Dec. 20 2022 Widespread drought in the western Fescue Belt caused significant damage or death to tall fescue pastures, according to Bruno Pedreira and Dale Helwig, an area agronomist and extension agent, res

Dec. 13 2022 This past year saw the Southern Plains and western Midwest regions get rocked by drought. These same areas are dense with beef cattle found in both large and small herds.Drought can be devastati

Dec. 13 2022 One more practice to add to the current list of fescue toxicity mitigation strategies for beef cattle may have been discovered.Researchers at the University of Arkansas (UA) have found that the common

Dec. 6 2022 “When I tell people what I do, my explanation usually elicits a lot of confused looks,” said Josh Callen regarding his company’s quest to document Western hay markets in his weekly newsletter...

Dec. 6 2022 Growth in the grass-finished beef sector has grown exponentially in the past decade. The desire for local foods by more consumers and the pandemic added a giant nudge to the grass-finished growth curv

Dec. 6 2022 The October average alfalfa hay price rose another $4 per ton, according to USDA’s Agricultural Prices report. For hay other than alfalfa, the average price jumped $6 per ton. The average

Nov. 29 2022 It’s not an unusual situation for people to suddenly find themselves as the not-so-proud owner or long-term renter of a previously abused or neglected pasture. In such situations, questions often...

Nov. 29 2022 In many areas hammered by drought this past summer and fall, purchasing additional hay will be a necessity in the upcoming weeks and months. Hay buyers need to exercise caution when making purchases f

Nov. 22 2022 Among the many politically polarizing issues of the day is climate change. A multitude of claims — many unsubstantiated — are made by both the “doom and gloomers” as well as the...

Nov. 22 2022 The concept of phosphorus and potassium “fixation” is often raised during discussions of potential forage fertilizer strategies. Fixation is thought of in terms of nutrients being bound in...

Nov. 22 2022 Identifying the cause of an unanticipated crop problem during the growing season can be easy . . . until it’s not. When a second variable such as irrigation is thrown into the agronomic

Nov. 15 2022 As a hay industry, there are still a number of hay sales that occur “by the bale.” Yes, it’s easier, but if the sale is made without factoring in bale weight and moisture, there’s...

Nov. 15 2022 Most silage and haylage crops from the past growing season now sit packed, covered, and/or wrapped. Perhaps you think it will make good feed because everything was done “right,” or maybe you

Nov. 8 2022 A myth can be defined in several ways, but it is often thought to be something that has been repeatedly stated over a period of years such that it becomes accepted truth when, in fact, it

Nov. 8 2022 In an era where dry weather seems to be the new normal, the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance program is gaining interest and participation. The deadline to purchase PRF insurance fo

Nov. 7 2022 For those of us in my generation who are currently subjected to a routine colonoscopy schedule, you will remember the days when Google Maps didn’t exist. Driving from Point A to Point B required...

Nov. 7 2022 Among the many unique rural landscape features found in the western United States, first-time visitors will witness thousands of scattered haystacks that have seemingly sprung forth from the parched s

Nov. 1 2022 Due to drought and the lack of forage growth that comes along with it, hay inventories for the upcoming winter will be below normal expectations in many areas of the Midwest and Southern Great P

Nov. 1 2022 Photo: University of FloridaConventional feeding systems involve not only the cost of the feed but also a considerable investment in labor and equipment. To lower these costs, researchers at the Unive

Oct. 25 2022 Pasture productivity ebbs and flows from year-to-year and even within a growing season. That’s normal.What isn’t normal is when the productivity trendline continues in a downward spiral over...