With the first day of summer in the rearview mirror, temperatures are only expected to accelerate. Forage production, on the other hand, will likely slow down. This is when summer annuals can take the...

Large square balers have come a long way over the past 40 years of their existence. Improvements like larger sizes, better performance on wet hay, and weight and moisture sensors have added prec...

Summer weather can ruin our favorite foods – take a melted ice cream cone for instance. Hot, humid air can also ravage the quality of livestock feed, but these consequences can be much more serious...

As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. But is the grass always mowed on the other side? Deciding whether or not to mow or clip pastures can leave farmers stuck on the...

Despite their name, spuds aren’t the only thing potato leafhoppers snack on. They also have an appetite for alfalfa. The insects feast on forage in the summer, and this season’s weather patterns c...

If the early bird gets the worm, the early producer gets the high-quality hay. This time of year, hay is being stored for winter feed, and a timely cut is key to optimizing cattle nutrition and perfor...

Leprechauns and pots of gold aside, four-leaf clovers aren’t the only lucky legume. Many members of the Trifolium genus, such as red and white clover, have powerful properties that make them a...

Cool-season grasses are the star of the show during the spring and fall, but these forages tend to get stage fright during the hot, dry summer months. Planting summer annuals can mitigate the effects...

Moisture is often used to combat fire, not ignite it. The latter is true for hay and straw, though, in barns housing bales with high moisture levels.When hay is baled at more than 20% moisture...

Amber FriedrichsenAmber Friedrichsen is serving as the 2021 Hay & Forage Grower editorial intern. She currently attends Iowa State University where she is majoring in agriculture and lif...