Two February expos – in different areas of the country – will bring growers and industry representatives together to explore the latest in haying equipment or in growing forages.
The Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, to be held Feb. 1-2, boasts more than 100 equipment manufacturing exhibits as well as a short grower educational program. It will be held at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney, NE.
“We have many new exhibitors as well as our strong supporters from the past,” says Barb Kinnan, executive director of the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association (N.A.M.A.), which hosts the alfalfa expo. N.A.M.A. will also be marking a quarter-century of service to alfalfa and forage growers with an evening banquet on Feb. 1. The organization's annual fundraising auction will be held that afternoon.
The Feb. 2 speaker program will include a long-range weather forecast from Allen Dutcher, state climatologist at the Nebraska State Climate Office, and advice on how to keep from having to collect on overdue bills. Lanny Daise, account management specialist with TekCollect, Inc., will help expo participants navigate through the world of accounts receivable management.
The Feb. 8 Hay and Forage Seminar at World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA, will focus on growing high-quality forage for profitable dairy production. Sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and Mycogen Seeds, it will be held at the expo’s Seminar Center.
The program, held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., starts off with practical advice on selecting silage corn hybrids to fit a herd size, storage options and milk production goals by crop production expert Everett Thomas of Oak Point Agronomics. He will also discuss how tonnage, digestibility and net energy factor into silage hybrid choices in today’s economic climate.
At 11 a.m., participants will learn how to evaluate the quality of hay and silage to cost-effectively balance rations for high milk production. Jerry Higginbotham, University of California farm advisor, Fresno County, will review forage quality measurements and their impacts on dairy rations, production and economics of dairy farming.
An invitation-only awards luncheon will be held at noon to announce winners of the Forage Challenge alfalfa hay and corn silage contest. Finalists’ entries will be on display in the South Expansion Area of the show grounds.
Seth Hoyt of The Hoyt Report will, at 1:30 p.m., give producers the latest information on market factors impacting alfalfa and other forages in the Western states. He’ll explore what fewer hay acres in production will likely do to the market.
At 2 p.m., the new genetics of Roundup Ready alfalfa and beyond will be discussed by University of California Extension forage specialist Dan Putnam. Hear what impact transgenic technology can have on alfalfa.
For more information on the Hay and Forage Seminar, visit worldagexpo.com. For details on the Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, visit www.alfalfaexpo.com or call Kinnan at 800-743-1649.