This year has seen several developments in legal issues impacting not only hay and forage operations but all agricultural operations, from the legalization of hemp to continued battles over “Waters of the U.S.” Let’s look at the top five developments in agricultural law in 2019.

It always pays to plan ahead for the next crop season. Steven Hines, University of Idaho extension educator for Jerome County, says things a producer needs to think about during winter include maintaining machinery, such as the corn planter.

A wise man once said to worry about things you can control. In this lifetime, most of us will be unable to control the weather, so drop that off your worry list. Dirt in your hay is something you can control, so give it some thought.

Winter is a great time to review forage plans for the upcoming growing season and to fine-tune any areas that might have changed since you first developed your plan.

You might expect a large animal veterinarian to focus on animal health – things like anaplasmosis, trichomoniasis and intestinal parasites. You might expect a veterinarian to focus on preg checking or semen collection.

While most cowgirls spend their time on horseback working cattle and helping out around the ranch, this is not where you will likely find Jennifer Cummins.

It’s commonly assumed by farmers and ag professionals who look up fuel use data for field operations that fuel use improves over time as newer equipment is used.

Uniform is not the first word that comes to mind with soils. Interactions among climate, biology and parent material over time drive soil properties and processes.