between the self-described management groups. Factors that influenced the decision to convert a livestock management system to a grass-base include available infrastructure, knowledge and technical skills, financial costs and a desire to change their system (P < 0.05). Producers who classified their livestock management system as either grass with grain or grass-based, rated both pasture infrastructure and management of higher importance than grain systems (P <0.05). Respondents’ perceptions of regulatory and logistical aspects of marketing were found to be significantly different between the 2 systems using grass and those identified as grain-based systems (P <0.05). These findings demonstrate that there are production and marketing issues that influence producer decisions to change an existing management system.
Keywords: grass-based beef lamb