Silage production is a competition. While the crop stands, its native microorganisms, or epiphytes, live in a low-growth, maintenance-only state of starvation...
There are different paths to optimal forage quality and animal performance for hay and haylage crops versus corn silage. With hay and haylage crops, cutting the crop at the correct plant maturity is a major decision that will substantially influence resulting quality...
When I moved to Wisconsin in 1988, one of the things I noticed in short order was that baling hay of any size, shape, or type was a minimal, if not nonexistent summer activity on most dairy farms. Thi...
Fermentation is a wonderful process, and fermented feeds can be successfully stored for years. For example, following a drought and lesser forage inventories within the Midwest several years ago...
Labor Day is in the rearview mirror. It’s no longer possible to change the hybrid, plant density, pest management, fertilizer strategies, or the summer weather...
The death of a Wisconsin dairy farmer this past week is a grim reminder that farms provide for a dangerous work environment. Sometimes one with unsuspecting hazards.The young dairy farmer was ov...
As we rocket past the middle of July and become entrenched in the dog days of summer, let’s not forget that the second forage seeding season will soon commence. Some planning is in order. Alt...
“Mike, you need to come down here. I’d like to talk to you,” related the voice over my office phone in late April. I would soon learn that voice belonged to Willie Foster, a man who has a...
