Wisconsin silage wins forage Superbowl

A total of 207 entries from 12 states made up the playing field for the 40th annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl. Winners were announced and awards were presented last week at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.

Meadow Brook Dairy Farms in Manitowoc, Wis., earned the Grand Champion Forage Producer award sponsored by Legacy Seeds. Their BMR corn silage boasted a neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) of 73.1% and a milk per ton value of 3,441.

The Grand Champion First-Time Entrant award went to Mulhern Dairy in Fountain, Minn. Their standard corn silage had an NDFD of 62.2% and a milk per ton value of 3,282. The sponsor of this award was New Holland.

All forage samples are evaluated based on lab analysis (70%) and visual analysis (30%). Lab analysis was performed by Dairyland Labs located in DePere, Wis.

The metric to determine the Quality Counts award winners changes each year and is unknown at the time of sample submissions. This year, the metric was total fatty acid profile for both alfalfa hay/haylage and corn silage entries.

Andy Schmitt from Fort Atkinson, Iowa, won the alfalfa hay/haylage portion of the Quality Counts award, which was sponsored by Agri-King Inc. The total fatty acid profile for his entry was 2.21.

For corn silage, the Quality Counts award went to Fisher Dairy of Marshall, Ind. The total fatty acid profile for their entry was 2.91. The sponsor for this award was Silostop.

Organizing sponsors for the 2024 World Forage Analysis Superbowl were Dairyland Labs Inc., Hay & Forage Grower, the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension, and World Dairy Expo.

Monetary support was given by Brevant Seeds as a Platinum Sponsor. Additional funds were provided by division sponsors (listed below) and Byron PRO, Trinamix, La Crosse Seed (DLF) and ForageMate.

The top five placings in each category were:

Grand Champion Baleage — Sponsored by Agri-King Inc.

1st Place – Nuttleman Farms, Bangor, Wis.

2nd Place – Seth Huizenga, Brandon, Wis.

3rd Place – Rick Frozene Farm, Westfield, Wis.

4th Place – Jenson Family Farms LLC, Elk Mound, Wis.

5th Place – Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.

Grand Champion Commercial Hay — Sponsored by Croplan

1st Place – Hardrock Farms, Wheatland, Wyo.

2nd Place – Lazy 2K, Wheatland, Wyo.

3rd Place – Bappe Farm, Riverton, Wyo.

4th Place – Mountain Side Farm, Taylorsville, S.C.

5th Place – Dick and Powell Farm, Cordell, Okla.

Grand Champion Dairy Hay — Sponsored by QLF Agronomy

1st Place – Holst Farms, Lake City, Minn.

2nd Place – E & A Milkers, Sigourney, Iowa

3rd Place – Levi Fisher, Rockville, Ind.

4th Place – Aaron Fisher, Marshall, Ind.

5th Place – Excelerant Genetics, Lena, Wis.

Grand Champion Grass Hay — Sponsored by Barenbrug USA

1st Place – Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.

2nd Place – Hardrock Farms, Wheatland, Wyo.

3rd Place – Stefan Hay Company, North Collins, N.Y.

4th Place – Rosedale Farm, Oxford, Wis.

5th Place – Church Farms, Grand Marsh, Wis.

Grand Champion Alfalfa Haylage — Sponsored by Ag-Bag by RCI

1st Place – Andy Schmitt, Fort Atkinson, Iowa

2nd Place – Pine Court Farm, Greenwood, Wis.

3rd Place – Lazy J Dairy, Wolsey, S.D.

4th Place – Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.

5th Place – Golden Ridge Dairy, Crivitz, Wis.

Grand Champion Mixed/Grass Haylage — Sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition

1st Place – Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.

2nd Place – Seven Oaks Dairy LLC, Kaukauna, Wis.

3rd Place – Excelerant Genetics, Lena, Wis.

4th Place – Jonathan Ehst, Cadott, Wis.

5th Place – Bragger Dairy, Independence, Wis.

Grand Champion Standard Corn Silage — Sponsored by Schrerer Inc.

1st Place – Watrin Farms Inc, Sandstone, Minn.

2nd Place – Fisher Dairy, Marshall, Ind.

3rd Place – Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.

4th Place – Olson Farms, Lena, Wis.

5th Place – Denmar Acres LLC, Greenleaf, Wis.

Grand Champion BMR Corn Silage — Sponsored by Brevant Seeds

1st Place – Horsens Homestead, Cecil, Wis.

2nd Place – Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.

3rd Place – Vanderlinden Farms, Greenleaf, Wis.

4th Place – Wayside Dairy, Greenleaf, Wis.

5th Place – Hornstead Dairy, Brillion, Wis.

This year’s champions of the World Forage Analysis Superbowl were recognized at a luncheon sponsored by Brevant. Those champions who were present include (front, from left): Steve Nuttlemen of Bangor, Wis. (Baleage winner); Jeremy Holst of Lake City, Minn. (Dairy Hay winner); Jessica (Andy) Schmitt of Fort Atkinson, Iowa (Alfalfa Haylage winner); and Mitch Kappelman of Manitowoc, Wis. (Grand Champion Forage Producer). Back row (from left): Bill Ciolkosz of Thorp, Wis. (Grass Hay winner); Austin Haywood of Hastings, Mich. (Mixed/Grass Haylage winner); Mark Watrin of Sandstone, Minn. (Standard Corn Silage winner); Cory Mulhern of Fountain, Minn. (First-Time Entrant winner); David Hinman of Hardrock, Wyo. (Commercial Hay winner).