Sward, both in its raw form and processed into silage, can be a valuable form of fodder for beef and dairy cattle throughout the year. Existing research data clearly indicate that in Poland neither sward nor hay provide adequate levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc or provitamin A (beta-Carotene) to meet the needs of cattle. To assess the quality and mineral content of sward, six organic farms were selected, all of which utilise fodder from permanent grassland as the principal feed for their dairy cattle: green fodder from pasture in the summer months and silage during winter. In accordance with the principles of organic farming the surveyed farms did not use inorganic fertilizers to fertilize their grasslands while two of the six farms also did not use any form of fertiliser during the research period. In order to assess the quality of the sward set aside for fermentation, random samples of green fodder from the second crop were collected for chemical and microbiological analysis. The analysis determined the levels of basic nutritional elements, Carotenoid components and macro- and microelement content in the sward, including the following elements: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and zinc. For each pasture grass sample the survey also assessed the number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria potentially pathogenic for animals and the number of fungi. The tests indicated very wide fluctuations in the total protein content of green fodder - from 120 to 200g kg-1 DM - correlated to the farm, the method by which grassland was fertilized and the presence of leguminous plants in the sward, especially red clover and white clover. The dry matter calcium content of the green fodder averaged 10.0 g kg-1 DM and was therefore higher than the published average for sward and silage in Poland (up to 7.2g kg-1). Significantly lower values were found for phosphorus and zinc (3.2 g kg-1 and up to 100 mg kg-1 s. m. of sward) compared to published data: 2.4 g kg-1 DM. and 28.8 mg kg-1 DM respectively. The sward also contained inadequate quantities of Carotenoid components, including provitamin A, for the needs of dairy cows. Additionally, Salmonella and Escherichia coli faecal bacteria were found in sward from grassland fertilized with manure in two out of four farms.