Journal Article Archives - Pasa Sustainable Agriculture https://pasafarming.org/resource_types/journal-article/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:14:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Impact of COVID-19 on Pennsylvania farm revenue https://pasafarming.org/resources/impact-of-covid-19-on-pennsylvania-farm-revenue/ Mon, 14 Mar 2022 17:24:53 +0000 https://pasafarming.org/?post_type=resources&p=13639 Looking back at the 2020 season with the help of 300 farmers.

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]]> Initial forecasts predicted severe financial losses for small and midsized farmers as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted usual market channels nationwide. Early reports both confirmed and challenged these fears, as some farmers could not find new markets while others established or expanded their direct-to-consumer sales to replace their lost outlets. To understand the impact of the pandemic on Pennsylvania farmers across the entire 2020 growing season, we partnered with Chatham University to survey farmers and performed interviews with a subset of these farmers.

Over 300 farmers were surveyed. Just under half the farmers (42%) reported a loss of revenue, while over half (58%) reported either no change or an increase in revenue in 2020. Findings from the study were published in the Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development.

Download the article for a breakdown of the numbers and an analysis of the data. 

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]]> An environmental assessment of grass-based dairy https://pasafarming.org/resources/an-environmental-assessment-of-grass-based-dairy/ Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:56:21 +0000 https://pasafarming.org/?post_type=resources&p=13678 We used a whole-farm model to evaluate environmental footprints of all-grass, grass supplemented with grain, and confinement dairy production systems in the temperate climate of the northeastern U.S.

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]]> Demand for grass-based dairy production, which relies heavily on grazing and use of forage crops, is growing in the United States, primarily due to reported human health benefits of the milk produced as well as perceived environmental and animal welfare benefits. We used a whole-farm model to evaluate environmental footprints of all-grass, grass supplemented with grain, and confinement dairy production systems in the temperate climate of the northeastern U.S. Model results were depicted per unit of farmland and per unit of milk produced to provide alternate perspectives from the viewpoint of land management and commodity production.

These data indicate that grass-based dairy farms can provide environmental benefits to a local watershed, but due to a lower efficiency in milk production, they may increase the aggregate environmental impacts of regional and global supply chains.

Download the article for a full explanation of our methods and findings. 

This study was conducted in collaboration with USDA / Agricultural Research Service and findings were published in Agricultural Systems in September 2020. 

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