November 30, 2021
• The 2021 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $15.56 per hour, which was up 6% over 2020, according to USDA’s Farm Labor report.
• The highest agricultural worker wages are paid in the Pacific Northwest and California. The lowest wages are paid in the mid-South’s Delta region.
• Some fallen tree leaves are poisonous to livestock and horses.
• The Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Okla., has hit the pause button on its consultation and educational activities as it goes through a transformation to exclusively focus on regenerative agriculture.
• The USDA projects most crop prices to decline over the next decade while beef cattle prices are expected to rise.
November 23, 2021
• October milk production in the U.S. dropped 5% compared to a year ago, according to USDA’s Milk Production report. Since June, the nation’s dairy herd has been reduced by nearly 100,000 head.
• Cheap hay can cost you money.
• Forage waste during the hay-feeding season can and should be kept to minimum.
• Corn silage hybrid performance testing results are now available from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York/Vermont.
• Kansas State University offers information on the nutritive value and options for grazing crop residues.
November 16, 2021
• Drought can result in elevated concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sulfates in livestock water.
• The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) has recently updated and released “Alfalfa for Beef Cows,” which serves as a guide to everything livestock farmers should know about feeding alfalfa to beef cows.
• South Dakota State University has released a new bulletin on Aphanomyces root rot in alfalfa.
• USDA pegged 2021 corn production at 15.1 billion bushels, up 7% from last year. Based on conditions as of November 1, the average yield is expected to be 177 bushels per acre.
• Penn State University offers some considerations for November weed control.
November 9, 2021
• September exports of U.S. alfalfa hay totaled 254,820 metric tons (MT), according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Although that was below the record amount shipped in August, it is still the highest total ever shipped in September for any previous year.
• After alfalfa hay exports trailed 2020 for most of this year, strong volumes in August and September now have year-to-date exports through September at a pace 5% ahead of last year and total 2.15 million MT.
• Alfalfa hay exports to China through September were 35% ahead of 2020. Japan, Korea, and Saudi Arabia were behind last year for the same period while Taiwan was slightly ahead.
• The University of Nebraska offers these tips for grazing cornstalks.
• The deadline for enrolling in the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PFR) insurance program is December 1. Here’s an explanation of how it works.
November 2, 2021
• If you missed the presentations from the Dairy Forage Seminar Stage at World Dairy Expo, they can be viewed here.
• A new alfalfa caterpillar pest was found in California’s Imperial Valley.
• The University of Nebraska Extension is hosting a Cover Crop Grazing Conference on November 16 in Mead.
• Canada’s Beef Cattle Research Council offers this summary of the pros and cons of various winter hay-feeding strategies.
• Glyphosate prices, along with many other farm chemicals, are at least double the price today compared to one year ago.