Beef From Dairy Cows? It Could Be a Lifeline for American Farmers.

But for this to be more than a boutique experiment, Mr. Barber said a market needs to be created for it. Small dairy farmers have to be persuaded to pasture the cattle an extra six months or so before selling them, he said, an added expense but worth it for the increased return. Most important, he added, the beef should carry a name that develops cachet like Black Angus, Niman Ranch or Snake River Farms.Tim Joseph, who in 2009 founded Maple Hill Organic, a consortium of more than 100 grass-fed dairy farms in New York, said a few farmers have been selling their culls to premium beef…