The 10 most popular eHay Weekly reads in 2022

It’s been another year of ups and downs on farms and ranches. If you weren’t locked in on eHay Weekly every Tuesday morning, here’s a list of the 10 most popular articles that filtered through your inbox over the past 12 months. The topics are varied, ranging from broomsedge to frost seeding to a perennial favorite — custom farming rates. Looking ahead to 2023, we will once again strive to bring you relevant forage production, storage, utilization, and marketing information each week. Thanks for your readership and we wish you a healthy and prosperous new year.

In the order of when they appeared, here are eHay Weekly’s Top 10 in 2022:

Make your grass selections carefully . . . January 4

Even the same grass variety will perform differently when grown in different environments. This is why it’s best to make selections based on performance within your own state or area. Also, some grasses are better suited for alfalfa mixtures than others.

Frost seeding may never offer a bigger return . . . January 25

Given the price of nitrogen fertilizer, frost seeding legumes into grass pastures has never provided more payback potential. Livestock performance benefits as well.

Be smart when buying and selling hay . . . February 8

Indiana hay producer Brock Kiesler shares some tips and tricks for marketing hay off the farm.

Custom farming rates will also inflate . . . March 29

Our annual look at available custom farming rates once again makes its appearance on the Top 10 list. Input costs had a big impact in 2022.

It’s the haymaker’s greatest adversary . . . May 31

Getting too much rain at inopportune times or not getting enough rain often determines the level of a haymaker’s success during any given growing season.

Broomsedge is talking: Are you listening? . . . June 14

There are some plants that speak to us simply by being present. Broomsedge is one of them.

Wheat straw fertilizer value has soared . . . July 5

These days, fertilizer prices are in the stratosphere compared to years gone by. This puts the fertilizer value of straw at record levels as well. In fact, the value has doubled compared to a couple of years ago.

The round bale conundrum . . . August 23

One of the biggest advantages of large round bales is that they can be stored outside with minimal dry matter losses. One of their biggest disadvantages is that they can be stored outside and suffer significant dry matter losses. That’s a conundrum.

Transform a poor pasture into a good one . . . November 29

Pasture transformation doesn’t always mean tillage and seeding. An existing poor pasture often just needs soil reclamation, a return to nutrient cycling, the establishment of legumes, and the adoption of rotational grazing.

Hay markets: There’s nothing like them . . . December 6

Josh Callen explains the uniqueness of hay markets and its players.