Model
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Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) Model
Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) Model
Ruminant Farm Systems, or RuFaS, is open-source, whole-farm modeling software designed to support farmers' decision-making by prioritizing animal health, production, and efficiency.
Visit the RuFaS website or GitHub page for more information.
Intended Users
LINKS TO KEY RESOURCES
SUMMIT V1.2 Tool
Compressed .ZIP with Excel Spreadsheet Model
SUMMIT User Manual
PDF Document Outlining Use
Overview
Overview
The RuFaS model is designed to represent the interactions between different components of a farm system. It supports farmer decision-making by accounting for a wide array of animal, manure, crop, and feed storage management types and optimized productive efficiency (Figure 1).
Visit the RuFaS website for more information. The full RuFaS model can be found on GitHub.
References
Reed, K. F., Tricarico, J. M., HekmatiAthar, S., Waddell, J. S., Andreen, D. A., Briggs, K. R., Liu, A., Tomlinson, N. D., Adamchick, J., Cabrera, V. E., Hu, H., Gong, Y., Graef, G. M., Villalobos-Barquero, M. R., Oliver, J. P., Nydam, D. V., Ayache, N., & McClintock, L. (2025). The Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model is a platform to support future research and actions for sustainable dairy farming. JDS Communications 6(1), S15–S22. https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0861