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Spring 2019 has been challenging to say the least. Hayfields have disappeared due to winterkill, and small grains matured before we could make hay. Making the forages that you have at the highest quality possible will be key.
Hoping to head off a “rapidly emerging forage crisis for livestock farmers across the Midwest,” a multistate coalition of agricultural organizations submitted a written request to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, June 6, seeking approval for emergency provisions allowing the planting and harvesting of forages on prevented plant acres without date restrictions.
The most fundamental hay and forage fact is that quality losses begin at cutting. It’s impossible to preserve all the quality found in a standing crop. Once mown, the impact of metabolic and weathering losses can significantly impact crop quality.
The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) recently held a conference call with Class III hay associations, during which members moved that NAFA request alfalfa be included in the USDA aid package as a result of tariff issues. (They asked to be included in the first aid package and were not.) A key element was the need to easily identify alfalfa farmers – NAFA indicated the use of Farm Service Agency (FSA) records would be satisfactory.
I visited with a rancher in Mississippi last month. He said the best career advice he’d been given was, “All that glitters is not gold.” He went on to say that many young farmers today in Mississippi think raising poultry will end their financial woes – in essence, it would be their gold field.
Those of you who have followed my articles know that I like to illuminate the complex challenges facing forage and livestock producers. Like you, I would prefer things were simpler, but unfortunately, just the opposite seems to be happening.
Growing your business. What does that mean to you?
It’s not uncommon to think that growing your business means you must sell more products or services or have more customers.
“Diversify” seems to be a buzzword around agriculture these days. Any commodity conference is bound to have a workshop on the topic. Yet what do they really mean for a forage grower?
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