The environment and ground we grow forage on continue to change each year. If the United States could allocate moisture from rainfall throughout the continent, growers would be in fantastic shape
Lurking in every load of corn silage brought to the silo are wild yeasts. These microorganisms are a specific type of fungi that occur naturally on all plants and may be active with or without oxygen
Most farmers think their machinery salesman is just someone who wants to sell the next unit, but a good sales representative also wants to help you succeed with your operation
Baleage, the ensiling of wilted forage in round bales wrapped in UV-resistant, stretch wrap plastic, is a beneficial option for making high-quality stored forage in the humid regions of the U.S
Historically, dairy rations have utilized corn silage and alfalfa as the primary forage components. While farms have had a lot of success feeding these forages, the need to grow more digestible fiber per
For many years, ensiling was considered a great tool to store forages while maintaining nutrient availability. Now we know that keeping silage longer in the silo improves starch availability
It’s officially fall. A few in the far North have perhaps already experienced a killing freeze or heavy frost. For most, it’s yet to come.As the hours of sunlight get shorter, I have always
Every year, we see new ideas come down the pike. Time, of course, is the best measure of success for any new idea or technology. If something doesn’t work, its staying power is usually short
Focus. Sitting down to look at a Google map of a dairy’s feed pad, hoping to optimize the layout of projected forage crop yields and inventories, my mind wandered
As with planting corn or drying hay, so much of the daily grind of growing and harvesting crops is as much an art as it is a science. Nowhere is this truer than when building a silage pile or packing
Who doesn’t like oats? In 1930, there were nearly 40 million acres of oats harvested for grain in the United States. By contrast, the 2017 Census of Agriculture pegged harvested oat acres at ju
While on a farm visit last week, I found myself wandering around the dairy farm’s feed center with camera in hand. I got about 60 feet away from the center face of a bunker silo full of corn silage
My wife does most of the cooking at our house. She is more skilled and discerning than I am when it comes to preparing a meal. My rule of thumb is that if you have to mix two or more ingredients toget
Sorghum-Sudangrass is an important crop worldwide. It has value as a forage resource and is cheaper to grow compared to many other summer annuals such as corn
Although they’re still sometimes referred to as “alternative forages,” winter cereals have reached mainstream status on many dairy and beef operations. Farmers have found that winter
It’s time to take inventory of the current state of sorghum species as a forage resource in more humid regions of the United States. Of course, sorghums will always be a go-to crop in semi-arid area
