Many bales of expensive hay in big stacks is a recipe for financial disaster that is present to some degree on every dairy in the West. But it is a risk that doesn’t have to exist, says University of Idaho extension forage specialist Glenn Shewmaker, who has 11 strategies for dairies to reduce the risk of hay fires. They don’t center around buying expensive equipment, but making time to take samples frequently, keeping records and learning what to look for...

A cousin to alfalfa, red clover can produce yields equal to or exceeding alfalfa for two to three years. Wide swath plus tedding greatly enhances dry down...