About Gilmer Dairy Farm

Farm Facts at a glance:

Total Animals (Cows/Heifers): 435 (235/200)
Milkings per day: 2
Current average daily milk production per cow: 54 pounds (3.5% butterfat)

Workforce: 6

Acres Farmed or Pastured: 500
Crops Planted/Harvested: Corn and/or sorghum for silage, wheat, oats, bermudagrass, sorghum-sudangrass
Primary pasture grasses: bermudagrass, tall fescue

Animal Care:

Our milking cows spend most of their time on pasture. Our primary bermudagrass pasture for the milking herd includes access to shade, water troughs, and a feeding area the cows can enter and exit free-choice. They also have access to two roofed areas equipped with fans and misters that help cool them during the summer. The cows are regularly examined by a veterinarian and are observed daily for signs of potential sickness or lameness. When a problem arises, we take appropriate action to restore the cow's health and comfort. A dairy nutritionalist formulates a balanced total-mixed-ration (TMR) diet comprised of forages, grain products, and vitamins for our cows. We supplement their TRM with seasonal grazing in other pastures adjacent to our milking facility.

Heifers and dry cows are kept in pastures large enough to support grazing. These animals also receive dairy feed daily and hay as needed to supplement grazing. Heifers are not bred until they are at least 15 months old and have the proper body size and structure to safely carry a calf from conception to birth. Our heifers are bred to "calving-ease" bulls whose offspring tend to be smaller than the breed average at birth, thus decreasing the potential for complications during the heifer's labor and delivery.

Environmental Stewardship:

We don't just work the land...we live on it too! We do our best to protect our soil and water to provide a good home for our cows and for ourselves. We also like to provide "good scenery" for our neighbors as they drive by the farm. By using erosion control techniques such as no-till cropping, residue management, and buffer strips, we maximize the soil's ability to produce quality pasture and forages year after year.

We also work hard to manage our dairy waste in an environmentally friendly manner. We've been upgrading our waste management strategy over the past few years, and erected a 300,000 gallon glass-fused steel containment tank in 2006 in which all of our waste will eventually be stored. The 62' diameter, 14' tall tank is sized to allow us to store waste for up to 120 days. All of the waste generated in our milking facility is currently held in the SlurryStore, and we are awaiting approval to construct a new feeding barn that will also tie-in to the system. We are also hopeful that methane digestion technology will soon advance to the point it is economically feasible to generate electricity with our stored waste. We follow an NRCS-developed Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan that allows us to utilize the stored waste as fertilizer, thereby decreasing our need for commercially manufactured fertilizers.

Gilmer Dairy Farm Biographies

Name: David Gilmer contact
Education:

BS, Mississippi State University (Agricultural Engineering Technology & Business, 1977)

Memberships:

Dairy Farmers of America

Alabama Farmers Federation

Lamar Co. Farmers Federation (President)

Alabama State Dairy Committee

American Dairy Association (Alabama Board of Directors)

Alabama Cattlemen's Association

Name: Will Gilmer contact
Education:

BS, Mississippi State University (Agricultural Engineering Technology & Business, 2001)

Memberships:

Dairy Farmers of America's Young Cooperators program

Alabama Farmers Federation (Young Farmers State Chairman)

Lamar Co. Farmers Federation (secretary-treasurer, Young Farmers chairman)

Mississippi FarmHouse Association

Alabama Cattlemen's Association