Factors impacting grass-fed organic milk production costs in the Northeastern United States: Empirical results from survey data

While the 100% grass-fed organic dairy sector has grown rapidly in the past two decades, limited information exists on its cost of production (COP) and contributing factors. This study estimates COP using primary on-farm survey data collected 2019-2023 and assesses the correlation between COP with key production and management factors. These data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, hypothesis tests, and regression analysis. Results showed that COP varied widely and was positively and significantly correlated with key expense components such as fuel and supplemental energy but negatively and significantly correlated with milk sold per cow and cows managed per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee.