What looked like a health mystery turned out to be a lesson in how environment shapes livestock longevity.

This is a story of a dairy farmer running on little sleep, a WD‑45 tractor and one unforgettable detour through a sugarbeet field. See what happens when the dew is perfect, the clock is unforgiving and fatigue finally wins.

To be economically viable, alfalfa varieties need to have some level of genetic resistance to major diseases and pests. Without resistance, the cost of production increases substantially, as the producer must rely on chemical controls to maintain stands or protect forage yield and quality.

Alfalfa producers are always striving to make a profit in both good and bad years. To achieve this goal, producers often utilize improved genetics and/or optimize the use of inputs to improve quality and yield. However, there is one production factor that trumps all the others, an adequate supply of irrigation water for forage production.