Many years ago, I was told, “Any idiot can make good corn silage.” Perhaps that’s the case or perhaps not; however, it’s most certainly not true if you have your sights set on something

If you’re in the business of producing forage, there’s a high likelihood that you manage the land that grows your crops. Many of you also manage livestock

Sometimes hay gets cut later than we’d like; sometimes hay data gets reported later than we’d like. The latter occurred this year because of an extended wall discussion in our nation’s

People often ask me, “What’s new in the forage world?” My answer begins with forage digestibility, or to be more specific, fiber digestibility

I was wrapping up a day of farm visits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina when my host asked, “Where are you staying tonight?” “Sylva,” I responded

If you’re like me, there’s still a good part of each day that is spent thinking. Just the other day, I was thinking about how many great ideas humanity has lost because, rather than thinking,

Many of you remember comedian Rodney Dangerfield. His stand up act was filled with self-deprecating humor

Herbert Hoover received plenty of accolades prior to his presidency for a wide range of humanitarian efforts. He was overwhelmingly elected as our 31st president in 1928

For over 20 years, our family lived in a large, century-old farmhouse, held together with state-of-the-art 1950s “knob and tube” wiring

The USDA has issued its hay report card for 2017, and depending on your point of view, the results are either positive or negative

Recently, I was asked to judge a grazing management essay contest. The entrants ranged from ages 14 to 22. While impressed by the quality of writing and knowledge conveyed by many of the entrants

Using a front-end loader, Ray lifted the two tires filled with concrete into the back of his two-wheel drive pickup truck. This would help with traction while pulling the forage wagon uphill

It’s a new day as farmers and ranchers are in the midst of a value-added revolution. What is most impressive is the sheer number of ways this is happening

Perhaps no physiological phenomenon is more important to the livestock industry than that of plant regrowth. Where would we be without it? Regrowth occurs each spring after winter dormancy, foll

Mike Rankin Most major league baseball teams have what they like to term a utility player — a guy who can start at multiple positions or pinch hit for just about anyone in the lineup at any poi

Perhaps more than any other season, winter is a period for reflection. The USDA helps in this regard with their bevy of January production reports. I, like many people, have sometimes looked at

Everybody has a unique story of how and why they made agriculture their chosen career. I developed my interest by making, stacking, throwing, walking on, and feeding small square bales. My assor

Who doesn’t like a good debate?Perhaps one of the greatest learning and decision-making tools a person can employ is to take an opposite view, whether you believe it or not, and engage in debate

tithe \tith\ n : a tenth part paid or given It’s usually about this time of year when churches across the U.S. begin their pledge campaigns to meet the ensuing year’s budget

Whether you’re cutting alfalfa in southern Vermont or northern California, one commonality across the miles is that first-cut alfalfa is different than all of the rest