Superbowl Champ Has Environmental Edge
Donn Randall lists the high elevation, dry climate and cool nights of Wyoming’s main hay-production areas as key reasons growers in his state do well in the World Forage Analysis Superbowl
Hay Carryover Supply Might Hit Record Low
The total amount of hay stored on U.S. farms could drop to 14 million tons by next May 1, an all-time low for that date, says Matt Diersen, South Dakota State University ag economist
Troubleshooting TMRs Using Audits
If your herd’s production isn’t as high as you think it should be, or if milk or milk components fluctuate too much, your cows may not be consuming the same ration at every feeding
Long-Distance Haying
Since they started growing their own hay, Wally Holmgren and his son Mike have had a consistent supply of high-quality organic alfalfa for their 400-cow Jersey herd. But their hauling costs haven’t changed much
Industry News: Mower-Applied Preservative Improves Quality
Jim Whittle treats all of his alfalfa with a preservative and says it increases the hay’s relative feed value by eight to 10 points.
This Gooding, ID, grower is one of the first to try Raincoat, a new hay preservative applied when the crop is cut
Fuel Pellets From Poor Hay
Bob and May Miller decided to make something valuable out of what grows in no-longer-farmed fields in Delaware County, NY. In 2008, the retired dairy farmers started Enviro Energy LLC, Unadilla, and began turning some of that grassy material into fuel pellets for heating buildings
Double-Duty Balers Make One-Pass Baleage
Greg Brawner was still planting row crops when his family’s 150 acres of alfalfa were ready to harvest this spring. So his son, Gregory, handled the first cutting by himself
Corn Silage Prices Skyrocket, Too
Mike Rankin thought he’d never see prices for standing silage corn hit $50/ton.
“I can remember the $16 days,” says this University of Wisconsin Extension crop and soils specialist
Grading Mob Grazing
Mob grazing has increased the carrying capacity of Bruce Anderson’s pastures, but he hasn’t seen any of the other benefits frequently claimed for the method also known as ultra-high stock-density grazing
Harvesters Go Head-To-Head In First Chopper Challenge
A forage harvester’s operating efficiency is largely determined by its length of cut. That’s the main thing he learned from a self-propelled chopper competition held near Bakersfield, CA, last July. The four self-propelled harvester brands – Claas, John Deere, Krone and New Holland – competed in a Chopper Challenge
Western Hay Price Outlook Improves
An improved dairy outlook and tighter-than-expected hay supplies have raised Seth Hoyt’s price projections for 2011-crop hay in the Western U.S
