Writer Mike Rankin, Senior Editor | Hay and Forage Magazine

Mike Rankin, Senior Editor

Mike Rankin

The author joined Hay & Forage Grower as the managing editor in April 2015. Since July of 2024, he has transitioned to senior editor. He had previously served 27 years as the Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin crops and soils agent with the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service. He also worked eight years on a large dairy and grain farm in southern Illinois.

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High-cut corn silage requires forethought

Feb. 3 2026 For many people in the dairy industry, the phase-out of brown midrib (BMR) corn is akin to losing the four-wheel drive option in a pickup truck. Sure, the pickup will go most places, but there will be

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Grazing-tolerant alfalfa remains an option

Jan. 27 2026 Alfalfa has long held a tenuous position in the grazing world. Many pasture enthusiasts want nothing to do with it. Others may include it in paddocks at a low density. Finally, there is a minisc

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Bad hay, cold weather, and mama cows

Jan. 27 2026 Jeff Lehmkuhler has helped guide beef farmers for two and half decades, but he’s never seen lower hay quality than what he witnessed in 2025. The University of Kentucky extension beef speciali

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I hereby resolve . . .

Jan. 20 2026 By now, most New Year’s resolutions have been abandoned unless, like me, you’ve resolved to never again order the liver and brussels sprouts special at the local diner. Farm business resoluti

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The party’s over — now think frost seeding

Jan. 20 2026 With the holiday festivities in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead toward the upcoming growing season. For graziers, one of the first calls to duty is frost seeding clovers into perennial

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Little change in Dec. 1 hay stocks

Jan. 13 2026 The USDA makes its assessment of dry-hay stocks in May and December of each year. During 2023 and 2024, hay stocks skyrocketed from the record-low level reached in December 2022 and helped cause

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Hay feeding is a match game

Jan. 6 2026 We spend a lot of time in life finding the “right match.” That match could be a person, place, or thing. When something doesn’t work out, people often say, “It just wasn’t...

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Not much supporting a 2026 hay price rebound

Dec. 30 2025 History tells us that nearly all markets go through boom-and-bust phases, unless those markets are artificially controlled by the government or with some other means. The interesting thing is that wha

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From backfields to back fields

Hoard's Dairyman Farm

Dec. 29 2025 Life experiences range from mundane to energizing. Custom forage harvester Keith Snoddy hasn’t had much of the former, logging many hours behind a chopper, a center, and on an oil rig

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Tastes good but bad for them

Dec. 23 2025 While during any television broadcast of our local Milwaukee Brewers, the pitcher inevitably throws a neck-high fastball over the plate. Often, the batter unloads on such a pitch but misses by a foot

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The net wrap conundrum

Dec. 9 2025 During this gift-wrapping season, perhaps it’s apropos to discuss our use of bale-wrapping options, specifically those for round bales since plastic twine is used almost exclusively on other bale...

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Don’t just complain about the weather

Dec. 2 2025 When my son was in high school, we gave him our old high-mileage minivan to drive. On one particular evening, he arranged to meet his date in a grocery store parking lot and then leave from there to g

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Hay seller bilked out of $8,000

Nov. 25 2025 As the hay cycle transitions from making to selling, be reminded that most people are honest and well intentioned, but just one nefarious hay buyer can make for a really bad day.KXII, a television sta

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Can we get a weight on those bales?

Nov. 18 2025 As my wife and I prepare to move to a different house, I find myself carrying a lot of boxes. Many of the boxes are the uniform type that reams of paper are shipped in. Although all the boxes are fill

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You might call it toxic fall fescue

Nov. 11 2025 Mother Nature dictates how we farm. The problem, of course, is that we can’t predict the fickle nuances of rain events or droughts. As such, we play the odds and hope to roll sevens instead of snake

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His goal: Make hay for the fun of it

Nov. 7 2025 “I have good days and bad days, but I just love what we get to do every day,” said the fifth-generation Ohio hay and grain farmer who has long-term aspirations beyond just improving hay yield,...

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Two-faced forages

Nov. 4 2025 Is it beneficial or is it harmful?Could it be both?It’s always been interesting that a few forage species garner a wide range of opinions. People often either love them or hate them for good or not

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Fall overgrazing is a scary proposition

Oct. 28 2025 Overgrazed pastures continue to haunt the livestock industry. In case you didn’t notice, that was a purposeful and obligatory Halloween reference, but one loaded with truth.Overgrazing occurs for...

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A bounty of baleage

Oct. 21 2025 In the world of haymakers, the dry hay balers and higher moisture choppers comprise most of the electorate. Somewhere in between are the baleage makers, but their numbers among the voting public are g

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Nobody says “My hay is too good”

Oct. 14 2025 People never call their power company to give them props because the lights are on and their food is cold; however, should the lights go out and the milk spoil, phone lines become jammed with disgrunt

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