Much gets written and discussed about making high-quality alfalfa. In fact, there could be an entire volume of Encyclopedia Britannica dedicated to the topic. If we were to list the factors involved...

It’s not unusual for hay prices to retreat in late spring and early summer with the onset of a new crop. Such was the case for average June 2019 prices of both alfalfa and other hay types. Th...

John F. Kennedy, in his 1962 State of the Union Address, said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” This little bit of wisdom is good advice for living our lives, but it espe...

Seeding spring oats for a fall harvest is a beautiful thing. It’s rare to hear about a bad experience with the practice. We’re now approaching the optimum time to seed oats for fall forage in the...

The savvy livestock producer is always thinking ahead. Those with short inventories of hay will want to get the most grazing possible out of their fall pastures. For tall fescue, that means a shot of...

Our understanding of corn silage has come a long way in the past 20 years. That’s probably a good thing because it has emerged as a dominant feed source in most dairy and many feedlot beef rations...

If you grow alfalfa, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Aphanomyces root rot. It’s a disease that has dogged me my entire working career and it can take out a new seeding field in fairly shor...

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “You can’t get blood out of a turnip.” It often is used in context with trying to get money out of someone who is either excessively frugal...

It was back in early February, when the average alfalfa hay price was $180 per ton, that we offered this prediction: “Given where the market currently stands and the hay stocks situation, it’s con...

The record rainfall that has impacted a wide swath of the U.S. this spring and early summer has resulted in a large number of prevented planted acres. Many grain farmers, and no doubt some dairy and b...