Though there is no scientific survey that documents the rising popularity of baled silage, an excursion down rural roads tells us that more and more forage is being harvested in this manner
The author is a dairy scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Alfalfa producers will have a couple of new options to consider in the upcoming growing season. Low-lignin alfalfas are being to
Seed availability for alfalfa producers looks to be in pretty good shape for the 2016 growing season; however, like most years, there may be issues for those who wait to order elite varieties that are
A strong U.S. dollar and increased competition are two factors that have led to a more difficult hay export situation. Looking back over 2015, forage exporters reflected on a year of frustration
The 2013 to 2015 drought centered on California and Nevada has been termed “Exceptionally Severe” by USDA scientists, and has brought home with a vengeance the importance of water for
January is a month for post-holiday adjustment, football play-offs, W-2 forms, farm meetings and year-end financial analysis. It’s also the month when the National Agricultural Statistics Service
Though snow is not always a welcome occurrence, for alfalfa growers there is nothing that aids winter survival of the crop better than a good blanket of the white stuff. “Alfalfa loves snow,”
Let's be honest . . . if you’re involved in a facet of production agriculture, yield is a big part of your life. On the farm, it’s an economic driver; at the coffee shop, fodder for b
Let's face it, 2016 is not going to be a banner year for high milk and beef prices. As such, the prudent manager won't just blindly cut expenses but rather look for those places where eliminat
Black Friday is but a distant memory, the unwrapping ceremonies are complete, and Santa is back at the North Pole sipping hot chocolate, if not something stronger. The attention this week turns
There are two ways to approach a problem: Walk away from it or try to solve it. In the latter case, when people become invested in an idea they want to make work — hurdles or not —
eHay Weekly contributor and author of the Hoyt Report, Seth Hoyt, kicked-off this year's Western Alfalfa & Forage Symposium with a hay situation outlook for the West. Here is some of
It's often said that you can't avoid death and taxes. You can also add hay quality losses during storage to the list. Glenn Shewmaker, extension forage specialist at the University of Idaho, report
The reduced-lignin alfalfa era is barely out of the starting gate, and though we don't know for sure what its magnitude of impact will be, most industry experts agree that it will be significan
For many livestock producers, the onset of winter means digging into those stored forage inventories with the realization that any forage additions can only be accomplished by the writing of a large check.
The seed-selling season seems to get earlier with each passing year. It’s now reached the point where crop seed salespersons start making their annual rounds to sell their wares before the current
At the 2014 California Alfalfa, Forage and Grain Symposium in Long Beach, Dan Putnam made a case to change the standards by which we evaluate and market hay. The University of California forage
