The Dairy Podcast Show - Dr. Elizabeth French and Barbara Dittrich: Cover Crop Forages for Dairy Cows | Ep. 222

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Elizabeth French and Barbara Dittrich discuss how cover crop forages can support dairy nutrition and farm sustainability. They examine rye, triticale, and mixed forages, highlighting milk production, feed costs, forage quality, and methane emissions. Discover practical strategies for improving dairy feeding programs. Listen now on all major platforms!

What you'll learn:  

• How cover crops fit dairy rations
• Rye and triticale trial results
• Protein and harvest timing trade-offs
• Methane and rumination findings
• Farm-specific forage management

Meet the guest:

Dr. Elizabeth French is a Research Animal Scientist at the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center, specializing in precision dairy nutrition, forage utilization, and animal productivity. Since joining USDA, her research has focused on optimizing dairy cow diets, improving forage digestibility, and integrating nutritional strategies with animal monitoring technologies. Her work explores how alternative forages can support milk production, feed efficiency, and sustainable dairy operations. Barbara Dittrich is a Dairy Focus Consultant at Cargill Animal Nutrition. She earned her master's degree in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she conducted research at the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center. Her research focused on alternative cover crop silages and their effects on early lactation dairy cows, including milk production, forage digestibility, and methane emissions. Her work connects dairy nutrition research with practical strategies for improving farm profitability and sustainability. Listen to Dr. Elizabeth French and Barbara Dittrich on The Dairy Podcast Show, available on all major platforms! 

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