In the rolling fields of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, a quiet revolution is underwayâone that could determine whether small family dairy farms survive or vanish altogether.
For decades, dairy farming has been gripped by a financial crisis. Since 2015, milk prices have plunged and remained stubbornly low, squeezing already razor-thin profit margins. According to the USDA, feed costs alone accounted for nearly 70% of the operating costs for Pennsylvania dairy farms in 2018. Many farmers have had to make painful choicesâsome leaving the industry altogether, unable to compete in a system where efficiency often outweighs tradition.
But Matt Bomgardner, a dairy farmer near Annville, believes thereâs another way forward: managed rotational grazing.
đŸ The Economics of Survival
âCostâthat’s the most important part,â Matt says, standing in a pasture where his cows graze freely beneath a wide blue sky.
Unlike conventional dairy operations that rely heavily on imported grain and expensive infrastructure, Matt’s cows are part of a carefully managed grazing system. Instead of being confined in barns, the animals rotate through lush paddocks of mixed grasses. This method not only reduces feed costs significantly but also improves soil health and water quality.
Still, making the switch isnât easy.
âThereâs infrastructure thatâs an upfront cost,â he explains. âA farm can spend a million dollars on a barn, no problem, but wonât invest $50,000 in a solid pasture system with forages, fencing, lanes, and water sources. The perception isââthatâs not what you do.ââ
But Matt is determined to change that perception.
đ° Cost-Share Support Makes It Possible
One of the lifelines for farmers like Matt has been cost-share assistance and technical support. Through the USDAâs Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he received funding that covered about 25% of the transition costs.
That kind of supportâfinancial and educationalâcan be the difference between progress and paralysis.
More than just money, farmers need confidence. âThese programs tell us: âYouâre not in this alone. We believe in this system, and weâll help you do it right,ââ he says.
đ€ Mentorship: Farmer-to-Farmer Change
To keep this movement growing, experienced grazers like Matt are now mentoring the next generation.
He works as a mentor through the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship under the Pennsylvania Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and the Pennsylvania Grazing Lands Coalition, both partners in CBFâs Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance.
These programs pair aspiring dairy farmers with experienced grazers, helping to build knowledge, confidence, and community. Itâs farming not just as a job, but as a shared legacy.
đ± A Future for Family Farms
Ultimately, Matt believes rotational grazing is more than just an alternativeâitâs a lifeline for small dairy operations trying to survive in a commodity-driven market.
âThis is how small farms are going to make it,â he says. âIf youâre producing milk, itâs all about who can make it the cheapest. Grazing lets us do that while keeping the land healthy and the cows happy. Itâs sustainable for the environment, for the cows, and for the next generation.â
đ From Surviving to Thriving
In a world where small farms are too often swallowed by industrial agriculture, grazing is offering a path not just to survival, but to renewal.
With smart partnerships, well-designed programs, and the willingness to rethink “how it’s always been done,” farmers like Matt are proving that tradition and innovation can walk side by side. Or graze, rather.
Because sometimes, the best way forward⊠is out to pasture.